CANADA: Alberta Promotes Professional Septic System Design
The Alberta Onsite Wastewater Management Association adopted a priority action plan that includes discouraging homeowners from designing or installing onsite systems, encouraging only certified professionals to install systems, improving inspection processes, increasing accountability, and investigating certification levels and training programs.
The association is launching a pilot project to help municipalities put the Model Process Reference Document, a guide for developing subdivisions with private onsite systems, into practical use.
With the province banning land application of septage by 2010, and with many receiving facilities already at capacity or banning haulers, the association developed a hauler training and certification program to increase municipalities’ confidence that haulers are handling septage responsibly. The National Association of Wastewater Transporters Inc. will administer the program if Alberta Environment provides funding.
Traing & Education
Montana
A DVD from the Montana State University Extension, Taking Care of Our Ground Water: A Homeowner’s Guide to Well and Septic Systems, explains how onsite wastewater and potable well water are part of the same water cycle. It has sections on water system considerations for buying or building a new home, protecting the wellhead, onsite systems, sampling for well water quality, interpreting water quality results, chlorinating a well and water system and water treatment options. To order the $4 DVD or view a lower quality Web version, go to http://extn.msu.montana.edu/publications.asp.
NAWT
The National Association of Wastewater Transporters has these sessions:
• Aug. 25-26 – Inspector Training, Flagstaff, Ariz.
• Oct. 9-10 – Waste Treatment Symposium, Orlando, Fla.
Call NAWT at 800/236-6298 or visit www.nawt.org. For Arizona classes, contact Kitt Farrell-Poe at 928/782-3836 or e-mail kittfp@ag.arizona.edu. For California classes, call Mary Anne Bobrow at 916/727-2692 or e-mail maryanne@cowa.org.
Alabama
Licensing classes are the joint effort of the Alabama Onsite Wastewater Association and University of West Alabama. Courses are at the UWA Livingston campus unless stated otherwise:
• Aug. 12-13 – Continuing Education, Gadsden
• Sept. 3-4 – Continuing Education, Florence
• Sept. 16-18 – Advanced Level I Installers
Call 334/396-3434 or visit www.aowa.org.
Florida
Courses are at the Florida Onsite Wastewater Association Training Center in Polk City.
• Aug. 17-18 – Maintenance Training for Onsite Installers
• Aug. 20-21 – Maintenance Training for Onsite Installers
• Aug. 25-27 – Onsite Technologies from A-Z
• Aug. 28 – What’s New at the Training Center?
Contact FOWA at 407/937-2228 or www.fowaonsite.com.
Iowa
The Iowa Onsite Wastewater Training Center at Ankeny is offering:
• Sept. 15 – Site evaluation and Design
• Oct. 20 – Basic 101
Call Annette Adams at 515/964-6464, option 5, ext. 6464 or visit www.iowwa.com.
Michigan
The Michigan Onsite Wastewater Training and Education Center at MSU Tollgate Center in Novi is offering these courses:
• Aug. 12-13 – Existing Systems Evaluator Training
• Aug. 20 – Pumped Systems Evaluator Training
• Sept. 24-25 – Onsite Wastewater Systems Maintenance
Call Barb DeLong at 517/355-4720 or visit www.egr.msu.edu/age/outreach.html.
Minnesota
The University of Minnesota Extension has these classes:
• Aug. 11 – Sampling Onsite Systems, Waterville
• Aug. 18-21 – Service Provider, Mankato
Call Nick Haig at 800/322-8642 (612/625-9797) or visit http://septic.umn.edu.
Missouri
The Missouri Smallflows Organization is offering a two-hour wastewater course on Sept. 11 in Clinton. Call Fred Boehler at 660/885-8193 or visit www.mosmallflows.org.
New England
The New England Onsite Wastewater Training Program at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston has these workshops:
• Aug. 6 – Surveying Basics for Onsite Wastewater Contractors
• Sept. 3 – Wastewater Treatment Basics
• Sept. 17 – Innovative and Alternative Technology Overview
• Sept. 22-23 – Inspecting Onsite Systems
Call 401/874-5950 or visit www.uri.edu/ce/wq. Contact David Kalen at 401/874-5950 or davidkalen@mail.uri.edu.
North Carolina
North Carolina Soils and On-Site Wastewater Training Academy has these courses:
• Aug. 19 – Subsurface Wastewater System Operator Training, Plymouth
• Sept. 15 – Subsurface Wastewater System Operator Training, Bolivia
• Sept. 23-25 – Designing Wastewater Irrigation Systems, Raleigh
Call Joni Tanner at 919/513-1678 or visit www.soil.ncsu.edu/ training.
The North Carolina Septic Tank Association has these courses:
• Aug. 12-13 – Installer/Inspector, Greenville
• Aug. 14 – Pumper, Greenville
Call Connie Stephens at 336/416-6394 or visit www.ncsta.net.
Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Septage Management Association is offering these courses:
• Aug. 19-20 – Confined Space, West Chester
• Sept. 16-17 – Onsite Inspection, Williamsport
Call 717/763-7762 or visit www.psma.net.
Utah
The Utah On-Site Wastewater Treatment Training Program is offering Onsite Wastewater Treatment Certification Workshops on:
• Sept. 22-23 – Level 1 Certification, Heber City
• Sept. 24, Level 1 Certification Renewal, Heber City
• Sept. 25 – Level 2 Certification Renewal, Heber City
Call Carmell Burns at 435/797-3174 or visit http://uwrl.usu.edu/partnerships/training/classes.html.
Virginia
The following courses by the Virginia Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association and Virginia Center for Onsite Wastewater Training (VCOWT) are at Blackstone:
• Sept. 10 -11 – Pumps and Controls (VCOWT)
• Nov. 4-5 – Wastewater 101 (VCOWT)
• Nov. 18 – Proprietary System Training, (VOWRA)
For VCOWT classes, contact Debbie Campbell at 434/736-2011 or visit www.southside.edu/programs/wastetreat. For VOWRA courses, contact Jeff Barr at 703/771-5250 or visit www.vowra.org.
Pumper invites state associations to post notices and news items in this column. Send contributions to editor@pumper.com.
Calendar
July 10-11
Wisconsin Precast Concrete Association Summer Convention, Chula Vista Resort, Wisconsin Dells. Call 608/256-7701.
Aug. 6-8
Florida Onsite Wastewater Association conference, Ocean Center, Daytona Beach. Call 407/830-4381 or www.fowaonsite.com.
Aug. 7-8
Wisconsin Liquid Waste Carriers Association summer convention, Potawatomi Northern Lights Casino and Hotel, Wabeno.
Call 608/255-2770.
Aug. 12-14
North Carolina Septic Tank Association outreach symposium, Greenville Convention Center, Greenville. Call Monica Rhea at 704/739-5849 or visit www.ncsta.net.
Aug. 28-29
Georgia Onsite Wastewater Association conference, Marietta Conference Center, Marietta. Call 678/646-0379 or visit www.onsitewastewater.org.
