summer fall 2009a - bcossa · asttbc is firmly in the driver’s seat with respect to the mentoring...
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Fall 2018 the Innovator
A NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED EXPRESSLY FOR THOSE WORKING IN THE SEWAGE INDUSTRY
IN THIS ISSUE
On Site Wastewater
– Cannabis Effect on Sewerage Systems
The BCOSSA Board
President’s Fall message Westcoast Onsite
Wastewater Training
Centre Calendar
Links
-BCOSSA Calendar
-SPM V3
- The Sewerage
System Regulation
- The current ASTTBC
Policy Statement
- The current ASTTBC
Practice Guideline
- The Industrial Camp
Regulation
- Maintenance
examples
BC Industry Calendar of Events
Advertise with the
Innovator
Cannabis Effect On Sewerage Systems
The advent of the law permitting individuals to grow limited amount of cannabis at home suggests that designers and the maintenance providers of onsite wastewater treatment and dispersal system may need to consider the impact of their work on systems where cannabis growing is occurring.
Focusing on septic systems servicing single family residential dwellings at this time, the use of cannabis in either edibles or the smoking appears not to be an issue.
The following issues that may need further consideration when there is growing activities of cannabis in the home or property.
Authorized Persons who are designing the sewerage system may need to consider the negative impact of various caustic cleaning solutions that are part of the growing and harvesting of the cannabis. The caustic solutions may be toxic to the microbial activities within the septic tank or aerobic treatment unit. The toxins may inhibit the variety of micro-organisms digesting or absorbing sewage wastewater. This may deplete or eliminate the reduction of the BOD5 or TSS.
In addition, the effluent may carry over into the soil some of these caustic or toxic materials that may alter the natural soil micro-biology.
A second issue is the use of fertilizers and the harvesting and cleaning procedures will likely increase the mass loading levels entering the sewerage system. The mass loading levels are commonly referred to as organic loading or biological loading.
Maintenance Providers should also become aware of whether the residence is growing and cultivating cannabis. Regardless whether the septic system is pre or post 2005, the Maintenance Provider should consider the colour of the effluent where possible (dark color or lack of scum layer) and any negative outcomes visible at the drain field. Frank Hay R.O.W.P Checking on the condition of a concrete tank above the water line may aid in the detection of negative consequences of the mix of septic tank off-gases and the flashing off of gases from the caustic or toxic cleaning solutions.
The BCOSSA Board
BCOSSA BOARD
Greg Smith President
Frank Hay Vice President
Ryan Parker Treasurer
Denis Francoeur Director
Robert Feldhaus Director
Kirsten Mawle Director
BCOSSA OFFICE STAFF
John Rowse
Executive Director
Kirsten Mawle
Admin
Ron Crocker
Webmaster
The BCOSSA publication: The INNOVATOR is providing an internet link to a new concept – a single source of a BC Calendar of Events and links to include events such as seminars, webinars and conferences that would be interest to all BC industry members. The Calendar is intended to include events by ASTTBC, local governments, suppliers and WCOWMA. To include your event just provide to the BCOSSA office the topic, location, date, time and if any fees or if the event is free of charge. Following the busy summer season we gear up for fall schedules and see a better bank balance.
“Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons.” ― Jim Bishop
Fall Greetings
Best Practice Require Education to Apply Standards
As a man who is over fifty and has spent 20 years or more in the onsite industry I have seen many technical
changes both within the industry and in the world at large. Within our industry, over the past years, we have
moved away from an ideology of sewage disposal, out of sight out of mind, to one of environmental
protection and sewage treatment. Almost everything I have learned over my career has been through
experience and trial and error. The education and training I have obtained either through formal courses at
WOWTC or through equipment supplier seminars and workshops have been the seeds sown to grow my
technical expertise and company ideology. What was generally missing in my career was a mentor,
someone with long term experience that I could go to for help and advice, an old sage in the business who
could help me make my way. Although I have developed good relationships with many in the business,
including some who are competitors, I feel the industry falls far short in developing the up and coming
R.O.W.P’s. Mentoring the folks entering the field is one of the most important tasks the industry has.
Without mentoring the industry loses its memory, where have we been, why have we changed, how do we
solve problems of system design installation and improve techniques?
As I move toward retirement (I hope) who will follow or who can I or others count on for support? ASTTBC
should be, as part of their certification and recertification function, requiring Practitioners to participate in
mentoring up and coming industry participants. Each practicing Practitioner should be required to take on a
new trainee and help them learn the industry. I have heard too many times Practitioners state “I don’t want
to train my competition” or “I don’t have the time to help” and “it costs me money”. None of these excuses,
in my experience is true, I found that training others only strengthens my own business, makes me money
and the time I spend is well spent.
Mentoring is not a business, it’s an industry obligation, too many times I have heard colleagues, both
Practitioners and professionals state they mentor for money. This is a shameful activity and could be
considered influence peddling and in some cases, depending on the mentors other activities in industry
organisations a conflict of interest.
ASTTBC is firmly in the driver’s seat with respect to the mentoring issue and has the opportunity to
strengthen industries ties and performance by requiring mentoring to maintain certification. Let’s encourage
our licensing association to take up this challenge.
Greg Smith R.O.W.P.
President BCOSSA
Westcoast Onsite Wastewater Training Centre Calendar
Links BCOSSA http://www.bcossa.org/training/calendar.html SPM V3 https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/waste-management/sewage/spmv3-24september2014.pdf
The Sewerage System Regulation http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/326_2004 The current ASTTBC Policy Statement https://owrp.asttbc.org/member-resources/practice-guidelines/ The current ASTTBC Practice Guideline https://owrp.asttbc.org/member-resources/practice-guidelines/ The Industrial Camp Regulation http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/loo99/loo99/70_2012 Maintenance examples http://www.bcossa.org/images/PDFs/publications/letter-of-engagement-maintain-FINAL.pdf http://www.bcossa.org/images/Maintenance_plan_.pdf WCOWMA Events http://www.wcowma-bc.com/calendar/ ASTTBC Events Calendar https://asttbc.org/our- events/events-conferences-seminars/
BC Industry Calendar of Events
BCOSSA is offering training towards an ROWP designation on the following dates.
For more information on our courses see http://www.bcossa.org/training/course-outlines.html
BCOSSA
British Columbia Onsite Sewage Association
44151 - 2947 Tillicum Rd., Victoria, BC V9A 7K1
Phone: 778-432-2120 Fax: 887-758-2288
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.bcossa.org
WHY ADVERTISE IN THE INNOVATOR?
The Innovator is distributed to companies directly interested in the onsite sewage treatment and dispersal industry.
THE INNOVATOR IS CIRCULATED TO:
Professional Engineers & Designers
Installation Contractors
Pumpers & Haulers
Environmental Health Officers & Regulators
Local Government Officials
Manufacturers & Suppliers to the Industry
ADVERTISING RATES: (per issue)
Colour
Business Card $20.00
¼ Page $40.00
½ Page $60.00
Full Page $120.00
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Kirsten Mawle c/o BC Onsite Sewage Association
44151 - 2947 Tillicum Rd., Victoria, BC V9A 7K1
Phone: 778-432-2120 or Email: [email protected]