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NEW YORK

Red Dot Marks Certified Precast Tanks

The Precast Concrete Association of New York certification program specifies procedures to test water and wastewater products to comply with state, local and industry specifications. Initially, the program was limited to precast septic tanks, but it has been expanded to encompass grease interceptors and oil-water separators. A cast-in 3-inch red plastic disk identifies tanks that have passed testing and evaluation by a licensed professional engineer. The association publishes a public registry of precasters participating in the program and a comprehensive list of each company's certified products. The registry is at www.pcany.org.

MISSOURI

Food for Thought

Chefs preparing a meal for 100 people from what is considered "unsalable" food gave Janet Murray, Randolph County (Mo.) Health Department regulator and president of the Missouri Smallflows Organization, an idea. Every day, retail and wholesale businesses discard tons of meat cut-offs and vegetables not perfect in appearance. Murray thought how food pantries would benefit if they received them and suggested members approach store managers and green grocers about donating food destined for the trash. "If 10 people each picked up discarded food three times per month and transported it to the food pantries, think how it would help the hungry in your community," she wrote in the December newsletter.

NATION


NOWRA Nuggets


In April 2012, New Jersey passed a law requiring installers of advanced treatment units to earn NEHA-CIOWTS credentials by Jan. 1. The National Environmental Health Association approached the National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association about providing the training. "As an association, we are big supporters of education and people earning professional credentials," says Executive Director Eric Casey. "CIOWTS certification is the best, most thorough test of an installer's knowledge."

After selling out its January installer course in Flemington, N.J., NOWRA scheduled another session in March. "Even with the Pennsylvania Septage Management Association offering the Certified Installer of Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems basic and advanced exams at its annual conference in January, we expect demand to be significant enough to hold a course in southern New Jersey," says Casey. NEHA proctors administered the tests.

NOWRA rolled out a more robust website earlier this year with content organized into homeowners, professionals and wastewater planning categories. A new page is the Research Library, containing the 400 to 500 papers presented at NOWRA conferences since 2004. "Over the next one to two years, we'll scan papers from 1993 to 2003," says Casey. "The main reason for doing it is to provide access to original research that was built on in subsequent years."

Another website first is compiling onsite information from multiple sources and organizing it by area of professional interest. "We've filtered the Google search for you," says Casey. "Links to all relevant material on a subject is on one page. For example, installers will find information from the EPA, CIDWT, WERF and NOWRA." Eventually, some of the compiled contents will also reside on the new Septic Locator page, providing reliable information for consumers.

"Our goal is to establish credibility for the industry by providing the good and the bad about onsite systems," says Casey. "Septic Locator will also be tied into our website, enabling members to update their information in real time. We haven't been able to offer that feature before."

While search engine optimization marketing techniques have greatly enhanced the site's e-commerce capabilities, it also presents a challenge. "We're looking for volunteers to oversee and update portions of the website content," says Casey. Anyone interested can call Casey at 800/966-2942.

The Water Quality Association is expected to present the results from the water softener study at its conference on April 2-5 in Indianapolis. Learn more at www.wqa.org.

CANADA


Town Hall Meetings about Onsite Systems


The Western Canada Onsite Wastewater Management Association-British Columbia hosted four town hall meetings to discuss poorly or under-designed and illegal onsite systems. The association then presented the information for discussion at the November 2012 Onsite Wastewater Forum hosted by Applied Science Technologies and Technicians of British Columbia, and was asked to provide a report and suggestions for improvement at the next meeting in May. When completed, the full report will be distributed to WCOWMA-BC members. The forums identify areas of concern and look for collaborative solutions.

Worksafe Alberta issued a health and safety bulletin outlining the hazards and providing best practices for people working with sewage and septic systems. The material is also relevant for U.S. workers. Download the bulletin at http://humanservices.alberta.ca/documents/GH017.pdf.


