e Services

Volume 12, No. 1 January-February, 2003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Onsite Onsite JournalJournal

National Onsite Wastewater Recycling AssociationDEPARTMENTS

Frankly Speaking… Tim Frank, NOWRA President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

NOWRA Headquarters Update—2002 Annual ReportLinda Hanifin Bonner, Ph.D., Executive Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

State & Province Happenings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

FEATURES

NOWRA Adopts Code of Ethics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Model Performance Code Committee UpdateMike Corry, Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

On the Legislative Front… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

NOWRA 2003 Technica Education Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

“Ride or Get Run Over”—An Interview with Brenda Guy . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Another Member Opinion About RMEsRalph Macchio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Becoming a NOWRA State Association or Constituent Group . . . . . . . . . . .20

2003 ConferenceConference Exhibitor Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25Call for Papers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Communications Committee Seeks Articles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Onsite Insite Advertising Opportunities & Rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Proposed: A New Technical Section for Onsite Journal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Small-Scale Wetland Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

2003 Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

BOARD OF DIRECTORSPresidentTim A. Frank 440/636-5111Vice President/President-ElectRaymond Peat 800/753-3278Secretary/TreasurerA. Thomas Ferrero, Jr. 267/250-4068Past PresidentRobert B. Mayer, P.E. 800/345-3132

DirectorsMatt Byers, Ph.D. 800/928-7867Jean Caudill 614/644-7181James Converse, Ph.D. 608/262-1106David C. Flagg, Jr. 636/583-5564Tom J. Fritts 816/966-8885Brenda R. Guy 225/665-1666Roman Kaminski 715/345-5334Jack A. Myers 941/758-0674Jeff A. Snowden 512/338-1804Larry Stephens, P.E. 517/339-8692Jerry Stonebridge 360/331-6101Ronnie Thomas 703/594-3001E. Jerry Tyler, Ph.D. 608/835-9499

Executive DirectorLinda Hanifin Bonner, Ph.D.800/966-2942

COMMITTEE CHAIRSBylawsTed L. Loudon 517/353-3741Communications/PromotionMichael Stephens 517/339-8692ConferenceLeeann Whitehead 931/380-8032Brenda R. Guy 225/665-1666FundraisingRobert B. Mayer 800/345-3132Education & TrainingJames Converse, Ph.D. 608/262-1106Peggy Minnis, Ph.D. 203/866-3006Government RelationsRobert Himschoot 941/332-1986Richard K. Bachelder 207/363-2528License, Certification & EthicsDavid Linahan 610/644-4254MembershipRobert E. Lee, P.E. 703/737-8931Performance Requirements/Model Performance CodeMichael F. Corry 608/257-1787 Jean Caudill 614/644-7181State Association Presidents(Vacant)Technical PracticesRichard J. Otis, Ph.D., P.E. 608/249-0471Ralph Benson 513/732-7603

NOWRA HeadquartersP.O. Box 1270Edgewater, MD 21037-7270Phone: 800/966-2942 or 410/798-1697Fax: 410/798-5741e-mail: NOWRA@hanifin.comWebsite: www.nowra.org

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AAs NOWRA’s September 2002Conference in Kansas Cityended, your officers and board

members were immediately involved in awhirlwind of activities developing 2003programs and budgets, and attendingnumerous state meetings. This has beenone incredible experience; I cannot beginto adequately describe the tremendouswork that Association members acrossthe U.S. are accomplishing within theonsite industry. There are literallyhundreds of people who are becominginvolved with NOWRA as a result of oureducation programs and state meetings.And, there are even more opportunitiesahead for members to become involvedin our programs that are designed to provide both long-term professional and economic benefits.

As your president, I have been privilegedto speak at various state meetings beingheld in Michigan, Kentucky, Iowa, Ohio,and with the Texas Board of Directors attheir quarterly meeting in Austin. I havebeen joined in several meetings byNOWRA’s vice president, RaymondPeat, who manages to keep me out of thefrying pan when I speak about the impor-tance of being involved in NOWRA. Iwould thoroughly enjoy going to all ofthe state conferences, and speaking withall of you—and wish we could afford theairfare for them all (I’m told my guyshere in Huntsville like it real well whenI’m on the road). However, at ourNovember meeting, it was agreed that aNOWRA Board member would try toattend meetings that are close to his/herarea, so that the Board is represented andcan answer questions about our programs.Our goal is to improve communications,build membership, and provide supportto our state groups. We are really fortu-nate to have corporate board memberssuch as Raymond Peat, Brenda Guy,

Tom Ferrero and Matt Byers to help fillin where I cannot attend.

We had a great time in Kentucky with anexcellent technical program and incrediblyhigh attendance. Mike Corry also attendedand gave an outstanding presentation onthe work of NOWRA’s Model Perfor-mance Code and Wisconsin regulations;there as well, was Bob Rubin whoexplained in greater detail the 5-part man-agement guidelines developed by EPA.

The Ohio and Michigan meetings wereequally successful, with Michigan top-ping 500 attendees, which shows thatpractitioners are interested in learningabout what’s going on in the onsiteindustry. Both Michigan and Ohio havenew officers with high energy levels forpromoting new programs and activities.Onsite systems represent the thresholdof a new era in the wastewater industry.This means that if we as practitionersdon’t raise the bar of professionalismand ensure that states have the educationand training support they need, thechange will occur without us, and wewill be out of business. The Michiganconference involved three major associa-tions—showing the results of teamwork,led by Ted Loudon and others. TomFerrero asked if I would help with hisgrease talk—and of course I said yes—because when he does this it makes melook good (thanks Tom)!

