Experts gathered at the semi-annual meeting of the Sump and Sewage Pump Manufacturers Association (SSPMA) on Sept. 26 in Detroit Lakes, Minn., to discuss onsite issues and what pump companies can do to benefit the industry.
Twenty people representing nine pump companies (85 percent of the manufacturers) and nine associate member companies (makers of pump accessories) attended. As part of the event, they toured the headquarters of SJE-Rhombus Controls.
According to Pamela Franzen, SSPMA managing director, the goal of the meeting was to find out what onsite installers and plumbing contractors needed from association members through questions submitted to a panel of onsite experts. “We’re trying to assemble training materials so we can offer CEUs through other institutions and organizations,” she says.
For example, SSPMA is offering non-credit training on “Sizing Effluent Pumps for Onsite Wastewater Treat-ment: Selecting the Right Pump for the Job” on March 14 at the Illinois Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Expo in Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. Those interested may call Bev Potts at 800/795- 7422 or visit www.ilphcc.com.
Learned colleagues
The panel discussion was moderated by Charles Cook from Liberty Pumps in Bergen, N.Y. Panel members were:
• James C. Converse, Ph.D., an emeritus professor in the Biological Systems Engineering Department at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
• Richard J. Otis, Ph.D., P.E. DEE, an environmental consultant with Otis Environmental Consultants LLC in Madison, Wis.
• Bruce Jaster, R.S., director of environmental services for Clay County, Minn.
• Robert Rubin, Ph.D., professor emeritus at North Carolina State University.
• David Gustafson, P.E., extension engineer with the Univer-sity of Minnesota.
Participants also answered questions about distribution treatment, how to educate others in the onsite industry, the future of onsite treatment, and the causes and treatment of filamentous bacteria in wastewater systems.
Different approaches
When asked what pump companies could do to benefit the onsite industry, Rubin responded that they should evaluate how they communicate their companies’ intrinsic value to the community. “Look beyond how many jobs you provide,” he says. “Be more effective in knowing your legislators and other elected officials, and work with them to communicate your economic impact. Our industry needs such recognition.”
Otis said members should take part in organizations like NOWRA, get involved in committee work, and attend lectures at trade shows to learn what is happening.
Rubin said that the onsite industry began in 1972 with the Clean Water Act, and the EPA provided state grants to clean up the environment. Gustafson advised the audience to find out where the funding is and help low-income families get it.
“Most state funding agencies have priority funding lists, but you have to know the financial qualifications before you can help individuals get on it,” says Rubin. “Then make sure your state knows the benefits of onsite treatment.”
Targeting performance
Otis observed that Minnesota engineers are required to evaluate how systems are performing during the facility planning process. “If the number of failures is low and can be corrected, or if the effluent can be routed to a cluster system, that is the first choice for a facility,” he says. “If failures are significant, then clusters must be evaluated followed by regional treatment. If none are appropriate, only then is providing a treatment plant considered. This is a move in a positive direction.”
Founded in 1956, SSPMA seeks to develop and promulgate quality standards, implement a certification and labeling program for all products conforming to the standards, investigate market size and activity, and promote improved provisions in building codes on the use of sump and sewage pumps.
