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The septic business—long an informal, family-style
enterprise posing few barriers to entry—is about to
raise the bar considerably by introducing skills certification.
Several parallel programs are now coming online virtually
at once; each is aimed at dramatically improving and standardizing
the performance of critical onsite tasks. Included in all
of the packages will be affordable, well-designed one- or
two-day training.
Spurring this movement in particular (and helping fund it)
has been the EPA, which has declared credentialing and skills
certification to be much-needed steps toward upgrading onsite
industry practices. As Christl Pokorney of the National Environmental
Health Association (NEHA) explains, "There has to be
some kind of standard that each [septic system] professional
must meet to be able to install, to build, and to design a
system or to operate and maintain them." Pokorney has
worked closely with EPA in developing one of the forthcoming
"cert" programs.
Another stated purpose is the need for attaining greater
uniformity in practices and procedures; achieving this worthy
goal will surely benefit the entire industry. Currently, most
states do require some degree of business licensing, of course,
but the actual regulation of specific skill sets and service
providers is basically a hodgepodge. As Pokorney explains,
"[Some jurisdictions] have a simple exam. Some just
register people. And some have quite advanced programs with
training associated with them, including continuing education."
Locally, enforcement practices also vary, spanning, she says,
"the whole spectrum—from some areas that have
no qualification at all" to others that are relatively
demanding. In any case, streamlining and leveling out this
"wild variation in how things are being approached"
is a key goal for the EPA and its several nonprofit-sector
partners, notes Pokorney, who is NEHA's project coordinator
of research and development.
Pumpers Badly Taught: Practices That Suck
As for formal training opportunities intended either
to prepare an applicant for certification or simply to teach
the proper basics, here again there's been an evident
lack of and a pressing need for standards and consistency.
In many typical mom-and-pop septic operations, a worker's
skills are acquired on the job, usually in unstructured, hurried,
and superficial settings, notes Tom Ferrero, secretary and
executive director of the National Association of Waste Transporters
(NAWT). Results can easily be fraught with erroneous information
or bad practices that become self-perpetuating. For example,
he says, pumpers frequently learn to service septic tanks
through the inspection port rather than the manhole. This
occurs "more from ignorance than laziness," in
that some pumpers "don't even know the manhole
exists." Then there's the fact that pumpers have
been known, at times, to receive incentives for failed systems
needing costly (and misapplied) remedies—an obvious
conflict of interest. Says Ferrero, "There are just
lots of those kinds of things. We hear horror stories, and
it happens all the time." NAWT is another of the nonprofits
at the forefront of the move to develop training and consensus-based
credentialing.
"What we're hoping is that we can set a certain
starting point for installers to work from," Pokorney
sums up, referring to NEHA's new standard for workers,
tentatively set to be rolled out in April 2006 (see "NEHA's
Septic System Installer Certification" elsewhere in
this story).
Another credentialing opportunity hitting the conference
circuit next year will be NAWT's training and certification
for pumpers, and a third, due at the end of 2005, is a major
training and certification package for septic system operation
and maintenance (O&M). These three follow on the heels
of a recently introduced and increasingly popular T&C
series for septic inspectors that NAWT began offering a couple
of years ago.
As these programs attain wider recognition within the septic
industry, they'll also spur interest from state and
local agencies, and because a broad consensus-basis has already
been built in to each cert standard, local jurisdictions should
find them easy to adopt and quickly apply.
In short, the coming six-month period promises to raise
awareness at all levels, as a half-dozen programs emerge on
the scene in quick succession. They'll soon become regular
adjuncts to industry conferences and local chapter meetings,
and septic businesses and their employees will reap considerable
benefit. Here's an overview of what's already
available and what is coming just ahead.
To begin on a historical note, here is a look at the onsite
industry's very first credentialing program, which began
only as recently as January 2001.
NSF's Onsite Wastewater Inspector Accreditation
The National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) is highly
regarded, of course, for its management of credentialing and
auditing for many industries. In keeping with NSF's
own standards, its wastewater inspector accreditation is extremely
rigorous, says Tom Bruursema, general manager of NSF's
wastewater treatment units certification program. On the NSF
exam, 100 multiple-choice questions test an applicant's
knowledge on topics ranging from sewage disposal system design
and operation to inspection procedures, safety, and math problems.
NSF spent three years gathering stakeholder input on its content.
