Association News

Iowa Membership Rate Structure

The Iowa Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association membership has reverted to individual rather than company memberships. Dues include a membership to NOWRA, enabling members to take the Certified Installer of Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems testing sponsored by the National Environmental Health Association. “Being able to sit for the exam was the reason we changed the membership structure,” says president Bob McKinney.

Michigan Association Forms PAC

The Board of Directors of the Michigan Septic Tank Association has formed a political action committee to advance its goals. Committee members J.P. Fountain, treasurer; Chanin Frank, record keeper; Joe Hall, and Rick Throop are filing the papers and establishing a bank account for the PAC. The organization has a legal advisor and legislative lobbyist. Associations considering forming a PAC may contact Fountain at 231/796-3146 or Eloise@netonecom.net.

County Certification Testing

The Washington On-Site Sewage Association is working with many marine counties and some beyond to establish standardized certification testing, and is proct-oring numerous tests for them. Testing is by appointment based on the schedule of the applicants. Tests are graded while candidates wait and an exam certificate is usually issued before they leave. WOSSA also notifies the county of the results.

The association has rewritten many of its training classes to include more hands-on activities based on responses from more than 2,000 class attendees in the last few years. Activities include assembling pressure distribution systems, startup procedures, setting up timers and panels, and troubleshooting.

Calendar of Events

Feb. 13-14

Nebraska On-Site Waste Water Association Annual Convention and Trade Show, Embassy Suites Hotel, Lincoln. Call Diane Snapp at 402/476-0162.

Feb. 14-15

Utah On-site Wastewater Association Convention, E-Center, Murray. Call Judith Sims at 435/797-3230 or visit www.neng.usu.edu/uwrl/training.

Feb. 15-16

Wisconsin Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association Convention, Country Springs Hotel, Waukesha. Call 608/256-7757 or visit www. wowra.com.

Feb. 27-March 1

Pumper & Cleaner Environ-mental Expo International, Kentucky Exposition Center, Louisville, Ky. Education Day Feb. 27; exhibits open Feb. 28-March 1. Call 800/257-7222 or visit www.pumpershow.com.

March 2-4

Ontario Onsite Wastewater Association Conference, Deerhurst Conference Centre, Huntsville. Call 905/372-2722 or visit www.oowa.org.

March 3-5

Minnesota Onsite Wastewater Association Convention, Cragun’s Resort, Brainerd. Call 888/810-4178 or visit www.mowa-mn.com.

March 11-13

Northeast Onsite Short Course, Marriott Hotel and Spa, Groton, Conn. 978/323-7929 or www.neiwpcc.org.

March 24

Granite State Designers and Installers Association Septic System Conference & Exhibition, Radisson Hotel, Manchester, N.H. Call 603/ 228-1231 or visit www.gsdia.org.

April 7-10

National Onsite Wastewater Association Conference, Cook Con-vention Center, Memphis, Tenn. Call 800/966-2942 or visit www.nowra.org.

April 15-17

North Carolina On-Site Waste-water Treatment Conference, North Carolina State University, Raleigh. Call Joni Tanner at 919/515-1678 or visit www.soil.ncsu.edu, then Training, Short Courses and Workshops.

April 27-May 2

North American Society for Trenchless Technology No-Dig Show, Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center. Grapevine, Texas. Visit www.nodigshow.com.

May 12-15

California Onsite Wastewater Association Conference and Expo-sition, DoubleTree Hotel, Sacramento, Calif. Call 707/579-4882 or visit www.cowa.org.

Association News

Vehicles Do Not Drive Themselves

A white paper from OSHA, Guidelines for Employers to Reduce Motor Vehicle Crashes, covers how to calculate the cost of motor vehicle crashes, examples of workplace driver safety programs, a 10-step program to minimize crash risk, and how to promote safe driving practices. It discusses what constitutes aggressive, distracted, and impaired driving and tells how to recognize signs of fatigue to prevent driving drowsy. Visit www.osha. gov/Publications/motor_vehicle_ guide.html.

Effluent Pumps for Onsite Systems

The Sump and Sewage Pump Manufacturers Association is presenting “Effluent Pumps for Onsite Wastewater Treatment: Selecting the Right Pump for the Job,” a non-credit training program on March 14 as part of the Illinois Plumbing Heating Cooling Expo at the Drury Lane Conference Center, Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. The program is in its certification stage and will become eligible for CEUs. Call Bev Potts at 800/ 795-7422 or visit www. ilphcc.com.

Florida

Courses are at the Florida Onsite Wastewater Association’s Training Center in Polk City unless stated otherwise. An asterisk indicates Master credit hours are available.

