About WJTA 

In May 1983, when the concept of high pressure waterjet technology was just a curiosity to most people, a group of educators and researchers formed the WaterJet Technology Association (WJTA) during the Second U.S. Water Jet Conference in Rolla, Missouri. About 125 people attended that conference. 

The founding group set a number of goals: to sponsor and organize conferences on waterjet technology, to promote safety, to provide a means of communication within the industry, to keep members up-to-date as the art and science of waterjet technology evolved, and to foster trade in waterjet products and services. 

Now, over 27 years later, waterjet technology has grown from a curiosity to a standard method in a wide variety of industries, including the oil, gas, and electric; municipal; manufacturing; machining; paint and coating; concrete repair and demolition; waste handling and spill response; construction; mining; and process industries. 

WJTA serves all of these industries by providing a forum where innovative people from these industries can share new insights and learn from each other. This relationship of colleagues from the various industries results in a beneficial transfer of knowledge which in turn enhances productivity. 

The dedication that started with the original group continues today. The membership has grown to nearly 1,000 companies and individuals who have an interest in high pressure waterjet technology and related industries. Members are involved in industrial and municipal cleaning and maintenance services; wet and dry vacuum services; hydrodemolition; hydro-excavation; paint, coating removal, and surface preparation; waste handling and spill response; waterblasting; and precision waterjet cutting and machining. 

To better address the needs of members involved in industrial cleaning and maintenance, the WJTA board of directors voted in 2009 to create the Industrial and Municipal Cleaning Association (IMCA), a special interest group within the WJTA for members who have an active interest in industrial cleaning. The IMCA offers a more focused forum for members to communicate and share ideas and knowledge. 

On-the-job safety continues to be a top priority. The WJTA-IMCA safety manual, Recommended Practices for the Use of Manually Operated High Pressure Waterjetting Equipment, has been accepted as a statement of industry best practices in the U.S. It is referred to in most company safety manuals and is also used as a reference in court proceedings. A revised and updated version of the safety manual, renamed Recommended Practices for the Use of High Pressure Waterjetting Equipment, to include a new section on automated equipment, was published in the spring of 2011. 

Many industrial cleaning contractors combine high-volume air-moving with waterjetting. Addressing safety concerns raised by members working with waterjets and industrial vacuum trucks, the WJTA adopted the first Recommended Practices for the Use of Industrial Vacuum Equipment in August 2007. 

WJTA-IMCA members are encouraged to share their ideas about revisions and new material for the safety recommendations and to participate on the committees reviewing and updating the safety manuals. 

"Zero” accidents is one of the goals of the WJTA-IMCA. Training is one of the best accident prevention measures. The WJTA-IMCA developed safety videos based on the Recommended Practices for waterjetters and for industrial vacuum equipment users, which are used in many safety training programs worldwide. 

Workers are encouraged to carry the WJTA-IMCA medical alert card in the event an injury does occur during a waterjetting project. Thousands of the cards, which contain valuable information to aid medical staff in the treatment of a waterjet injury, have also been circulated worldwide. 

Participation in the conferences has grown to nearly 1,000 individuals. The first WJTA-IMCA Expo was held in August 2010 at the George R. Brown (GRB) Convention Center in Houston and featured an expanded exhibit hall, boot camp sessions, and live demonstrations. The traditional WJTA-IMCA Conference and Expo features exhibits, boot camp sessions, live demonstrations, and paper presentations by leading engineers and researchers from around the world. The Expo will be held biennially during the even-numbered years, and the Conference/Expo will be held biennially during the odd-numbered years. 

The association helps keep members up-to-date through the conferences, the Jet News, a bimonthly newsletter for members that highlights the latest techniques and new applications, through workshops, and via the website.  

The new WJTA-IMCA website makes it easier for members to access association information, update their membership profiles, and purchase publications and products. The online Directory of corporate members is an easy-to-use resource for members and nonmembers looking for the right contractor, piece of equipment, or other service.  

Networking is a valuable benefit of membership in the WJTA-IMCA. The industry is always changing – economics, equipment, applications, job issues, employee issues, safety issues. Membership in the WJTA-IMCA is the best way to stay on top of things. You can communicate with other members or contact the home office for help. 

The WJTA-IMCA is a prolific association organized to serve its members. Membership is open to all interested parties so that the advancement of the technology is aided by the efforts of people with widely differing perspectives. Equipment manufacturers, suppliers, vendors, researchers, government regulators, job shops, manufacturers, and contractors share their ideas and concerns.  

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Mission Statement

The WaterJet Technology Association (WJTA) was created in 1983 at the 2nd U.S. Water Jet Conference, held on the campus of the University of Missouri-Rolla (now called the Missouri University of Science and Technology), by members of the waterjet industry acting in concert with university and government officials. The major impetus to the creation of the Association was to provide a means of service and communication within the industry, as epitomized by the biennial waterjet conferences.

Formal objectives of the Association have been adopted as follows:

1. To provide a means of cooperation between government, industry, university, and research institutions on all matters of fluid jets and industrial vacuuming, including applications in jet cutting, industrial cleaning, and other uses in the manufacturing, mining, construction, and process industries.
2. To foster domestic and international trade of products and services relating to waterjet cutting, waterjet cleaning, and industrial vacuuming.
3. To promote in general the interests of the waterjet application and industrial cleaning industries, including the establishment of recommended practices.
4. To promote the mutual improvement of its members and the study and advancement of the arts and sciences connected with waterjet cutting and industrial cleaning.
5. To further these stated purposes, the WaterJet Technology Association may promote and conduct demonstrations for the general public or private organizations; disseminate information on fluid jet technology through newsletters, booklets, clinics, meetings, lectures and educational programs; make awards; and engage in any other activities not enumerated herein that are designed to further the art and science of fluid jet technology and to promote its use.

In regard to the third objective, it should be noted that:

1. At the 3rd U.S. Water Jet Conference held on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh in May of 1985, the Association adopted the first Recommended Practices for the Use of Manually Operated High Pressure Water Jetting Equipment.  The Recommended Practices are reviewed and updated periodically.  The waterjet Recommended Practices was revised and updated in 2011, including the addition of a new section on Automated Equipment.  The manual was retitled Recommended Practices for the Use of High Pressure Waterjetting Equipment.
2. Recognizing that many industrial cleaning contractors combine high-volume air-moving with waterjetting, the WJTA in August 2007, adopted the first Recommended Practices for the Use of Industrial Vacuum Equipment.  The Recommended Practices for the Use of Industrial Vacuum Equipment are reviewed periodically and will be updated as needed.