The Ohio program featured a piloteducation and training qualifier programfor installers, and as a result, sixteeninstallers came away with an Ohio onsitewastewater qualifier installer certificate.On the 10th of January, the Ohio WasteHaulers Association put on the basic train-ing and qualification program for serviceproviders with 56 attendees participatingin the course designed and taught by Jim

Anderson & Dave Gustafson—whichhad great reviews. These courses repre-sent the beginning of the new type oftraining and education needed to addressthe EPA management guidelines andmove the onsite industry forward.

NOWRA conference & education com-mittees are hard at work in developingthe 2003 conference programs—so it isimportant to get your papers in about theonsite work being done through researchor projects. One of the pre-conferencesessions is another new program devel-oped by NOWRA: “CPR for OnsiteSystems” promises to provide a perfectforum to learn about ways to prevent fail-ures, as well as performing effective cus-tomer maintenance. This year’s confer-ence site in Franklin, TN, (just south ofNashville) is a great location for the 2003program. We are looking forward to see-ing old colleagues and meeting new ones.

We are also continuing our work on theEPA management guidelines, which canbe accomplished as we begin to under-stand how the states and EPA want us toproceed. The more we get into this sub-ject, the more we have to emphasize the

continued on page 23

FRANKLY SPEAKING…by Tim Frank,

NOWRA President

Tim is president of Tim Frank’s SepticTank Cleaning—a successful business ofinstalling, servicing and managing onsitesystems throughout Ohio.

2002 ACCOMPLISHMENTS LAUNCH2003 PROGRAMS

Linda Hanifin Bonner, Ph.D., Executive Director

Annual Report to NOWRA Members

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HIGHLIGHTS OF 2002 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

‹ NOWRA’s Professional Ethics Code• NOWRA Board members unani-mously adopted a professional ethics statement as a guide for industry members and standards.

‹ We achieved Federal & Industry Funding for 70% of the Model Performance Code work—which enables NOWRA to have a full-time project manager in 2003.• Committee membership 85% com-pleted; we still need partners repre-senting the building, banking and realty industry.

• Three subcommittees are formed and actively working to advance products and progress.

• Committee meeting procedures haveestablished regional locations for regulator and member attendance and participation.

• The first major product—the Numeric Matrices—is completed.

• Soils matrices work is funded and underway.

• Work plans for the Evaluation and Guidance Documents are in place, products being drafted and additionalfunding sought for development.

‹ NOWRA’s Expanded Education Program focused on providing services to those who do not have established training centers and groups in their area.• Developed three regional workshops• Produced two draft manuals that are being reviewed by the Technical Practices Committee

• Created two new programs for use in 2003: Builders/Realtors Education and Onsite Cluster Systems for Communities and Sensitive Environmental Areas

‹ NOWRA’s Onsite Journal• Transitioned from a “newsletter” in 2000 to a more professional publica-tion representing all member interests in 2003

• Focus on member interests and professional services support

‹ NOWRA Membership, Services and Products Directory• Completed and sent to the printer for January 2003 delivery—new format and content designed to provide benefits to members.

‹ Website Expansion Plan• A major expansion plan for NOWRA’s website was produced and approved by the Board of Directors, with funding being soughtfor implementation.

‹ Management and Financial Restructure• NOWRA’s executive committee anddirector successfully changed the headquarters work program that achieved a profitable ending to 2002.

• Adopted a 2002 programs and oper-ations budget; developed and adopteda 2003 programs and operations budget

• Expanded NOWRA’s professional reputation and credibility by devel-oping partnerships with otherorganizations—and gained additionalfinancial resources

‹ Successful 2002 Conference Program• Best attendance for education programs and exhibitor participation

• Represented a major financial recovery from the aftermath of 2001

NNOWRA’s Officers, Board and Management Team are excited to report about the numerous accomplishments acceleratingthe Association’s progress as a leader in the onsite industry. A portion of NOWRA’s 2002 Annual Membership Report wasincluded in the previous issue of the Onsite Journal. This issue provides additional details, and focuses on NOWRA’s 2003

Plan for Progress. A complete report is available on NOWRA’s website, under the category of “2002 Annual Membership Report.”

One important topic in this report is NOWRA’s financial health! We do answer the questions—where does NOWRA receive itsmoney, and how is it spent?—and certainly, finances are an essential component in the benefits and services we are able to provideto our members. But perhaps the greatest value of NOWRA membership is derived from the tangible ongoing work and contribu-tions to the industry of NOWRA’s Committees, officers and members overall and the intangible satisfaction of serving to advanceour industry. It is the collective “power of all of us” that creates this value.

2003 BudgetFinal touches on NOWRA’s 2003 budgetconcluded in December with the ExecutiveCommittee’s approval on 12/30/02. What away to end the year! Developing the 2003budget included production of other “majorincome” program budgets such as the 2003conference and education programs.Keeping in mind the guidance from theBoard meeting, the education program isnot considered to be a major “revenue” producer—as compared to the Conferencerevenues—but it still has an impact on ourfinances. This document was discussed bythe Board on Jan. 3rd, and approved, repre-senting a “first” for NOWRA—to have anapproved budget going into its coming year.

