The 2011 National Association of Wastewater Transporters Excellence in Service Award was presented to Jack King, inspector for the New Mexico Environmental Department. The award recognizes King for exceptional accomplishments in his service to the community and to the wastewater profession. The award was presented at the Pumper and Cleaner Environmental Expo International in Indianapolis Feb. 29.

“His work has inspired a respect for people in the industry and raised the bar for the quality of services delivered. Jack King is a rare combination of tough inspector and good friend,” said nominator Jace Ensor, president of Mountain Top Inc., in Ruidoso, N.M., and president of the New Mexico Onsite Wastewater Association.

 

Hydraulic Load Test Update

It was announced that there was a draft version of a hydraulic load test standard available on the NAWT website. This standard is meant to cover procedures for conducting a hydraulic load test as a part of a system inspection, done on existing systems that are occupied or vacant. If you want to read and comment on the draft standard, you can access it at NAWT.org.

There have been a number of comments received from various practitioners from across the country. In addition, it has spurred discussion in both the Pumper and Onsite Installer magazines. So one of the purposes of posting a standard has been accomplished! It has gotten people to think about these tests, how they are conducted and how they are interpreted. We would encourage you to look at the draft standard and provide your perspective on what you think is good and what is not.

We would like to make one point very clear: This is a draft standard for discussion. It has not been adopted by NAWT; that may or may not happen in the future. There is a lot of discussion about the amount of water used in the test, the timing, and differences if a house is vacant, such as, during foreclosure and the use of inspection ports to assist in inspections. Please take time to give us your perspective on the draft as a person that does the work. We may not come to a consensus on what should be done, but the discussion will be valuable to everyone involved.

 

Waste Treatment Spreadsheet

You may have been part of the discussion about our new waste treatment spreadsheet during NAWT Education Day seminars at the Pumper & Cleaner Expo. This past year, Todd Frank, son of Tom and Carol Frank, participated in an internship with NAWT. One of the tasks he performed was to put together a spreadsheet that members can use to evaluate the potential costs of starting their own septage treatment facility.

This spreadsheet allows you to work through potential costs of developing a facility based on your situation. You also can find this spreadsheet on the NAWT website when you log into your personal account. If you need login or password information, please call or email the NAWT office and it can be provided. Again, we would like to hear what members think of the spreadsheet and whether you feel it is a useful tool for considering treatment facility costs.