May Association News

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Champion to Children

Members of the Indiana Onsite Wastewater Professional Association (IOWPA) helped New Song Mission, a Christian nonprofit organization, in building homes in Brown County for abused and neglected children. L.A. Brown of LA. Brown Inc. worked to involve many other professional organizations. Dick Blazer, president of IOWPA, donated equipment and labor equaling more than $10,000 to install a drip field.

Soil scientists Gary Hudson and Randy Staley installed the manifolds and drip tubing. Scott Rexroth of Clear Water Environmental Systems oversaw the project, created the drainfield layout, and helped install the tubing. Brown employees installed 1,000 feet of perimeter drain. Jay Ingram provided a backhoe and Dave Wagler helped with labor. Vermeer of Indiana donated 8,500 feet of drip tubing and loaned a vibratory plow. Buchner Distributing of Kokomo and Francesville Tile Co. provided 1,300 feet of tile with sock for the perimeter drain.

Built in three phases, nine traditional family homes will nestle in a neighborhood setting with a future horse barn, a school, and a two-acre pond. Each home will have house parents, a teacher/mentor, and six to eight children.

 

Septage and Soil Studies

The Ontario Association of Sewage Industry Services (OASIS) made presentations to the Township of Tiny and is developing initiatives to help citizens address their septage issues.

Since 2005, OASIS urged the Ministry of the Environment and Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) to conduct a soil sample study to gather facts about the impact of applying untreated septage to land. Some members volunteered to have their sites sampled. In fall 2010, researchers took domestic septage samples and soil samples. The study will compare the concentration of pharmaceuticals, personal care products and antibiotics, some human pathogens, flame retardants, metals, nutrients, and organic matter in land-applied and control samples.

OASIS members serve on the Biosolids Utilization Committee and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Technical Committee. Colleen Swider, OASIS executive director, pursued the Ministry of Labour to discuss proposed regulations requiring wheelchair accessible portable bathrooms on all government-funded municipality construction sites.

 

Wisconsin Elections

Christopher Fellner of Fellner Septic & Soil in Sturgeon Bay; Tony Birrittieri of Petersen Supply in Fredonia; and Sue Schambureck of Madson Tiling & Excavating in Manitowoc were re-elected to the Wisconsin Onsite Water Recycling Association board of directors. Fellner and Birrittieri will serve two-year terms and Schambureck will serve a one-year term.

Clay Vander Leest won the 2011 Robert Lindner Memorial Scholarship. Vander Leest, the son of Dan Vander Leest of Sturgeon Bay, is studying soil science specializing in waste management at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Samantha Johnson, daughter of Chris Johnson of Burlington, won the Gretchen McQuestion Scholarship. She plans to study human resources and education. WOWRA has awarded $107,800 in scholarships to 97 students since 1991.

 

Calendar

June 9-10

Arizona Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association Onsite Wastewater Educational Conference, Radisson Suites, Tucson. Email Suzanne Ehrlich at suzanne.ehrlich @co.yavapai.az.us.

 

June 15-17

North Carolina Septic Tank Association Symposium, Sea Trails Resort, Sunset Beach. Visit www.ncsta.net or email ncsta@earth link.net.

 

June 16

Utah On-Site Wastewater Association mini-conference on pressure distribution system design, operation, and use in Salt Lake City. Call 435/797-3155 or visit http://uwrl.usu.edu/partnerships/training/uowa.html.

 

June 18-20

National Environmental Health Association, National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association, and State Onsite Regulators Alliance joint Onsite Wastewater Summit and NEHA 75th Annual Educational Conference and Exhibition, Columbus, Ohio. Visit www.neha 2011aec.org/wastewater.html.

 

Aug. 4-6

Florida Onsite Wastewater Association Conference and Trade Show, Daytona Beach Convention Center, Daytona Beach. Call 407/ 937-2228 or visit www.fowaonsite.com.

 

Aug. 27-28

Georgia Onsite Wastewater Association Conference and Industry Exhibit, Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain. Call 678/646-0379 or visit www.onsitewastewater.org.

 

Training & Education

Land Application Workshop

The Pennsylvania Septage Management Association, National Association of Wastewater Transporters, Mid-Atlantic Biosolids Association, and the Pennsylvania Water Environment Association will sponsor a Land Application Workshop June 22-23 in Carlisle, Pa. While anyone may attend, the intention is to educate sewage enforcement officers and state Department of Environmental Protection employees that land application is a safe, neat, and clean operation.

