Missouri Smallflows Organization
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Home ][ About ][ Annual Meeting Minutes ][ Bylaws ][ 2010 Conference ][ Contact MSO ][ Links ][ Newsletters Courses/Education ][ MSO Membership App ][ MSO Members ][ Vendors ][ Get Email Updates |
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“Installer Training Program” Missouri Smallflows is very lucky to have been selected by the premier training group in the nation to host their new “Installer Training Program” right here in Missouri. The Consortium of Institutes for Decentralized Wastewater Treatment (CIDWT), National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association (NOWRA) and the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) have developed a 2 day training program created totally for the installing contractor. Previous CIDWT curriculum projects have addressed a wide range of issues. Some of you may have taken the 2 day Operation and Maintenance course offered by MSO and written by CIDWT. If you have, you know the quality and depth of their programs. The Installer Training Curriculum discusses the treatment and distribution technologies available for managing wastewater onsite and establishes a benchmark for conducting installation. Standardization of installation practices helps the installer compete for jobs and clarifies communication with clients. I know that all who read this would enjoy a level playing field where all contractors were held to the same standard. This is what we are moving towards with programs like this one. In fact this curriculum is designed to support credentialing of installers of onsite wastewater treatment systems. This is where the National Environmental Health Association comes in. The NEHA Certified Installer of Onsite Wastewater Treatments Systems (CIOWTS) credential is available nationally for assessing installer capabilities. Contractors who wish to earn the NEHA credential must have a course that covers the knowledge, skills and abilities identified and included in this course. Those contractors who attend this training event should be prepared to take the NEHA installer certification exam, if they choose, which will be given in the evening following the 2 day event. The need for this type of training was identified nearly 10 years ago in US EPA’s response to Congress on the Use of Decentralized Wastewater Systems (US EPA 1997). The response specifically listed lack of knowledge as a barrier to use of decentralized technology. The industry has grown since then and with the help of the EPA is becoming an industry of installation contractors we must recognize as professionals. There are specific criteria that define any profession. The criteria are: A defined body of knowledge Standards for admission Standards of practice Standards for retention Criteria for expulsion These are the criteria that inspire confidence in any profession. And these are the criteria that will make the playing field level. We are very happy to see the industry moving in this direction. The CIDWT Training Program will be held August 10 & 11, 2009 in St. Louis, Missouri. |