MPCA SSTS Bulletin

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SSTS Bulletin

January 2013

MOWA conference Jan. 29-31 in Alexandria offers great networking, learning opportunity

mowa
tanks

 The Minnesota Onsite Wastewater Association (MOWA) represents individuals and companies in Minnesota whose business is involved in designing, constructing or providing maintenance and repair service for SSTS. The organization's annual conference and exhibition will be held this year in Alexandria Jan. 29-31. This event is a good opportunity to networkand learn about advances and issues in the onsite wastewater industry. Check their website for conference information and to register.  

The website also has presentations given at the 2012 conference, including a presentation on septage storage  (pictured).


Back to school time - registration begins for U of M workshops; new classes cover intermediate design/inspection

uofm

By Nick Haig

The University of Minnesota Onsite Sewage Treatment Program has set its SSTS workshop schedule for 2013 and enrollment is now open. Visit their website to view the schedule, download the enrollment form or enroll online

Don't let your certification deadline sneak up on you! Visit the MPCA’s SSTS search page to identify your important business license and individual certification deadlines.

Intermediate Design and Intermediate Inspection workshops are two new specialty areas for SSTS professionals in 2013. These two categories were created in response to concerns raised by the SSTS design/inspection community that the advanced certification process was just too much for individuals who wanted to solely focus their efforts on the use of pretreatment devices for residential, small flow (≤ 2500 gpd) applications. 

Topics covered in the new intermediate workshops include registered treatment products, type IV design considerations, type IV inspection and management responsibilities, reducing vertical separation, and increasing soil hydraulic loading rates. 

Those looking to become advanced designers and inspectors will take this course first, and follow through with the advanced curriculum that will cover topics that include collection system design, high strength waste, nutrient removal, and groundwater mounding. 

Intermediate training details

The first Intermediate Design and Inspection course will be held March 12 – 15 in St. Cloud. Below are some details about these specialty areas:

  • Intermediate Designers or Inspectors must first be fully certified Designers or Inspectors
  • Certification as an Intermediate Inspector also requires the completion of the Service Provider training and exam
  • There is not a separate experience requirement for either of these specialty areas
  • The first Intermediate Design/Inspection exam will be offered in February, 2013

Eligible designers or inspectors who have completed advanced design and inspection courses in the past will be allowed to take this exam without attending the intermediate design/inspection course, provided they have not failed the advanced design/inspection exam in the preceding six months. Contact Jane Seaver if you would like to take this exam in February 2013. Before taking this exam, however, it's recommended you first attend the intermediate design and inspection course March 12 – 15 in St. Cloud. The material in this course is designed specifically for the Intermediate level.  

Individuals currently certified as advanced designers or inspectors are not required to take this course or exam since they are already certified to work on all sizes of Type I - IV SSTS.

The intermediate design and inspection class will count for 8 hours of direct continuing education.


Annual report season has arrived; SSTS picture getting clearer every year

With the new year comes our annual request for counties, cities and townships to provide updated information on their SSTS programs. We understand this takes time and effort but the results are definitely serving a very useful purpose. 

Over the past 10 years or so these annual reports have been instrumental in helping the state gain an ever more clear understanding of how many SSTS there are in the state and what condition they are in, as well as what local units of government are doing to correct problem systems. 

This information is used to inform the Minnesota Legislature about the progress that is being made and helps support recommendations for allocating state resources to continue improving SSTS compliance rates.

Spreadsheets have been sent to all county and other local SSTS program administrators. If you are a local governmental unit that regulates SSTS and didn't get one of these spreadsheets, send us a request for the spread sheet. Send your completed spreadsheet back to us.  Barb McCarthy is spearheading this effort if you have questions.

The 2011 SSTS Annual Report Summary is available on our website. 

annualreport

MPCA SSTS Talking Tour starts soon; Medina meeting starts at 9 a.m.