Insurance Program Opportunities—State Groups gain a new membershipbenefit!An important operational expense in allof our association work is the Directors’and Officers’ Liability Insurance, whichwe all must have in order to protect ourmembers’ financial resources. Since9/11/01, insurance rates for all programshave increased—and this one was noexception. However, after a three-monthinvestigation, the D&O insurance policywas obtained by NOWRA and, moreimportantly, the policy premium was$60.00 less than the previous year! Andthere is an added benefit to this program.Because of NOWRA’s national affiliationwith this program, we are able to providethe opportunity for the state groups to

obtain their D&O insurance policies—which hopefully would be at a better ratethan they currently have with existingcarriers. State group leaders should con-tact the NOWRA Executive Director formore information, and soon details willbe available on NOWRA’s web site.

EPA Meeting Participation—buildingmembership benefits through nationalprograms!In mid-December, NOWRA was repre-sented at several EPA meetings focusingon their outreach and education programsfor the management guidelines, thatincluded the involvement of PresidentTim Frank and myself. The result of participating in these events is a strongernational presence for NOWRA, whichfacilitates our working towards makingthe Model Performance Code for theonsite industry a reality. Why is thisimportant to members? The knowledgegained from these meetings is thatNOWRA’s work has achieved a signifi-cant credibility from other organizationsand agencies. This position helps NOWRAin working to obtain funding for state andnational programs—and to pass down anybenefits to NOWRA members. There areseveral follow-up activities to pursue, oneof which involves developing a regionalworkshop for elected and appointedpublic officials to educate them on thetechnological gains in water quality thathave evolved over the past decade withinthe onsite industry.

Membership RecruitmentNovember and December were veryactive months with respect to reachingout to state groups, beginning a heavierinvolvement of NOWRA leadership instate meetings, and keeping in touch withissues of most concern to NOWRAmembers. NOWRA’s leaders were present at North Carolina, Texas andKentucky State meetings, in addition tomaking presentations in Iowa andNebraska. The many meetings occurringin 2003—particularly in January andFebruary—had, or will have, a memberof the NOWRA leadership team avail-able to answer questions, and participatein the program as requested by our statehosts. In addition, education informationand materials have been sent to each ofthe state groups from the national office.A special survey questionnaire is beingdistributed to gain insights into NOWRAmember needs and to help board mem-bers and committee chairs developresponsive programs geared to meetingprofessional advancement needs andopportunities. In addition, all of the2003 dues notices were sent out beforethe end of the year to state groups andindividuals.

Of the 28 non-member states, Marylandand Minnesota are forming groups, 8more states are interested and Kentuckyis rejoining NOWRA!

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Management and Member Services

Membership Status by State/Province Non-Member State Status

STATE

Alabama

Arkansas

Arizona

Colorado

Conn.

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

STATUS

INTEREST

INTEREST

INTEREST

INTEREST

STATE

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Mass.

Maryland

Minnesota

Mississippi

Montana

Nebraska

STATUS

REJOINING

FORMING

FORMING

INTEREST

STATE

Nevada

New Hamp.

New Jersey

New Mexico

N/S Dakota

Oklahoma

Oregon

Rhode Is.

Utah

STATUS

INTEREST

INTEREST

INTEREST

2003 Plan for Progress

‹ Obtain Funding for NOWRA’s "Qualifier" Program

‹ Accomplish 85% of the Model Performance Code Work

‹ Increase NOWRA’s membership base by 25%

‹ Provide programs to increase professional education

‹ Re-evaluate NOWRA’s structure (governance)

‹ Produce NOWRA’s first Technical Manuals of Practice

‹ Expand member benefits and services

From the November 2002 meeting,NOWRA’s board members are assuminga stronger and proactive role in 2003,both with respect to building the associa-tion and making major commitments tothe programs. Three of NOWRA’s committees have leadership changes,which will make a difference by 2004.Tom Fritts is chairing the StatePresidents Committee and is focused onre-energizing this group to be moreinvolved in the decision-making andgrowth of NOWRA. Board memberBrenda Guy is working with theExecutive Committee and director toimplement initiatives that will increaseNOWRA’s revenues. Bob Himshootfrom Florida has assumed the leadershipof the Government Relations Committeewith goals to interact with all states ontheir legislative issues in 2003 and indefining needs for 2004. In addition,NOWRA’s executive director will makeperiodic visits to capital hill to lobby foradditional funding for the decentralizedindustry. All of NOWRA’s committeesare actively engaged in developing workplans and products that achieve the goalsdefined in the framework. During themonth of December, committee meetingswere held via tele-conferencing, settingspecific tasks to be achieved in 2003.

A NOWRA QUALIFIERPROGRAM—a new prototype effortthat advances members’ professionalstatus!NOWRA’s leaders made a major com-mitment to develop a national profes-sional “qualifier” program for onsiteindustry practitioners in 2003. The firsttarget group is installers. A model pro-gram of this type is being pursued in theState of Ohio under the direction ofRalph Benson. A pre-proposal to fundthis program on a national level wasdeveloped by NOWRA’s TechnicalPractices Committee under the directionof Ralph Benson, and submitted to theUS EPA Water Quality CooperativeAgreement Program for 2003/2004 byNOWRA’s Executive Director onDecember 30, 2002.