After morning classroom sessions, attendees will be bused to a live demonstration of land-applied biosolids from an anaerobic digester and lime-stabilized septage. The demonstration site is next to 300 houses. Owner Bill Neidigh screens the septage, then adds lime before the mixture goes to a 300,000-gallon storage tank. He retains a contractor to apply the material before the crops are planted or after harvest.

The second day is for those who want to learn more about the U.S. EPA Part 503 requirements and actual operations including calculating loading rates and recordkeeping. For more details, visit www.psma.net or www.nawt.org.

 

NAWT

The National Association of Wastewater Transporters has these training sessions:

• June 8 – Inspector Training and Recertification, Tucson, Ariz.

• June 22-23 – Land Application Workshop, Carlisle, Pa.

• July 21-22 – Inspector Training and Certification, Sonora, Calif.

For Pennsylvania classes, call NAWT at 800/236-6298 or visit www.nawt.org. For Arizona classes, call Kitt Farrell-Poe at 520/621-7221. For California classes, call Kit Rosefield at 530/513-6658 or visit www.cowa.org.

 

Alabama

Licensing classes are the joint effort of the Alabama Onsite Wastewater Association (AOWA) and University of West Alabama (UWA). Courses are at UWA Livingston campus unless noted otherwise.

• June 1-3 – Basic Installer

• June 23-24 – Continuing Education, Dothan

• July 7-8 – Pumpers

• July 20-22 – Advanced Installer I

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

 

Arizona

The Arizona Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association and University of Arizona Onsite Wastewater Education Program are sponsoring the NAWT Inspection Training and Recertification course on June 8 in Tucson. Call Kitt Farrell-Poe at 520/621-7221 or email kittfp@ag.arizona.edu or visit www.ag. arizona.edu/waterquality/onsite.

 

California

The California Onsite Wastewater Association is offering the NAWT Onsite Inspector Training and Certification class July 21-22 in Sonora. Call Kit Rosefield at 530/ 513-6658 or visit www.cowa.org.

 

Iowa

The Iowa Onsite Wastewater Association is offering a Site Evaluations and Soils course on June 17 in Emmetsburg. Call Alice Vinsand at 515/225-1051, email execdir@iowwa.com or visit www.iowwa.com.

 

Minnesota

The University of Minnesota Extension has these classes:

• June 1-3 – Soils, Alexandria

• June 7-8 – Inspecting Onsite Systems, Waseca

• June 15 – Soils Continuing Education, Forest Lake

• June 21 – Soils Continuing Education, Worthington

• June 22-24 – Soils, Mankato

• June 29 – Soils Continuing Education, St. Cloud

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

 

Missouri

The Missouri Smallflows Organization is offering these CEU courses:

• June 28 – Selling the System to the Site Conditions, Sedalia

• June 29 – Media Filters, Sedalia

• July 19-20 – Operations and Maintenance, Liberty

Call Tammy Yelden at 417/739-4100 or visit www.mosmallflows.org.

 

New England

The New England Onsite Wastewater Training Center at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston has these courses:

• June 2 – Installing Advanced Onsite Systems

• June 2 – Innovative and Alternative Technology Field Training, Peckham Farm

• June 8 – Soil Basics for the Onsite Wastewater Contractor

• June 16 – Hands-On Component Installation

• June 23 – Bottomless Sand Filter Design and Installation

• July 13 – Microbiology for Wastewater Professionals

• July 14 – Surveying Techniques for the Wastewater Professional

• July 20-21 – Advanced Soil Morphology

Call 401/874-5950 or visit www. uri.edu/ce/wq. For soil courses, call Mark Stolt at 401/874-2915 or email mstolt@uri.edu.

 

North Carolina

North Carolina Soils and On-Site Wastewater Training Academy has the following webinars:

• July 14 – Global Positioning and Geographic Information

• Aug. 4 – Soil Survey in the 21st Century

Call Joni Tanner at 919/513-1678 or visit www.soil.ncsu.edu/training.

North Carolina Septic Tank Association has an Installer, Inspector, Pumper, and Land Application class June 15-17 at Sunset Beach. Visit www.ncsta.net or email ncsta @earthlink.net.

The North Carolina Pumper Group and Portable Toilet Group are holding the four-hour septage management training and three-hour land application seminar on June 18 in New Bern. Call Joe McClees at 252/249-1097 or visit www.ncpumpergroup.org or www.ncportabletoiletgroup.org. n



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