2002 Annual Report
Extension and Outreach
On-Site Sewage Treatment Program: Professional Education
David Gustafson, Extension On-site
Sewage Treatment Educator
Sara Christopherson, Extension On-site Sewage Treatment Educator
Greg Miller, Program Associate
Dan Wheeler, Research Fellow, Soil, Water and Climate
Ken Olson, Extension On-site Sewage Treatment Educator
James Anderson, Professor and Extension Soil Scientist, Soil, Water, and
Climate
Objective
Our goal is to teach on-site professionals, personnel from local units
of government, and local elected officials about the importance of proper
on-site wastewater treatment to protect public health and the environment.
The professionals are taught technical aspects of on-site wastewater treatment.
Specific objectives are to teach:
- Proper system inspection to local on-site inspectors.
- Proper system construction and maintenance to contractors.
- Design and problem solving skills to on-site professionals.
- Application of new technologies in the industry.
Program Description
The professional training is achieved in one- to three-day training workshops
held across the state. The workshops are offered throughout Minnesota
and are required of licensed on-site professionals by the Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency. 30 workshops were held in 2002 and 37 workshops are scheduled
through July 2003. The workshops have two components: pre-licensing and
continuing education.
Information presented includes: sewage treatment by soil, flow determination
from homes, drain field trench construction and design, dealing with problem
soil conditions, site evaluation, proper design of sewage and lift tanks,
mound design and construction, at-grade design and construction, and proper
maintenance of systems. These workshops prepare new companies to enter
the industry and provide continuing education to existing businesses.
The workshops are planned to encourage discussion and sharing of information
among inspectors, contractors, and designers of on-site systems, and to
dispense proper design and construction techniques. In the last few years
we have added workshops that discuss new technology such as constructed
wetlands, peat and sand filters and aerobic treatment units. The training
program has also developed more in-depth in the field training for soils.
The workshops also create a forum for discussion of rule development
and change, and for facilitating discussion of the shortcomings and benefits
of the current code.
Outcomes
Outcomes include an overall increase in the use of recommended state guidelines, a pool of trained professionals to install and inspect systems, better protection of the groundwater and more knowledgeable homeowners and local elected officials. Approximately 2,000 people attended the professional workshops in 2002. Overall knowledge of on-site systems for designers, installers, and pumpers is verified by written examination.