EDUCATION AND PUBLICATIONSEducation and Training – A #1 Priority!A series of new education sessions isoffered and available for 2003. Theseprograms are highlighted in a separatearticle. These sessions supplement andsupport State programs. In addition, newmanuals for NOWRA Education Programswill soon be available.

Publications2002/2003 DIRECTORY SUCCESS!!!!We did it before the end of 2002! Andwith a very special Thank You to all ofNOWRA’s supporters for providing theresources to make this product a reality.Work on completingthe Directory wasdelayed in the falldue to the ConferenceProgram and theneed to gain addi-tional advertisers.However, theadditional timespent in develop-ing the new format and inte-grating the database system is an invest-ment in next year’s document. The newDirectory has color dividers to addressonsite industry products. We believe thisone will “sell” to our advertisers—and asa result, 2004 will be even more success-ful. The goal—“a well-used document”on every regulator’s and specifier’sbookcase!

NOWRA’S WEBSITE—The begin-ning of new communication improve-ments with NOWRA members!We are continuing in our work to improve and expand NOWRA’s website—which is critical to the work ofthe Model Performance Code and obtain-ing input from regulators and public offi-cials across the country. During theNovember Board meeting, a presentationwas made on one firm’s approach toaccomplishing our defined goals. Sincethat time, two other vendor proposalshave been received and are underconsideration by NOWRA’s Board. Eachof the firms has strong capabilities toaccomplish our desired task—each hasvarying levels of sophistication—and, ofcourse, costs. The Board instructed theexecutive director to proceed, but onlywhen financial resources are available. Inthe interim, the website has been updatedand will be reviewed on a weekly basis toprovide timely information to members.

2003 CONFERENCE PROGRAMUPDATEThe call for papers is out—and commit-tee members are diligently at work toplan a successful program and activitiesin Franklin, Tennessee (just outsideNashville—you know, where "OPRY-LAND" is—and the likes of AlanJackson and Faith Hill live). NOWRA’s12th annual conference begins Monday,November 3, 2003—with "dual" pre-conference workshops: one for contrac-tors and one dedicated to other technicalareas of interest, as well as highly valu-able technical sessions occurring over a2-1/2 day period.

NOWRA’s 2003 AdvertisingCampaign has been launched and sentto NOWRA vendors and interested par-ties. This year, only a 7% increaseoccurs in ad rates. The desired result isan increase in advertisers, as theNOWRA Onsight Journal continues intoa new level of professionalism. With Dr.Matt Byers’ support, NOWRA will fea-ture a “juried” article in each issue, inaddition to special articles for each of themember interests.

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Annual Report to NOWRA Members

WHERE NOWRA RECEIVED ITS MONEYPrimarily, NOWRA received the money it used in 2002 for its educationprograms and member services from conference revenues, grants to support specific programs and projects such as the Model Performance Code, publicationadvertising, membership dues and education. As illustrated, membership duesonly fund 22% of NOWRA’s Budget.

WHERE NOWRA SPENT ITS MONEYThe most significant area in which NOWRA spent its money in 2002 was to fundmember education and training, public information, and conference programs.The second represents the administrative costs to run the organization—staff support to implement the programs, and postage fees. The third cost category isNOWRA’s work on the Model Performance Code—which will play a significantrole in ensuring that water resources are protected while providing needed infra-structure services.

Advertising

13%15%

7%22%

43%

EducationDuesGrants

Conference

2002 Income

Postage & Member Services

30%

ModelPerformance

Code

17%

53%

Education,Programs,Publications &Conference

2002 Expenses

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Annual Conference – $206,000Donations/Contributions – $10,000 (1.58%)

Dues – $95,000Education & Information $56,250Interest Income – $250 (0.04%)Model Performance Code – $190,000

Publications & Products – $2,000 (0.32%)Advertising – $72,000

TOTAL INCOME: $631,500

32.62%15.04%

30.09%

8.91%

11.40%

NOWRA 2002 BUDGET OVERVIEW

NOWRA 2003 BUDGET OVERVIEW

Model Performance Code – $190,000Postage & Member Services – $111,308

Education, Programs,Publications & Conference – $274,306.25

33.00% 19.34%

47.66%

TOTAL EXPENSES: $575,614.25

INCOME

ADVERTISING (Directory, Onsite Journal) $ 42,393.67 $ 49,500.00 $ 48,947.00 $ 72,000.00

ANNUAL CONFERENCE $ 206,617.00 $ 241,150.00 $ 183,210.00 $ 206,000.00

DONATIONS/CONTRIBUTIONS $ 7,515.00 $ 3,660.00 $ 8,480.00 $ 10,000.00

DUES (Groups, Regular Members, Regulators) $ 86,620.00 $ 94,950.00 $ 83,148.91 $ 95,000.00

EDUCATION AND INFORMATION (NEW in 2003) $ 56,250.00

INTEREST INCOME $ 2,464.07 $ 600.00 $ 160.94 $ 250.00

MODEL PERFORMANCE CODE $ 74,850.00 $ 76,067.30 $ 190,000.00

PUBLICATIONS & PRODUCTS $ 3,163.50 $ 6,125.00 $ 1,157.00 $ 2,000.00

TRAINING/EDUCATION

(Changed to Education & Information in 2003) $ 14,384.00 $ 60,000.00 $ 30,940.00

TOTAL INCOME $ 363,157.24 $ 530,835.00 $ 432,111.15 $ 631,500.00

EXPENSES

ACCOUNTING (2002 includes year-end audit + model code) $ 12,185.00 $ 4,000.00 $ 12,686.00 $ 10,000.00

