Two hundred fifty participants from all over the United States and Canada attended the Third Annual NOWRA Installer Academy in Las Vegas, Dec. 10-12. Many of them went “bucket to bucket” in the Roe-D-Hoe, held as part of the event. Education was the focus of the gathering, but when given the opportunity to climb on a machine and show off their skills, many could not resist
The educational program was developed by the Consortium of Institutes for Decentralized Waste-water Treatment. Working with NOWRA and the National Environ-mental Health Association (NEHA), the Consortium seeks to establish and communicate a minimum set of onsite system installation guidelines. Training was offered in three tracks:
• The Consortium’s basic installer course.
• An advanced track that builds on the basic course.
• A manufacturer track with detailed training that may lead to product-specific certifications.
Participants had the opportunity to take the written exam for the NEHA Certified Installer of Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems national credential.
During the Roe-D-Hoe, held on a paved parking lot, professional installers showed a deft touch on the control stick. Competitors displayed their hand-eye coordination, patience and depth perception, using a spoon attached to the fork of a bucket to place a golf ball.
The Roe-D-Hoe winners were:
• First place: Bill Morton of Sure Fire Septic Maintenance, Big Fork, Mont.
• Second place: Rodney Rice of Simon & Associates, Blacksburg, Va.
• Third place: Jeff O’Risky of O’Risky Excavating, Evansville, Ind.
Winners were selected based on the time it took to complete a series of three events in a course developed by J.R. Inman of Northwest Cascade in Puyallup, Wash.
In addition to bragging rights for a year, the winner took home a championship belt buckle sponsored by Concrete Sealants of Tipp City, Ohio, Howard Wingert, president, and $1,000 donated by Stonebridge Construction and North-west Cascade, both of Washington. NOWRA president Raymond Peat, Bio-Microbics Inc., told the crowd before the award ceremony that the belt was fabricated “using the same skills, methods and materials as the belts bestowed by big time wrestling promoters.”
