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Onsite Wastewater Practitioner Training

The Alberta Onsite Wastewater Management Association provides an excellent industry training program for Onsite Wastewater Professionals. This training is recognized in the Western Provinces through Alberta Municipal Affairs and the New West Partnership Agreement (formerly TILMA). It is recognized federally through the Agreement on Internal Trade.

Space in the training sessions is limited and is allotted on a first come, first served basis. Upon receipt of your paid registration, training materials will be sent to you for review prior to training. A minimum class of fifteen paid participants is required in order for the class to take place.

The Onsite Wastewater Practitioner Training Program is now a eight-day course divided into two sessions. You must complete all eight days training successfully in order to receive certification. In addition you must also complete a mandatory Site & Soils Field Training Day.

As well as this industry certification program, the AOWMA offers individual field and classroom training sessions for continuing education purposes.

Registration information is available on the AOWMA Store.

Training Registration

Virtual Classroom

Days 1 – 4: April 8 – 11, 2025

Days 5 – 8: April 22 – 25, 2025

Training fees must be received in our office prior to the course date.
For questions contact our office:

780-489-7471
877-489-7471

Field Training / Workshops

SOP Update

Site & Soils Evaluation Field Days

Mound Installation Field Day

Installation Field Day Workshop

Operation & Maintenance Levels I & II

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Standard Of Practice Update 2021

The Alberta Safety Codes Council released the Alberta Private Sewage Systems Standard of  Practice, fourth edition in October 2021. A free digital copy of the 2021 Standard of Practice is  available from the Safety Codes Council. The digital copy is not searchable. A printed copy of  the SOP is available through our online store. 

Alberta Municipal Affairs required Certificate of Competency (CoC) holders to complete the  2021 version of the Private Sewage Standard of Practice Update Training by February 28, 2023, to be able to renew their Certificate of Competency. The training deadline was extended to  February 28, 2023, from the original deadline of October 31, 2022. No further extension are  anticipated.  

If you are Certificate of Competency (CoC) holder who has successfully completed 2021 update  training and have not yet renewed your certification, you had until by March 31, 2023, to renew  your CoC to retain your old PS certification number. You may still renew your CoC, however  you may not be able to retain your original number.

Site & Soils Evaluation Field Days

Site and Soils Evaluation Field Days are offered for those interested in learning more about performing detailed site visits and designing systems for difficult situations and soils. These training workshops provide information on assessing soil structure, texture, and consistence, assessing site conditions and constraints, logging information and applying that knowledge to the design of onsite wastewater systems. This provides a valuable opportunity to gain hands-on experience evaluating a site, as well as practicing hand texturing and sampling. These field workshops are a requirement for those completing the Onsite Wastewater Practitioner Training Program and also add value for experienced designers and installers wishing to continue their education.

Dates to be Announced

Mound Installation Field Day

This practical training workshop is a great opportunity to get hands-on experience building a sand treatment mound.

Practitioners who have recently completed the Onsite Wastewater Practitioner Training Program will be able to take their new knowledge and apply it on-site. Experienced designers and installers should also consider this opportunity to continue their education.

Dates to be Announced

Install Training Field Day

Installation Field Days provide new and experienced installers with the opportunity to learn new techniques and installation practices.  Field days may be offered for systems such as subsurface trench systems either gravity or pressure distribution, LFH At-Grades, or even something as simple as an open discharge (surface discharge or jet) depending on the site and soils available and the regulatory framework.

Dates to be Announced

Operation & Maintenance Levels I & II

The AOWMA has contracted with the National Association of Wastewater Technicians to provide a four-day training program for Operation and Maintenance. The training is split into two parts: Part One covers business aspects of O and M and the operation and maintenance required for conventional systems including trenches, beds, mounds and at-grades with some aerobic tank discussion. Part Two concentrates more specifically on Aerobic Tanks, drip irrigation, single pass, and re-circulating media filters. Both parts are conducted over a two-day period, with a hands on session in the fieldand an exam administered at the conclusion.

Those wishing to expand their scope of work into maintenance provision may achieve formal Certification through this program.

NAWT is a member of the Consortium of Institutes for Decentralized Wastewater Treatment (CIDWT). The CIDWT has been instrumental with the assistance of funding from the USEPA to prepare standard educational materials that can be used nationwide. They developed both a University and Practitioner curriculum and then followed this with a comprehensive manual and set of training materials on Operation and Maintenance. They have also conducted train the trainer sessions on the development of training courses and the use of the materials. NAWT participated at all stages of development of these materials.

NAWT will record and have available on their web site www.NAWT.org a record of those contractors and pumpers that have passed the Certificate of Completion exams by state/province with their contact information.

Those who complete this training program will be listed on the AOWMA Locate-a-Pro service as Maintenance Providers.

Dates to be Announced