The AOWMA 2019 Convention and Trade show is just around the corner, and the AOWMA is looking to have a strong Pumper/Maintenance Provider presence.

The AOWMA has been actively working on the issues that affect the Pumping and Maintenance Provider community with the larger goal of professionalizing this industry under the AOWMA umbrella. Some recent and pending areas of attention include:

Alberta Environment had recently been attempting to bring forward new septic landspreading guidelines that were much more restrictive than current ones. The AOWMA along with other affected parties, responded detailing our concerns, and how they would impact the industry. As a result, these changes to the landspreading guideline were paused pending more industry input.

Municipal Affairs is going forward with some significant changes to our industry in the very near future. Along with a designation split that will result in an ‘installer’ and ‘designer’ specific training and licencing category, ‘Pumper/Maintenance Provider Levels 1 & 2 have been proposed for development and applied to the pumping community as part of the overall onsite wastewater program. The AOWMA has been working with the government to guide these developing programs to be considerate of industry concerns.

The AOWMA has discussed the development of a ‘Pumper Registry’ with Alberta Environment as that Ministry has identified the lack of a registry as an area requiring attention. Instead of just another area of regulation, value could be built into Certification and Registry programs like these through increased access to receiving facilities that are otherwise hesitant to allow third party dumping.

The AOWMA recognizes that the Pumper community is the onsite Maintenance Provider for a majority of systems in Alberta, and has been ramping up training and certification courses specific to this industry. Some activities include:

• Inspection certification through the National Association of Wastewater Technicians, for septic inspections serving the real-estate industry
• Operations & Maintenance Levels 1 & 2 Certification through the National Association of Wastewater Technicians, from basic to the most advanced onsite systems
• Upcoming Vac Truck Certification training through the National Association of Wastewater Technicians
• Upcoming Basic Confined Space Certification

To attract a strong turnout from this sector, the upcoming AOWMA convention is purposely filled with Pumper/Maintenance Provider related information.  Some specifics already in the schedule include:

• Basic Confined Space Certificate Training, included no charge with convention registration
• Vac Truck Technician training, included no charge with convention registration
• Pumper specific meeting, for industry concerns to be identified and given attention
• Convention seminars topics like water softener use, anaerobic and aerobic treatment in septic tanks, the impact of high efficiency furnace effluent on septic tanks
• Marketing sessions, great resource for small to medium companies
• Pump and other maintenance supply companies at the trade show
• Auguring, camera and snaking equipment suppliers
• Session on Maintenance Considerations when Installing Systems
• Dept of Transport Requirements for Trucking & Equipment Hauling
• Suppliers from truck sales to business insurance providers, and everything between

With training, certification, and regulatory changes from multiple branches of government being rolled out as upcoming initiatives, it is more important than ever before for Pumpers and Maintenance Providers to be seen and heard by the AOWMA.  The AOWMA intends to be working with government to thoughtfully guide these changes to be of value to the Pumper and Maintenance Provider community rather than become potentially restrictive and onerous regulations that are formed without industry insight. By hearing the thoughts and concerns of Pumpers/Maintenance Providers, we can establish our industry’s  priorities and understand how best to go forward with the impending professionalization of this industry.

We hope that by offering a wide variety of Pumper and Maintenance Provider specific sessions at convention we will see you.

Please help us to support you in your provision of these important services to homeowners!