AWARDS/PLAQUES (Deleted in 2002 – placed in Conf exp.) $ 2,000.00

BANK FEES & FINANCE CHARGES (+ bad debt writeoff) $ 94.76 $ 300.00 $ 277.36 $ 300.00

CONFERENCE EXPENSES $ 128,620.82 $ 139,700.00 $ 156,238.60 $ 157,475.00

CREDIT CARD $ 4,817.42 $ 1,200.00 $ 4,544.37 $ 5,000.00

EDUCATION & INFORMATION (New in 2002) $ 27,638.48 $ 43,331.25

EQUIPMENT $ 1,910.02 $ 1,320.00 $ 1,308.00 $ 1,308.00

FILING FEE (Annual State Corp [moved to Legal]) $ 65.00 $ 61.25 $ 150.00

INSURANCE $ 2,557.00 $ 2,000.00 $ 2,627.00 $ 3,000.00

LEGAL FEES $ 3,249.68 $ 1,000.00

MARKETING (Moved to Publications/Products in 2002) $ 3,420.30 $ 4,300.00

MANAGEMENT/MEMBER SERVICES (inc. EPA Contract) $ 183,117.45 $ 78,000.00 $ 90,697.75 $ 78,000.00

MEETING EXPENSES $ 302.39

MODEL CODE $ 4,338.70 $ 74,850.00 $ 76,067.30 $ 190,000.00

OFFICE SUPPLIES $ 1,320.98 $ 850.00 $ 645.15 $ 450.00

POSTAGE/SHIPPING $ 21,365.17 $ 14,500.00 $ 11,590.88 $ 4,200.00

PUBLICATIONS/PRODUCTS (Production & Publication:

Onsite Journal, Directory, Homeowners Folder) $ 42,784.71 $ 64,099.53 $ 37,775.58 $ 73,500.00

REPRODUCTION/PHOTOCOPY $ 4,456.33 $ 4,500.00 $ 1,238.93 $ 1,500.00

TAXES $ 64.25 $ 200.00 $ 121.08 $ 150.00

TELEPHONE $ 8,548.02 $ 5,200.00 $ 3,313.87 $ 4,000.00

TRADE SHOW EXPENSE $ 2,842.48 $ 4,600.00 $ 30.00

TRAINING/EDUCATION (Changed to Education & Information in 2002) $ 6,152.58 $ 46,500.00

TRAVEL $ 6,213.67 $ 2,500.00 $ 970.71 $ 2,250.00

TRUCK/AUTO $ 500.00

WEBSITE (Moved to Education & Information in 2002) $ 3,838.00 $ 2,500.00

TOTAL EXPENSES $ 438,950.05 $ 453,684.53 $ 431,081.99 $ 575,614.25

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NOWRA’s Approved 2003 Program and Operations Budget

November’s work efforts during the board meeting in Nashvillefocused on financial management, the 2003 budget, NOWRA’sAnnual Conference, and preparing for end of year financial reports with greater analysis on the increments within the operationsbudget. In this process the headquarters office works with the committee chairs and the Executive Committee to define programefforts for the coming year and finding the resources required to implement them.

“Adopted2003 Budget”2001 Actuals

“Adopted 2002 Budget”

“2002 Actuals as of 12/30”

Annual Report to NOWRA Members

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PREAMBLEMembers of the National Onsite Wastewater RecyclingAssociation (Association) are committed to the highest stan-dards of integrity and professionalism in the onsite wastewaterrecycling Industry (Industry). They are dedicated to providingquality service, products, education, and research. The membersof NOWRA shall uphold this Code of Ethics.

GENERAL OBLIGATIONSMembers shall endeavor to know and understand the local,state/provincial, and national statutes, codes, laws, and regula-tions applicable to the Industry as well as to their own activities.They shall compete honestly and lawfully, building their busi-nesses through their own skills and merits in the Industry.Members shall avoid any act that might promote their individualinterests at the expense of the integrity of the Industry, and avoidconduct that might discredit the Industry or deceive others.

OBLIGATIONS TO OTHERSMembers shall represent themselves and the benefits of theAssociation faithfully and honestly with integrity and profes-sionalism. They shall convey their credentials, training, experi-ence, and abilities with integrity and pride. Members shallalways seek to enhance the reputation of the Industry with othersby the way they communicate and interact. Members shall avoidconflicts of interest through disclosure to appropriate parties.

OBLIGATIONS TO PROFESSIONALISMMembers shall strive to maintain and advance their skills andknowledge of the Industry. They will continually seek toimprove their own professional expertise by staying informedof scientific and technological developments in the Industry.They shall always seek to advance the integrity of the Industry.Members shall admit and take responsibility for their ownerrors when proven wrong, and not seek to alter or distortfacts in an effort to justify decisions.

Approved by the NOWRA Board of DirectorsNovember 21, 2002

NOWRA Adopts Code of EthicsNATIONAL ONSITE WASTEWATER RECYCLING ASSOCIATION CODE OF ETHICS

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Corry Changes Employers But Not the TaskThe pace of activity in the model codeeffort has gained momentum in a numberof areas due to the hard work of thevolunteer subcommittee leaders and themembers. To further hasten the process, I have left my job as the Administratorof Wisconsin’s Safety and BuildingsDivision, Department of Commerce,to devote my time to NOWRA and themodel code effort. My July decision tochange jobs in 2003 foreshadowed thedeparture of Wisconsin’s Thompson/McCallum administration that would haveresulted in a job change in any event.

