All manner of things have been found in or rescued from septic systems.

Engagement rings, watches and dentures are certainly common. Fire fighters rescued a woman from her septic tank in May. And earlier this year an elephant was rescued from a septic tank in China.

We want to know: what’s the strangest thing you’ve ever removed or rescued from a septic tank?

Answer online now and your comments could be shared in one of our publications!
 

The past few months of working from home, home schooling children, self-isolation and self-quarantine have put unusual strain on septic systems all across Western Canada.  Pumpers have been reporting more frequent emergency calls and contractors are reporting more demand for repair and maintenance.

Many systems, particularly older ones, were not designed to manage the current demand caused by families being home more and using all their water infrastructure throughout the day rather than the morning and evening surge typical of working families.

This is a good time for Maintenance Providers to reach out to their homeowners with a reminder to have their system assessed for functionality.  Pumpers could also take the opportunity to remind homeowners that more use of the home infrastructure means a more frequent pumping schedule.

Installers who have homeowners in their client list who are not currently on a maintenance plan could reach out to their client list and encourage those homeowners to be proactive rather than reactive and have their system maintained before an emergency occurs.

The Association has put together a flyer for those members wanting to reach out to their customer lists with a reminder about maintenance.  The flyer also informs homeowners about resources available on the Association websites and notifies them about webinars available to them on proper operation and maintenance. These webinars will be hosted by the Association and other stakeholders during Septic Awareness week, September 14 – 18. If you'd like to add your own company logo to the flyer, you can download this flyer and insert your image along the bottom banner.

 

The University of Victoria (UVic) is partnering with a private company to monitor for signs of COVID-19 in local wastewater.

According to UVic, the ability to detect COVID-19 in Greater Victoria’s sewage networks can help serve as an early-warning system for the virus, and can help supplement public health data.

Results of wastewater testing can be used to help health authorities respond quickly to potential outbreak clusters in specific communities.

Learn more here.

 

UCalgary researchers from the Cumming School of Medicine, Faculty of Science, and Schulich School of Engineering; Advancing Canadian Wastewater Assets (ACWA), The City of Calgary, and Alberta Health Services (AHS) have teamed up to test Calgary wastewater for early signs of COVID-19 cases. The team has received Canadian Institutes of Health Research funding to pursue the research, beginning immediately.

Learn more here.

The implementation of the Professional Governance Act in November 2020 represents a shift in how the professions of engineering and geoscience are regulated, and will introduce new obligations and requirements for professional engineers and geoscientists.

Transitioning from the almost 100-year-old Engineers and Geoscientists Act can raise questions and concerns; registrants will have an opportunity to have their questions on this important topic answered by President Lianna Mah, P.Eng., FEC.

ASTTBC is holding a webinar on Thursday, August 6 at 11:00 AM.

Registration for this free webinar is now open and all registrants will be invited by email to submit their questions about this topic in advance.

The Western Canada Onsite Wastewater Management Association and its affiliates will be promoting septic awareness during the week of September 14 to 18. The purpose of this initiative is to promote proper operation and maintenance of onsite wastewater systems.

Notices will be put up on our websites and in local newspapers about the importance of maintaining septic systems along with tips for operation. In some regions of Western Canada, delivery of our Septic Sense program will take place during that week. We will also be offering webinars to assist homeowners in understanding why they need to properly maintain and care for their septic systems.

Join us in asking your customers, regulatory authorities and municipal representatives – Do you have Septic Sense?

Download the press release and help spread the word. 

Contact the association office for more information, or for materials to help you promote Septic Awareness.  

The new funding will focus on local green initiatives that support key priorities within the Made-in-Manitoba Climate and Green Plan.

Opinion

The Association in Saskatchewan regularly gets complaints from installers about rubber tire shreds used as aggregate in sand mounds. These complaints stem from contractors being contacted to repair or replace these systems, often within only a few years of the system’s life.

Installers report that in systems where the rubber shreds or tire chips do not meet the requirements for tire chip media, shreds can be much larger than prescribed.  Rubber shreds that are four to six inches or larger can compact over time and melt together forming an impermeable layer.  Alternately, some of the rubber shreds and wires may migrate to the surface causing a nuisance or even a danger to the homeowner when mowing and caring for their yard.  When using tire chip media, the system is intended to be covered with geotextile fabric to mitigate ‘floating’ tire chips, however this does not always occur.

Rubber Tire Shred or Tire Chip Media is allowed in the Saskatchewan Onsite Wastewater Disposal Guide under certain prescriptive requirements.

Learn more here.

The great weather is here, but with warmer sunnier days comes the risk of heat exhaustion, especially if you are busy in the field.

Take care of yourself by keeping in mind these tips:

• Drink plenty of cool liquids, especially water, before you feel thirsty to decrease your risk of dehydration. Thirst is not a good indicator of dehydration. Want to spruce things up? Try infusing your water with fruit for a refreshing taste.
• Reschedule or plan outdoor activities during cooler parts of the day if possible.
• Avoid sun exposure. Shade yourself by wearing a wide-brimmed, breathable hat. 

A research team at Swansea University in Wales have developed a new method for fast removal and detection of wastewater pollutants that come from everyday pharmaceuticals like paracetamol, ibuprofen, and aspirin, which could help minimize their impact on the environment.