Even more challenging is the field test—"for experienced
practitioners," Bruursema stresses. He adds, "Few
would be able to step out of their daily routine and take
these exams and be successful. It's meant to be a challenge."
Besides needing to pass both tests, applicants must agree
to a legally binding ethics statement.
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| Things can get ugly at times, as shown in this photo of a sand filter that wasn't properly operated. |
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| Purging and balancing pressure-dosed systems should be a routine maintenance function. |
To date, 26 applicants have gained NSF inspector certification;
all are listed in a directory of referrals (along with more
details about the exam) at www.nsf.org.
Bruursema explains that NSF undertook its inspector program
in response to a perceived need for a national standard that
would "be high enough to be readily accepted by,"
and therefore transferable to, "any jurisdiction."
A handful of state-level certification tests are also being
done, but they lack both the standardization and the rigor
that NSF provides, he says.
In part to ensure the integrity of the testing process and
avoid any potential conflict, there's no formal training
component offered by NSF; however, an independent two-day
preparatory course—which includes a manual and field
practice trips—is available through affiliated science
faculty at Michigan State University and elsewhere. The course
currently costs around $200, and the exam adds another $295.
NAWT's Wastewater Treatment Systems Inspector
A few years after NSF's septic system inspector
accreditation was first introduced, NAWT launched a similar
but scaled-down version, which—being less rigorous—has
apparently filled a market niche for a comparable but more
readily accessible credential.
NAWT's certificate offers not only an examination
but also a basic "101" level of instruction. Presented
first is an overview of septic systems—i.e., how they're
constructed and how they work. That's followed by discussion
of inspecting tanks and plumbing; detecting and correcting
leaks; inspecting filters, pumps, and aerobic treatment units
(ATUs); accessing tanks; and checking drainage trenches, beds,
mounds, or wetlands—all with standardized comprehensive
checklists.
Kit Rosefield of Accredited Septic Monitoring is on the
board of directors of California Onsite Wastewater Association
(COWA) and is an NAWT trainer, in addition to being a certified
industrial wastewater treatment plant operator. NAWT's
inspector course, he says, is excellent as an entry-level
program that "seems intended to … kind of bring
people into the fold and introduce them to standardize procedures."
By comparison, NSF's version (which Rosefield has also
completed) "is top of the line, and it very much verifies
that an individual is fully qualified." Cost, time,
and travel requirements can be drawbacks to the NSF program,
however, and it's daunting to applicants "who're
unsure about passing it" or who are just entering the
inspection profession.
In contrast, NAWT's two-day course and exam (which
Rosefield notes has a pass rate of nearly 100%) confers the
benefit of both good training and a certification, all in
one trip.
EPA funded some of NAWT's development costs, and the
agency continues to cosponsor a dozen or so NAWT training
sessions yearly, thereby helping keep tuition at $100–$200.
As for numbers of graduates, during its several years of operation
as of late 2005, NAWT had trained and certified about 1,500
inspectors, says Ferrero.
Like NSF, NAWT also maintains a Web site registry of certified
inspectors; referrals are typically called upon to advise
and appraise in real estate transactions. Doing formal septic
inspection makes for a natural adjunct and advancement opportunity
for professionally minded pumpers who can offer it as part
of their service, Ferrero adds.
Also logical for some pumpers and inspectors would be training
and certification for this next T&C program.
CIDWT's Septic System Operation and Maintenance
Doing routine upkeep—i.e., cleaning or replacing
filters, screens, air delivery systems, intake pumps, etc.,
and making minor repairs—is critical to system operation.
These are among the tasks soon to be codified in a new O&M
training and cert program sponsored by the Consortium of Institutes
for Decentralized Wastewater Treatment (CIDWT).
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| Drip dispersal allows recycling of treated wastewater back into the environment. |
Launching the development phase early in 2004, the consortium
received input from the Water Environment Research Foundation
(WERF), the National Decentralized Water Resources Capacity
Development Project (NDWRCDP), the EPA, and other stakeholders.
By midyear the project was already offering a pilot series
for a 32-hour training course, and as of June 2005, five training
events had already been conducted nationally. Managing the
program currently is the American Decentralized Wastewater
Association (ADWA). To date, 50 or 60 septic maintenance people
have successfully completed the training and exam, reports
ADWA Executive Director Don Canada.
An overriding concept and focus in this approach is the
logging of septic system status and condition, based on checklist
inspections that are custom-designed for each type of system.
