If you are planning on attending the Pumper & Cleaner Environmental Expo International in Indianapolis in February, why not spend the two days over the weekend Feb. 22-23 and attend one of the two pre-Expo workshops NAWT is sponsoring? As is our policy and consistent with our mission, the two classes offered emphasize the service connection to our industry.

The inspection certification course will be offered, as it is every year, for anyone who would like to learn the NAWT standard for inspecting existing onsite systems. This year there will be a new wrinkle in this course offering. It will still cover the basics of troubleshooting onsite systems and provide a method to conduct inspections. But since we have been debating the use of operation and hydraulic load testing for onsite systems, NAWT is bringing in two additional instructors who have used these tests as a part of their inspection protocols. Ray Erb and Frank Parker operate businesses in Pennsylvania, where these tests are frequently conducted. As in the past, they will be assisted by other NAWT instructors.

Over the years, NAWT has hosted a variety of courses two days prior to the Expo. Last year, a design principles course was offered to answer a number of requests to develop such a course. This course has been redesigned on the basis of participant evaluations. We are titling this course Onsite Systems to Last a Lifetime. The course begins at the house and the user and, using a set of consistent real-life systems, walks through what needs to be done with each component to ensure the homeowner has a system that will indeed last a lifetime.

Course content is provided from the perspective of what a service provider technician needs to know about design criteria; this will allow the technician to evaluate design plans so they understand why systems are installed a certain way, but will also help the service provider recognize potential problems that need attention.

The course is offered with a day in the classroom going through all system components using real examples and designs. We move into the field on the second day, conduct basic surveying and layout exercises, and learn the basics of evaluating soils through a series of soil pits.

You’ll find out what impact the user has on system choices and design parameters. The most common mistakes are soils-related and the fundamentals will be taught to avoid these mistakes. System flow lines, sizing and layout, pumps, pressure distribution and advanced technology will be discussed.

Estimating hydraulic and organic loading from different types of users – and how this impacts the choice of systems – will be discussed and practiced in the field. We will go through a site evaluation process in the field to understand how gathered information affects the design process. Finally we will check the system layout in the field using basic surveying techniques. This course will not make you a practicing designer but it will teach you to evaluate system plans and actual layouts, which will be invaluable for troubleshooting problems and estimating proper system maintenance.

This two-day course will give you a better understanding of design principles and how to work with experts in the field and others in the industry. With a combination of classroom and field visits, it is an ideal leaning situation of bookwork and hands-on interaction. If you are already NAWT certified and need your CEUs, this will qualify for recertification.