I would like to thank Wisconsin’sDepartment of Commerce for permittingRoman Kaminski and me the opportunityto help develop the model code over thelast two years. Leroy Janski and LynitaDocken are other members of theDepartment who have contributed theirtime and creative energies to the devel-opment of NOWRA. The contribution ofstaff to national code committees is notentirely a charitable act because theDepartment recognizes that the existenceof good model codes makes the job ofadopting and administrating state levelcodes much easier.

Soils Committee – is responsible fordeveloping the important soil treatmentcredit tables. The Committee received agrant from the Capacity DevelopmentProject to help fund the effort. JerryTyler, University of Wisconsin, and DelMokma, Michigan State University, paid aDecember visit to their colleagues at theUniversity of Arizona and Extension tolearn about onsite wastewater transportand treatment in hot, arid climates. Jerryand Del met with Art Warrick, JimWalworth and Don Post in Tucson and KitFarrell-Poe and Charles Sanchez at theUniversity Extension in Yuma. EdSwanson, Arizona Department ofEnvironmental Quality, also attended theTucson meeting. When Jerry and thecommittee are finished with their project,we will have the first nationwide evalua-tion process for soil treatment capacityand will be able to compare the capacityof soil treatment and pretreatment devices.

Guidance Committee – is responsible fordeveloping the document that will assistlocal and state governments adopting themodel code in making informed choiceswhen selecting among the various optionsfor output performance standards andquality assurance programs. Jean Caudill,Ohio Department of Health, is committeechair. The committee, composed ofapproximately ten members, held aNovember organizational meeting inNashville to discuss the scope and direc-tion of the project. Ben Burks, Consoli-dated Treatment Systems, has drafted apreliminary outline of the document.

Evaluation Committee – is responsiblefor developing the protocols for evaluat-ing treatment components for listing inthe output classification matrix. FredBowers, New Jersey Department ofEnvironmental Protection, leads the 12-member committee. Fred has developeda prototype program that uses componenttreatment data and converts it into thecategories of the NOWRA output classi-fication matrix. Anish Jantrania, VirginiaDepartment of Health, and Ed Woods,Oregon Department of EnvironmentalQuality, contributed data from their mon-itoring programs. Carl Thompson ofInfiltrator Systems has developed a draftof the component submission documentwhich is under review of the committeeat this time. The major issues faced bythe committee are the valuation and useof existing data for treatment compo-nents and the need to create a nationalstandard(s) for the future evaluation.NOWRA does not intend to enter thebusiness of testing or actual evaluation oftreatment technologies but does intend tolead an effort to standardize the evalua-tion of components and data reportingamong the various evaluation agencies.

Model Code Committee – has decidedon a schedule of three meetings per yearto keep the process moving, while givingthe volunteer subcommittees time to dotheir work. The committee, havingdeveloped the components of the outputclassification matrix, is now working onthe proposed code provisions affectingsystem quality assurance with emphasison installed system maintenance and

monitoring. The committee meets nexton February 27 and 28 in Austin, Texas.

Code Committee Takes aPosition on Conflict of InterestThe primary committee, in furtherance ofthe NOWRA Board’s development of aProfessional Ethics Statement, adopted aposition on conflict of interest betweenthe various classifications of professionalsinvolved in the regulation, design, instal-lation and monitoring of onsite systems.After extensive discussions at the Seattlemeeting in May and in Kansas City inSeptember, the primary committee recommended that a serious conflict ofinterest existed when regulators engagein any activity as provider for whichtheir departments have a regulatoryresponsibility. The regulator’s job is toadopt and enforce codes. If the regulatorconducts the site evaluation and selects/designs the treatment system, he/she hasa direct conflict when enforcing the codeon the system, especially when requiringthe owner to repair a failing system thatthe regulator designed. The committeeintends to insert a provision in the modelcode to prohibit this form of conflict.

The committee also discussed conflictsbetween the various classifications ofproviders. Is it a good business practiceto have the soil assessor specify the treat-ment design? Should the inspectingplumber provide the repairs to correct theproblems he/she discovers? Should asystem designer specify equipment thatis sold by the designer’s company?While these practices are common inmany industries, the committee felt theyshould be avoided by professionals if fulldisclosure of the business relationships isnot disclosed to the owner. The commit-tee did not believe that these businessrelationships are a topic to be regulatedthrough the onsite code.

Model Code Briefings – I had theopportunity to join two NOWRA leadersin making presentations at the Decemberannual conferences for the Indiana andKentucky onsite associations. NOWRAPresident Tim Frank and board memberMatt Byers made presentations on technical and NOWRA-related topics.

NOWRA Model Performance Code Updateby Michael Corry, Committee Chair

continued on page 10

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Model Code Update—I was invited to brief both organizations on the NOWRA modelcode effort and, in Kentucky, on Wisconsin’s 10-year experiencein modernizing the state onsite code. Both Kentucky andIndiana are in the process of updating their codes and the indus-try—both regulatory and vendor—is struggling with the process.