Flow rates in relation to design capacity are gauged so that
excessive flows can receive appropriate attention. According
to a description provided by Program Chair Bruce Lesikar of
Texas A&M, inspection and maintenance checklists cover
all four elements of the residential system: 1.) waste sources,
2.) collection and storage chambers, 3.) pretreatment elements,
and 4.) final treatment and dispersal.
System operators also learn how to monitor conditions by
evaluating samples of the three content layers—the surface
float, the settled sediment, and the clearing between. By
doing both rigorous inspection and programmed maintenance,
a well-trained operator can detect trends and, ideally, spot
potential problems early. Learning how to identify and perform
needed repairs and complete each job or visit with good documentation
and appropriate reporting is included, states Lesikar.
Having studied the O&M syllabus, Rosefield comments,
"The Consortium has developed a great methodology in
looking at systems in terms of a treatment training program
which recognizes … the need to inspect and maintain
individual components" using a performance standard
based on best-practices checklists.
Because septic inspection is an integral part of the training,
a holder of this O&M certification should also easily
qualify to do real estate septic inspections or appraisal
work, or to verify regulatory compliance (say, if the certificate
holder is a public sector employee). Ferrero suggests that
an inspection course and certification exam may perhaps become
a prerequisite to taking the O&M exam, or the two may
in some instances be combined.
With the initial trial period of this O&M training recently
completed, a full-scale launch occurred Nov. 9–10, 2005.
NAWT offered the finalized version to the Ohio Waste Haulers
Association in Cincinnati, OH. Tuition there was about $400,
but this figure could perhaps be reduced in future offerings,
says Ferrero, depending on arrangements with a local affiliate
or concurrent events. For updated information check www.nawt.org
or call 800-236-6298.
COWA, too, will offer an O&M course, reports Rosefield,
and expects to cosponsor both this and the soon-to-follow
Truck Operator course, tentatively starting in March.
NAWT's Certified Vacuum Truck Operator
In conjunction with the Pumper and Cleaner Environmental
Expo International in Nashville, TN, NAWT will offer an eight-hour
course and exam on Feb. 14, geared toward technicians who
service septic and holding tanks, ATUs, and grease interceptors.
Developed originally by the Pennsylvania Septage Management
Association and adopted by the National Onsite Wastewater
Education and Research Foundation Inc., the program confers
the designation as a "CVTO."
In the curriculum are such topics as what to pump and what
not to (e.g., in order to comply with regulations or best
practices), pumping procedures, operational safety, spills
and responses, customer interaction, and documentation and
reporting—accompanied, says Ferrero, by lots of graphics
and illustrations on a DVD. In fact the course experience
can be described, he explains, by the metaphor of "a
day in the life of a pumper," modeling work tasks, step
by step. It starts with basic preparation for and organization
of the workday, covering driver and truck safety. Next is
regulatory compliance, then the pumping equipment and its
operation, proper pumping procedures, avoiding common mistakes,
"giving NAWT's standard on how clean is ‘clean,'"
and finally, paperwork and good customer service. All in all,
it's designed to be reasonably priced and locally accessible
through NAWT chapters or other local association venues. However,
Ferrero adds, initial progress in 2006 may be slow because
it may take a year or more to train enough qualified trainers
to achieve the widespread availability envisioned. "It's
pretty neat," he sums up. "We're excited
about it."
Tuition fees and specific venues aren't determined
yet, but visit www.nawt.org
for current data.
NEHA's Septic System Installer Certification
Beginning as soon as April 2006, installers may avail themselves
of a new training and credentialing program under the auspices
of NEHA. Covered will be the gamut of "what constitutes
a successful installation," says NEHA's Pokorney,
ranging from interpreting the plan to construction and re-landscaping.
Input has come from key stakeholders, including the National
Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association, state onsite regulators,
NAWT, university research bodies, the Consortium, and, perhaps
above all, installers themselves, who provided detailed job
descriptions for managers, laborers, site foremen, and equipment
operators. Again, the EPA is providing material support.
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| Drip dispersal is the wave of the future. The filters, air vents, pressure indicators, and automatic valves need routine attention. |
As of late summer 2005, the examination itself was being
drafted, Pokorney says. In fact, two levels of credentialing
are currently being envisioned: one for "basic" installers who can do typical or standard septics, and another
for installers who know the more advanced systems.