WCOWMA has partnered with many great companies, including Perkopolis. Use your Perkopolis membership to enjoy great savings on entertainment, travel, attractions, shopping, health, wellness, sport and more!

Step 1: Go to perkopolis.com and click "Register" in the top right corner.

Step 2: To access all perks you must register by using a valid email address. Then, you will receive an email to activate your registration.

Step 3: Enter your member ID code which is "WCOWMA" + your member number. (ex: WCOWMA1234)

Please note: only current membership are able to access these benefits. If your membership has lapsed, or you'd like to sign up, please contact your provincial WCOWMA branch today!

5,000+ exclusive perks waiting for you. Find yours today and start saving.

• Take advantage of 10% savings on Manulife's already affordable rates when travelling out-of-province
• Save 20% off your order of $75+ and enjoy Free Shipping at Footlocker
• Get 30% off full-price items and 15% off sale items on Reebok.ca
• Take advantage of a Shell Fleet Navigator™ Card for savings on fuel, car washes and more
• Discounts with numerous car rental companies
• Take an interactive virtual tour of SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica Orlando, and Discovery Cove
• Receive 10% off pet insurance policies by using the below promo code at checkout
• Receive a 25-35% discount on an exclusive insurance program, sold and serviced by Breckles Insurance Brokers in partnership with Ensurco
• Get $10 off when you spend $75 on Books, Toys and Gifts at Indigo
• Save up to 15% off base fares with WestJet by using the discount code

To receive these benefits and more, sign up for your Perkopolis account today!

The WCOWMA – BC hosted two Site & Soils Evaluation Field Days in July. These practical training days were a great opportunity to get hands-on experience evaluating a site, as well as practicing hand texturing and sampling. Soils scientist, Stephanie Munn led classes in the processes of identifying and logging soil characteristics per SPM V3.
 
Students from the recent onsite practitioner course were joined by those wishing to refresh their soils assessment knowledge. 

Participants practised social distancing and masks were provided to all attendees. 

Training days were held in Vernon (July 7) and Prince George (July 9).  Thank you to members Betty Holtskog (Vernon) and Gary Giese (Prince George) for providing the sites for these training events.

More workshops will be announced shortly. 

Looking to refresh your soils texturing?
Check out this informative four minute video!

The Western Canada Onsite Wastewater Management Association provides an excellent industry training program for Onsite Wastewater Professionals throughout Western Canada.

This training program has been found to meet or exceed the requirements of the Agreement on Internal Trade, the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement, and the New West Partnership.

Training, including the number of days, varies by province. More details on each program can be found on the provincial training pages, or by contacting our office.

Students will be required to complete an online training component prior to attending the classroom sessions.

Orenco’s training department offers webinars covering a variety of topics. They're all free, so take as many courses as you like.

Webinars include "Put Controls to Work For You," "Put Greywater to Work for You," and "Solving the Nitrogen Problem," and more.

A full list of their webinars can be found here. 

Infiltrator’s training department offers webinars covering a variety of topics. They're all free, so take as many courses as you like.

Webinars include "Streamlining Commercial Wastewater Treatment using Innovative Solutions with an Integrated Systems Approach," "Fact vs. Fiction and the Top Ten Septic Myths," "Advanced Tank Design and Materials Expand Onsite Applications," and more.

A full list of their webinars can be found here. 

ASTTBC's virtual AGM & Conference is on now until August 4! Log on to visit the virtual tradeshow, networking lounge & get your CPD hrs by participating in breakout sessions.

Love it or hate it, email is at the core of every company’s day-to-day communications. Still, how often does it happen when you get an email the purpose of which isn’t clear, there is no call to action, the body copy is too long — you name it.

Power Concepts has compiled a useful guide to sending emails, which is available on their website. 

Infiltrator Water Technologies, LLC is looking for an Area Sales Representative to cover Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and British Columbia. Infiltrator manufactures and sells multiple onsite product lines making us a full solution provider to our customers.  These products include drainfield products, advance treatment and septic tanks. Our technologies are based on fundamental principles of physics, soil science and microbiology and offer performance advantages that have furthered the industry’s goal of protecting public health, improving water quality and preserving natural resources.

We are looking for someone with 3-5 years of experience in onsite, construction, water and sewer and/or plumbing experience. A Bachelor’s Degree in a technical field is a plus.  Experienced candidates may submit their resume via email to nburns@infiltratorwater.com.

A new study is warning that while wastewater treatment has become an increasingly common practice in developing countries to remove excess nutrients and make the water cleaner, the surge in treatment may be harming ecosystem biodiversity by creating an imbalance between phosphorus and nitrogen.

Villagers in Umm Batin, a Bedouin village in Israel’s Negev desert lack the funds to build a modern sewer system. The solution? A solar-powered, self-operating wastewater mini treatment plant that doesn’t need to be connected to the national sewer system. 

Early results from a project in Kansas show tests of a community’s wastewater can detect COVID-19 outbreaks approximately a week before individual testing would show an increase in cases.

Dozens of untreated sewage samples from multiple water pollution control plants in Durham Region will be collected and tested. The samples will be checked for traces of the virus that causes COVID-19. Using this information, a model will be developed for predicting new cases for identifying new coronavirus hot spots in the area. 

Read the entire article by Water Canada.