My observation about updating onsite codes in the absence of anaccepted national model code is that each state code evolvesalong a common slow and painful evolutionary path guided bythe unique culture and relationships between the regulatory,research and vendor community within the state. Lessons learnedin other states have only a minor effect on the process. Thecodes, vendor and regulatory capability all mature in stages in aprocess similar to the human maturation cycle. It does not appearthat a state, operating in the current regulatory environment, canskip a developmental stage, any more than the average child canskip the turmoil of the middle school years. The key externalinfluences—like a national model code, guidance from EPA andpublished research—can only hasten the maturation process.

Several speakers in both Kentucky and Indiana alluded to theonsite maturation process and urged the combined regulatory,research and vendor communities to work as a team in improvingboth the code and the quality of service delivered to the public.

NEXT MODEL CODE COMMITTEE MEETING DATE:FEBRUARY 27 & 28, 2003

AUSTIN MARRIOTT NORTH2600 LaFrontera Blvd., Round Rock, Texas (IH 35 Exit 251)

NOWRA MODEL PERFORMANCE CODE SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM

The work to produce the Model Performance Code is currently supported through private donors, limited EPA andNDWRDCP funding. In 2003, this work load will increase and additional financial resources will be needed. NOWRAmembers can make a special donation to the MODEL PERFORMANCE CODE, by following the easy steps listed below.

1. Completely fill in the information on the form below, and sign your name representing the donor organization.2. Identify the amount to be donated, and designate it to "The Model Performance Code Education Fund."3. Place the information into an envelope and mail it to NOWRA, P.O. Box 1270, Edgewater, MD 21037-7270.

Name______________________________________________________________________________________________

Organization (if applicable) ____________________________________________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________________________________________________________

City____________________________________________________________________State_____ Zip ______________

Amount to be donated:_____________ Payment Terms:____ enclosed check ____ request invoice ____ credit card

■ Visa ■ MasterCard ■ Discover Card

Credit Card Number Expiration Date

Name on Card Signature (required)

Other organization contacts ____________________________________________________________________________

Do you want to be included on the list for meeting notices and updates? ■ Yes ■ No

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SPOTLIGHT ON CALIFORNIA—A Proactive Program toIntegrate a Legislative Agendawith Membership Building

Two of the most important issues andmessages state groups and NOWRAleaders continually face are how to buildan effective membership base, and makestate policy officials aware of their orga-nizations legislative needs. Plainly statedby one of NOWRA’s state presidents dur-ing last month’s meeting—“we just can’tseem to get the attention of the State leg-islators to recognize the issues facing theonsite industry.” Other state presidentsreport about the challenges to buildingtheir membership roles, with many oftheir colleagues questioning the need tobecome involved by asking “what areyou—or NOWRA—doing for me toaddress the legislative and regulatoryissues that affect my business?” In manyways, this whole scenario is a “catch-22.”Some state groups have limited or nofinancial resources to focus on legislativelobbying, while others make it their“primary mission” and hire professionallobbyists to make certain that the policyofficials know about the interests andneeds of the onsite industry. The bottomline—all of NOWRA’s members need towork together and build both of theseefforts because both of these efforts arecritical to the interests of the industry!

“It’s an awesome challenge,” saysCOWA president, Pete Lescure, “but notunattainable. We had a mission and adesperate need to solve a major problem,so we examined the best course of actionthat allowed us to have a significant roleon future legislation in California thatwould affect us as business owners. Italso provided us with a unique opportu-nity to educate state regulators about thenew technology, and to build our mem-bership base.” This action plan during the past year (2002) became COWA’s

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KEY STEPS TO MEMBERSHIP & COALITION BUILDING AND EDUCATING PUBLIC OFFICIALS

1. If none exists, identify natural leaders in the onsite industry—they need to startthe state or local organization. Get all segments involved early—including regulators.It helps to have a hot issue—talk it up.

2. A key component is coalition building—builders and realtors are important politicalplayers in the process. Find out what they need in a code and see if it can be rolledinto a package. It is better to have them on your side than against the initiative.Reasonable ideas attract more support than unreasonable proposals. If you can’t getthe whole thing (goal) take a strategic bite. Team up with related associations—pumpers, installers, well drillers, soil evaluators, and academics. New groups toinclude are folks involved in storm water management.

3. Identify the issues affecting the onsite industry in your area and the impacts—work with the coalition to develop a draft strategy to resolve them, that includes aneducation component.

4. Learn the names and relevant information about the state or local regulator(s), orcouncil member(s) who is responsible for onsite codes and regulations, and theirrole in these matters (and, find out the name of the key staff person to whom youwill have to introduce yourself in order to make contact with the person).Comment: the state regulators should be part of the onsite association. Get theminto the association to create a “we” solution set as opposed to a “we-they” conflict.

5. Remember, regulators and politicians prefer dealing with Associations more thanindividuals—unless the individual is a constituent or a friend (so make the acquain-tance of your local legislator). Consensus on issues is easier to reach and implementthan with a mob of individuals all pointed in different directions.

6. Consider hiring a lobbyist—they are expensive but they are worth their weight ingold—especially if the organization can focus on some narrow issues. A good firstissue is certification and mandatory continuing education—almost everyone likescertification. Continuing education is a strategic action tool to get people involvedand raise Association funds.

7. Schedule a meeting with local news reporters to introduce yourself (andNOWRA’s work). Help to educate them about the important role of the onsiteindustry in protecting water quality in the area.