The Alberta Onsite Wastewater Management Association held six sessions of the Onsite Wastewater Practitioner Training Program Level One with 145 participants. A Septic Summit focusing on regulation, permitting, inspection and enforcement was part of the association's annual conference in February.


Greg Plett, president of Saskatchewan Onsite Wastewater Management Association, provided a presentation on the importance of a trained and certified workforce to the Provincial Health Inspection Managers last October. There is strong support among provincial inspectors for mandatory training and certification. Last November, Plett gave a presentation on new technologies at the Saskatchewan chapter of the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors conference. In March 2013, the association represented the onsite industry at the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities Convention and Trade Show.

Alabama


Licensing classes are the joint effort of the Alabama Onsite Wastewater Association and University of West Alabama. Courses are at UWA Livingston campus unless stated otherwise:

 

  • May 8-10 – Basic Installer
  • May 30-31 – Pumper
  • June 20-21 – Continuing Education, Dothan


The first day of Continuing Education classes is for installers and the second day is for pumpers and portable restroom operators. Call the training center at 205/652-3803 or visit http://aowatc.uwa.edu.

California


The California Onsite Wastewater Association is offering a Low-Pressure Pipe Drainfield and Drip Dispersal Design class on May 22 in Sacramento. Call Kit Rosefield at 530/513-6658 or visit www.cowa.org.

Minnesota


The University of Minnesota Onsite Sewage Treatment Program has these classes:


• May 2-3 – Installing Onsite Systems, Bemidji
• May 7-9 – Basic Onsite System Design, St. Cloud
• May 20-22 – Maintaining Onsite Systems, Mankato
• May 20-24 – Maintenance and Service Provider Combo, Mankato
• May 21-24 – Service Provider, Mankato
• May 29-31 – Soils, Mankato
• June 11-12 – Inspecting Onsite Systems, St. Cloud
• June 14 – Soils Continuing Education, Fergus Falls
• June 18 – Soils Continuing Education, Mankato
• June 20 – Soils Continuing Education, Farmington


Call Nick Haig at 800/322-8642 or visit http://septic.umn.edu.

New Hampshire


The Granite State Designers and Installers Association is offering its Certified Septic System Evaluator Program May 7 (classroom) and 11 (field session) in Bow. Call 603/228-1231 or visit www.gsdia.org.

North Carolina


North Carolina State University has the following courses:


• May 8 – Saprolite, Morganton
• May 15 – Principles of Gravity System Design, Greensboro
• May 16 – Onsite System Layouts, Greensboro
• May 22 – Soils of the Low Mountains in the Southeast U.S.,Mills River
• May 28 – Basic Troubleshooting of Onsite System Malfunctions, Greenville
• May 29-30 – Advanced Troubleshooting of Onsite System Malfunctions, Greenville
• June 5 – Soils of the Upper Mountains in the Southeast U.S., Laurel Springs


Contact Joni Tanner at 919/513-1678; soils_training@ncsu.edu; or visit www.soil.ncsu.edu/training/training.htm#38, scroll down, click No. 8.

Oregon


The Chemeketa Community College in Salem has an Installer class on May 30. Call 503/399-5181 or visit www.chemeketa.edu/busprofession/ccbi/customizedtraining/deq/classes.html.

Virginia


The Virginia Center for Onsite Wastewater Training is offering a Foundational Concepts of Pump Systems class May 10 at Pickett Park. Contact Latonya Fowlkes at 434/292-3101 or latonya.fowlkes@southside.edu or visit www.southside.edu.

Washington State


The Washington On-Site Sewage Association and Washington State Department of Health in cooperation with Washington State University are offering these certification courses at the Puyallup training center unless stated otherwise:


• May 1-2 – Certification for Proprietary Devices
• May 15 – Electrical Control Panels
• May 22 – Design/Install and O&M of Subsurface Drip, Bremerton


Call WOSSA at 253/770-6594 or visit www.wossa.org.



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