Onsite installers from beginners to experienced and credentialed will find a great deal to learn from the education program at the 2008 Pumper & Cleaner Expo, Feb. 17 to March 1 at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville.
Education Day on Wednesday, Feb. 27, offers two tracks of seminars dedicated to installation and system maintenance contractors. Other seminars on Thursday, Feb. 28, cover a range of topics of interest to onsite practitioners.
Thursday also includes a full-day Certified Onsite Installer Course, sponsored by Onsite Installer magazine and presented by Jim Anderson, Ph.D., and David Gustafson, P.E., of the University of Minnesota Onsite Sewage Treatment Program.
Here is a summary of the 2008 Expo education seminar offerings:
Education Day, Feb. 27
The Education Day program includes seminar tracks sponsored by the National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association (NOWRA) and the National Environmental Health Association.
The NOWRA track covers basic knowledge that underlies the installation of high-performing and lasting onsite systems. Presenters are David Lindbo, Ph.D., associate professor and soil Extension specialist with the Department of Soil Science, North Carolina State University; and John Buchanan, associate professor in the Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science Department at the University of Tennessee. Sessions are:
• Introduction to the Site Evaluation Process: An overview of what needs to be done before during and after a field visit. 8 to 9 a.m.
• Introduction to Soils: Basic soil science methods and terminology as they relate to onsite systems. 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.
• Water Movement and Treat-ment in Soils: Treatment processes; the flow of water through soil and out of the dispersal media into the soil. 11 a.m. to noon.
• System Design Related to Soil and Site Conditions: Design principles including long-term acceptance rate and selection of the right system to suit the site. 1 to 2 p.m.
• Systems Design Related to Installation: System layouts and issues related to installation and drainfield protection during construction. 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
• Post-Construction Site Evaluation: Site evaluation for operation and maintenance or time-of-sale inspection. 4 to 5 p.m.
The NEHA track focuses on technical system installation issues and on national credentialing for installers. Sessions are:
• Point-of-Sale Inspection, Elizabeth Dietzmann, JD: How to inspect systems to detect trouble before sale or transfer of a property. 8 to 9 a.m.
• Becoming a Certified Installer, Christl Pokorney: Overview of the knowledge, skills and training required to pass the Certified Installer of Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems credential exam. 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.
• Working With Performance- Based Codes, Richard Otis Ph.D, P.E.: How performance-based codes work; designing systems to fit them. 11 a.m. to noon.
• Building Cost-Effective Com-munity Sewage Systems in Subdivisions, Doug Ebelherr: Case study on a community system in central Illinois. 1 to 2 p.m.
• Management Guidelines, Model Codes, National Credential and You, Anthony Smithson, MEH, REHS, director of environmental health, Waukegan County, Ill., 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
The Education Day program also includes seminars of interest to installers given by the National Precast Concrete Association (NPCA) and the National Association of Wastewater Transporters (NAWT).
The NPCA program, Inches of Mercury and Feet of Bury: Both Make a Difference, will be given from 4 to 5 p.m. by Mike Miller, international sales manager for Press-Seal Gasket Corp. He will discuss the value of vacuum testing and following proper test procedures.
NAWT seminars of special interest to installers are:
• Responsible Management Entities, A.R. Rubin: Options to assure sustainable management approaches for onsite systems. 8 to 9 a.m.
• Experts’ Review of ATU Operation and Maintenance, Bruce Lesikar, Ph.D., Texas A&M University: Tricks of the trade and operational checklists to guide evaluation and assessment of component function. 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Thursday, Feb. 28
The Thursday morning program includes these seminars of importance to the installer community:
• Safety in Excavation, Gary Hooks, Safety Corporation of America: Training employees in the hazards of excavations. 8 to 9 a.m.
• Water Softener Effects on Onsite Wastewater Systems, Mark Gross, Orenco Systems Inc.: How backwash brine from water softeners may affect onsite system performance. 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Installer Certification Course
The Certified Onsite Installer Course sponsored by Onsite Installer magazine runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 28. Jim Anderson and David Gustafson of the University of Minnesota onsite program will train participants on the basics of installing onsite systems. An optional exam will be given afterward.
Those who pass will be recognized as Certified Onsite Installers and will be prepared to move on to continuing education sessions, such as the NEHA national installer credential and the NAWT Certified Inspector Course.
Learn more and register
To find out more about the 2008 Expo, or to register, visit www.pumpershow.com or call 800/257-7222. The early registration fee of $40 applies until Jan. 25, 2008. Registration at the door is $60.