• Feb. 6 – 64E-6 Let’s Look at the Code!, Hialeah

• Feb. 7 – 64E-6 Let’s Look at the Code!, Tampa

• Feb. 11 – Artificial Media Treatment Technologies

• Feb. 12 – Natural Media Treatment Technologies

• Feb. 18-19 – *Master III-Basic Florida Soils

• Feb. 20-21 – *Master I-System Design & Function

• Feb. 21-22 – *Master II-System Materials & Regulation Requirement

• March 6 – *Master Contractor Maintenance

• March 11 – Onsite Systems: How Are They Approved?, northeast Florida (TBD)

• March 12 – Onsite Systems: How Are They Approved?, northwest Florida (TBD)

• March 25 – Work Smart, Not Hard, southeast Florida (TBD)

• March 26 – Work Smart, Not Hard, southwest Florida (TBD)

Contact FOWA at 407/830-4381 or www.fowaonsite.com.

Iowa

The Iowa Onsite Wastewater Training Center has the following courses:

• Feb. 20 – Basic 101, Storm Lake

• March 17 – Basic 101, Calmar

• March 27 – Media Filters, Indian Hills

• May 14 – Drip Irrigation Dispersal Systems, Ankeny

Call Annette Adams at 800/ 362-2127, ext: 6464 or e-mail Dennis Hayworth at dahayworth @dmacc.edu.

Minnesota

The University of Minnesota Extension has these hands-on workshops:

• Feb. 5-6 – Design-Continuing Education, Sauk Centre

• Feb. 5-7 – Design and Large System Combo, Continuing Education, Sauk Centre

• Feb. 6-7 – Cluster-Continuing Education, Sauk Centre

• Feb. 11-13 – Pumping/ Maintaining, Grand Rapids

• Feb. 14-15 – General-Continuing Education, Detroit Lakes

• Feb. 21-22 – General-Continuing Education, Two Harbors

• March 11-12 – General-Continuing Education, Willmar

• March 14 – Contractor Safety/Pipelayer Certification, Continuing Education, Mankato

• March 25-26 – Pumping/ Maintaining-Continuing Education, Brainerd

• March 31-April 1-2 – Introduction To Onsite Systems, Bemidji

• April 3-4 – Installing Onsite Systems, Bemidji

• April 11 – Contractor Safety/Pipelayer Certification, Continuing Education, Little Falls

• April 14-15 – General-Continuing Education, White Bear Lake

• April 16-18 – Designing Onsite Systems, Detroit Lakes

• April 22-23 – Inspecting Onsite Systems, Waseca

• April 28-30 – Introduction to Onsite Systems, White Bear Lake

Call 800/322-8642 (612/625-9797) or visit www.extension. umn.edu.

Missouri

Missouri Smallflows Organiza-tion is offering an Operation & Maintenance course on Feb. 19-20 at Hillsboro. The course provides CEUs to renew onsite registration with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Call 417/ 739-4100 or e-mail mso@lvbw.net.

North Carolina

North Carolina Soils and On-Site Wastewater Training Academy is offering the following courses at Raleigh unless stated otherwise:

• Feb. 14-15 – Onsite Wastewater System Inspector

• April 22-24 – Land Application/Biosolids Operator Training

• April 23-25 – Subsurface Wastewater Operator Training

• May 20 – Introduction to Decentralized Wastewater, Fletcher

• May 21-22 – Onsite Waste-water System Inspector, Fletcher

Call Joni Tanner at 919/515-1678 or visit www.soil.ncsu.edu /training.

Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania Septage Management Association is offering the following training on March 19-20 at Grantville:

• Vac-Truck Training and Certification

• Basic Onlot Wastewater Treatment System Inspection

• Advanced Onlot Wastewater Treatment System Inspection

• Standards Refresher

New Jersey Septage Manage-ment Association members qualify for PSMA member tuition fees. Call Jackie at 610/350-0590 or visit http://psma.net.

Washington State

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

• Feb, 6-7 – Basics of Onsite Sewage, Centralia

• Feb. 14 – Construction Safety

• Feb. 20 – Basics of Maintenance, Port Angeles

• Feb. 28 – Design/Install Subsurface Drip Systems, Spokane

• March 5 – Markup and Profit

• March 13 – Control Panel Wiring

• March 19-20 – Exam Review

• April 2 – Maintenance Basics

• April 16 – Pumpers

• April 23 – Design/Install Subsurface Drip Systems

• May 6-7 – Combined Basics of Onsite Sewage

• May 14-15 – Installation Basics, Part 2

• May 20 – Mounds/Sand Filters

• May 22 – Maintenance Basics, Bremerton

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

Wisconsin

Wieser Concrete has a 6-hour, general continuing education seminar that provides the necessary credits for installers, sanitarians, designers, and others working in the onsite wastewater treatment field:

• Feb. 28 – Portage

• March 6 – Shell Lake

• March 13 – Fond du Lac

• March 20 – Wieser Concrete Maiden Rock Facility

• March 27 – Rhinelander

Call 800/325-8456 or visit www.wieserconcrete.com.