Pokorney sees this certification process as helping establish
a level playing field for installers "by bringing greater
consistency among jurisdictions' enforcement practices,
and setting standards that all installation contractors will
meet." Currently, states and jurisdictions diverge widely
regarding the existence of both standards and enforcement
policies. This enables slipshod contractors to gravitate to
the least regulated markets and to undercut responsible bidders.
NEHA will maintain a database to manage applications, exams,
periodic updating, complaint logging, and certificate revocation.
It also intends to offer these services optionally to state
licensing bureaus, Pokorney states.
A Push for State Adoptions?
Naturally, the credentialing movement will get a big push
forward as states line up to adopt these consensus-based programs
in the months and years ahead. At the moment, California,
Texas, Arizona, Delaware, and Oregon are regulatory "hot
spots" for onsite wastewater program development, says
Ferrero, with New Mexico particularly strong in garnering
sign-ups for training; a new regulation takes effect there
"which actually mentions ‘NAWT or equivalent'
as a requirement," he notes.
Conversely, though, wherever states already have certification
or specialized local needs, or where there's no regulatory
drive present, Ferrero says, NAWT has a hard time selling
the course.
In California, COWA has been working closely with environmental
health officials to implement AB 885, a controversial bill
regulating onsite wastewater systems. Passed in 2000, its
implementation has been mired in politics, delaying its effect
until mid-2006, if then. Notes Rosefield, "The legislation
requires that work be done by qualified service providers—yet
there's no determination as to what those qualifications
would be. It's left up to local jurisdictions."
COWA's strategy has been to promote voluntary certification
as one flexible compromise; this would probably satisfy the
new law's provisions while also blunting opposition
to mandatory certification, which, as several sources report,
does occasionally arise.
Standards Changing the Industry
Coming ahead, these and future programs will undoubtedly continue
to evolve and tie in together. NAWT, for example, has already
revised and improved portions of its inspector certification
content, notes Ferrero, "such as making the forms more
consistent with the consortium's new O&M certification."
Periodic recertification will also be expected as industry
practices, methodologies, and reporting standards evolve and
new products emerge.
As for how all this will affect the septic "working
life" itself: Depending on one's present skills
and job, the effect may well border on revolutionary, at least
for some operations. For example, Rosefield suggests that
performing a rigorous certified inspection à la NAWT's
new standard or the rigorous one from NSF will probably add
an hour more of time to what was previously spent at a septic
site for real estate or permit application work. In addition,
after completing the inspection, even more time and effort
will go into reporting the results—e.g., from the current
practice of spending perhaps 10 minutes jotting a few notes,
to a two-hour, four-page narrative "giving plot diagrams
and itemizing every component," says Rosefield, who
is certified as an inspector by both NSF and NAWT.
For the customer, increases in fees will be commensurate.
Costs could rise from the current $200 or so up to $450 or
$500—but well worth it, says Rosefield, considering
the increased value of such a report in terms of land appraisal
or litigation issues.
Impact on a certified inspector's business should
also be positive, he suggests, particularly regarding realtors
and lenders; the more widely perceived the value of a septic
inspection, the greater the demand for services.
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| Monitoring solids levels in all tanks is an important O&M function. |
For pumpers, NAWT's training and certification, he
continues, is "establishing a new baseline for how pumping
and inspection should be performed nationally." Gone
will be the days when old-school practitioners can simply
"stick a hose in the septic tank, run it for an hour,
then say everything's fine without assessing tank conditions
or hydraulic load response," he says. Once the proper
procedures become fully established, it will be difficult
for the marginal operators to stay in business selling subpar
work.
There's still a long way to go, however, Rosefield
says. He notes that even highly experienced practitioners
who undergo training "almost invariably discover a much
higher level of diligence being presented to them, that you
don't really find in the industry right now, until people
are trained."
Finally, still to be grappled with in the future, credential-wise,
is some kind of specialized designation for those who are
already degreed engineers, environmental health specialists,
and soil scientists or licensed contractors who should also
be certified in the onsite wastewater specialty. "We
do have," says Rosefield, "very capable people
working in the onsite field—but others who have had
no experience at all. So the industry is looking down the
road at developing programs to bring the qualified professionals
into better understanding as well."
Writer DAVID ENGLE is based
in La Mesa, CA, and specializes in construction-related topics.
OW - January/February 2006
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