Taking Action
The Florida Onsite Wastewater Association assembled a task force to write a bill for next year’s legislative session. It will offer alternative solutions to a springs protection bill that proposes every residence in a watershed be connected to a sewer and banning all onsite systems. FOWA’s bill will also address a proposal in the spring protection bill to transfer the onsite program from the Department of Health to the Department of Environmental Protection.
Nancy Deal, a member of the Consortium of Institutes for Decentralized Wastewater Treatment (CIDWT), attended the FOWA Master Maintenance Day to photograph activities related to installing septic tanks. She will add the images to the National Installer Training Curriculum under development by the CIDWT.
Stephan “Alex” Clary, the eighth grader whose Wonder Worms project won first place at the Southwest Florida Regional Science Fair, went on to win first place in the Junior Division at the Florida State Science and Engineering Fair. His efforts earned more than $20,000 in college scholarships and prizes.
Wonder Worms hypothesized that the digestive tract of earthworms could destroy E. coli and fecal coliform bacteria found in onsite wastewater systems.
Iowa Professionals
Another 35 Iowa installers earned the Certified Installer of Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems credential of the National Environmental Health Association, bringing the total to 114 in the state. Those passing the exam are offered the opportunity to become Iowa Onsite Waste Water Association certified installers. Four of the five counties requiring contractors to be certified require IOWWA certification.
Blake Rasing and Heather Adolfs received $500 scholarships from IOWWA. Blake, the son of Shari and Kenneth Rasing, finished his freshman year as a business major at the University of Iowa. Heather, the daughter of Ramona and Richard Adolfs, will study animal science and pre-veterinary medicine at Iowa State University.
Community Service
The North Carolina Septic Tank Association used fees charged for continuing education credits to fund and install an onsite system for a Habitat for Humanity home in Stokes County. Participants earned CEUs while providing a community service. NCSTA awarded $17,000 in scholarships this year.
Alternative Solution
O Instituto Ambiental (OIA) in Petropolis, Brazil, designed and installed 80 bio-digesters, one per four homes, to help the poor deal with sanitation problems. The digesters, using proprietary organic enzymes and bacteria, break down wastewater and turn it into burnable gas. The owners use the mud left over from the treatment process to fertilize crops, and return the treated effluent to the river. According to OIA, units cost $1,000 to $1,500 to set up. Visit www.oia.org.br.
Calendar
Oct. 20-21
Delaware On-Site Wastewater Recycling Association Technical Conference, Dover Downs Hotel and Casino, Dover. Call Mike Cotten at 302/226-2844 or visit www.dowra.org.
Oct. 22-23
Ontario Association of Sewage Industry Services Rural Wastewater Treatment Expo, Hamilton. Call 877/202-0082 or visit www.oasis ontario.on.ca.
Oct. 25-28
Virginia Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association Fall Conference, Koger Center, Richmond. Call 540/465-9623 or visit www.vowra.org.
Training & Education
National Association of Wastewater Transporters
NAWT has these sessions:
• Oct. 9-10 – Waste Treatment Symposium, Orlando, Fla.
• Nov. 5-6 – Operation and Maintenance, San Luis Obispo, Calif.
• Dec. 3-4 – Installer Training, Sacramento, Calif.
Call NAWT at 800/236-6298 or visit www.nawt.org. For California classes, call the California Onsite Wastewater Association at 530/321-2207.
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 stated otherwise:
• Oct. 1-2 – Continuing Education, Montgomery
• Oct. 15-16 – Pumper
• Oct. 29-20 – Continuing Education, Mobile.
Call 334/396-3434 or visit www.aowa.org.
California
The California Onsite Waste-water Association is offering Inspector Training on Oct. 15-16 in San Luis Obispo. Call the California Onsite Wastewater Association at 530/321-2207.
Iowa
The Iowa Onsite Wastewater Training Center at Ankeny is offering Basic 101 on Oct. 20. Call Annette Adams at 515/964-6464 or visit www.iowwa.com.
Michigan
The Michigan Onsite Waste-water Training and Education Center at MSU Tollgate Center in Novi is offering these courses:
• Oct. 7-8 – Existing Systems Evaluator Training
• Oct. 29-30 – Soils.
Call Barb DeLong at 517/355-4720 for registration, e-mail Ted Loudon at loudon@msu.edu for course information, or visit www.egr.msu.edu/age/outreach.html.
Missouri
The Missouri Smallflows Organ-ization is offering these CEU courses:
• Oct. 6-7 – Operation and Maintenance, Cape Girardeau
• Oct. 27-28 – Drip and Pump Panels, Liberty.
Call 417/739-410 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:
• Oct. 1 – Innovative and Alternative Technology
• Oct. 8 – Bottomless Sand Filter Design and Installation
• Oct. 15 – Functional Inspections.
Call 401/874-5950 or visit www.uri.edu/ce/wq.
North Carolina
North Carolina Soils and On-Site Wastewater Training Academy has these courses at Raleigh unless stated otherwise:
• Oct. 1 – Introduction to Decentralized Wastewater, Boone
• Oct. 2 – Soils 220: Saprolite, Boone
• Oct. 6-8 – Subsurface Wastewater System Operator Training, Plymouth
• Oct. 13 – Introduction to Decentralized Wastewater, Greensboro
• Oct 14 – Subsurface Wastewater System Inspector, Greensboro
• Oct. 15 – Principles of Gravity System Design
• Oct. 16 – Advanced Design Lab
• Oct. 22 – Soils of the Mixed Felsic/Mafic Piedmont Region
• Oct. 23 – Soil Mineralogy, Salisbury.
Call Joni Tanner at 919/513-1678 or visit www.soil.ncsu.edu/training.
North Carolina
The North Carolina Septic Tank Association has these courses:
• Oct. 8-9 – Installer/Inspector, New Bern
• Oct. 14-15 – Installer Inspector, Greensboro
• Oct. 16 – Pumper, Greensboro.
Call Connie Stephens at 336/ 416-6394 or visit www.ncsta.net.
Utah
The Utah On-Site Wastewater Treatment Training Program is offering Onsite Wastewater Treatment Certification Workshops in Logan on:
• Oct. 14-15 – Level 2 Certification
• Oct. 20-22 – Level 3 Certification
• Oct. 29 – Level 3 Certification Renewal.
Call Carmell Burns at 435/797-3174 or visit http://uwrl.usu.edu/ partnerships/training/classes.html.
Virginia
These courses by the Virginia Onsite Wastewater Recycling Asso-ciation (VOWRA) and Virginia Center for Onsite Wastewater Training (VCOWT) are at Blackstone unless indicated otherwise:
• Oct. 19-23 – Soils (VCOWT)
• Oct. 25-26 – National Installer Training, Richmond (VOWRA)
• Oct. 25-26 – Operations and Maintenance, Richmond (VOWRA)
• Oct. 27-28 – Onsite Sewage Regulations (VCOWT)
• Oct. 28-29 – Understanding Water Movement in Soil (VCOWT).
For VCOWT classes, contact Lydia Cox at 434/292-3101 or visit www.southside.edu. For VOWRA courses, contact Ben Morrell at 540/ 465-9623 or visit www.vowra.org.