8. Schedule a meeting first with the appropriate legislative staff person and provideinformation about NOWRA and its work in the onsite industry (the NOWRA officecan provide new brochures and information). Define the critical issues affecting theonsite industry in your area/state, how they are affecting the business of members, andoffer a way to help resolve them. Then schedule a meeting with the legislator to pre-sent the case and action plan—pledging NOWRA’s support, if he/she will become thepublic advocate.

9. Organize and sponsor a 1-day work session (with NOWRA headquarters’ support)about the basics of onsite systems—inviting key legislators, business people (cham-ber of commerce), the media, realtors, developers, environmental groups, league ofwomen voters. Incorporate membership into the registration fee.

10. Publicize the program—sending out press releases or taking a small ad in thelocal newspaper—providing contacts in order to obtain additional information.

11. Hold the event, and acknowledge supporting roles of the legislator.

12. Publicize your achievements—short articles, accompanied with photos and greatgraphics, about how the work improves water quality. P.S. Don’t forget to mentionNOWRA’s website!

…On the Legislative Front…

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sole focus, in working on the “CaliforniaOn-site Wastewater Treatment SystemsRegulations (AB885).” Throughout theyear, COWA sponsored and conductedworkshops where members could learnmore about the bill’s overall effects tothe industry, and allow them to voicetheir ideas and express concerns. It wasa unique process that required proactivecommunication steps to contact membersand non-members within the onsiteindustry, educating state policy and regulatory staff, and at the same time,increasing the membership ranks nearlytwo-fold. After each of the work ses-sions on AB885, COWA’s Board ofDirectors would then reconvene fora weekend retreat to “hammer outCOWA’s position” representing theonsite industry.

The work sessions about regulationsfocused on discussions about whetherthe regulations were meeting the legisla-tive mandates, how they were beingorganized, the appropriate level of detailand to what levels of treatment and man-agement should be established.Participants registering for the work-shops were encouraged to becomeCOWA members through a higher regis-tration fee—that included voting rightson a COWA position paper. This processhas now enabled COWA to organizetheir first conference, scheduled to occurMay 1 & 2 in Sacramento. Core topicsof the conference will focus on—Tomorrow’s Technologies Under Today’sRules, Verifying Technology Perfor-mance, Quality Assurance—Getting ItRight, and Management.

REPORT ONPROPOSED REVISIONSTO CHAPTER 62-640, F.A.C.

On November 21, 2002, the FloridaDepartment of Environmental Protectionconducted a workshop to develop rulesand possibly, implementation dates relat-ing to the land application of Class Bbiosolids. This was one of three meet-ings. There will be two more meetings,one in Tampa and another in West Palm.These meetings will be scheduled andannounced at a later date.

The meeting was chaired by RichardDrew, Chief of Water and Wastewater forthe DEP. Maurice Barker from that divi-sion is collecting input. His email is:maurice.barker@dep.state.fl.us.

The meeting was held as a result of complaints made to various DEP offices,news articles of problem areas andnational media attention on the landapplication of biosolids.

There was a preponderance of com-plaints of objectionable odors as well asaccusations of illnesses created by theland spreading of biosolids in DesotoCounty. There were numerous speakersrelaying pictures and other evidence ofuntreated or, at the least, improperlytreated waste. The individuals wereaccusing the larger waste transporters ofimproper land spreading practices. Theindividuals were stating their dissatisfac-tion with the DEP, the DOH, and theDOT for failure to enforce the variousregulations that are supposedly in placeto protect the environment and theirproperty values.

In addition to a strong contingent ofindividuals from Desoto County, therewas the chairman of Desoto CountyCommissioners representing the BCC,stating it is their intent to put a stop to

the land application of biosolids in their county. They had already enacted anordinance to prohibit land applicationbut it was struck down by a federaljudge. They are in the process of creat-ing another ordinance basically requiringthe sludge to meet a Class A standard.Other counties represented that supportedClass A biosolids were: Glades, Hendry,Hardee, Okeechobee and St. Lucie.

On the other side of the issue, represen-tatives from Gainesville RegionalUtilities, Palm Beach County, Synagroand American Water Works spoke infavor of relying on science to makeClass B the most efficient and economi-cal use of biosolids. Other points raisedwere the differences between biosolidsand septic waste and raw sewage. Propertreatment and spreading practices willnot create problems. The issues arecompliance, enforcement and training.The chairman of biosolids for the FloridaWater Federation called for: complianceand enforcement of rules and laws, notenacting rules without enforcement, andnot confusing septic wastes withbiosolids.

For the most part, septic tank waste,portable toilet waste, and food establish-ment wastes were not specificallyaddressed. There were references madeto the fact that material found on theground of several sites would lead one to believe that municipal sludge was notthe generator of the material. The DOHhad a representative at the meeting as anobserver.

…On the Legislative Front…

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The Ohio Onsite Wastewater Association(OOWA) is staying involved with therecently renewed effort to establish basicHousehold Sewage Treatment System(HSTS) legislation in Ohio. RepresentativeTom Niehaus has developed draft legis-lation and is making a serious effort togain a high level of consensus prior tointroducing a bill. OOWA had a seatat the table for an Ohio Departmentof Health Ad Hoc Sewage AdvisoryCommittee meeting held in August2002, with Representative Niehaususing this meeting to gather broadstakeholder input.

OOWA has sent letters of support andrecommendations on this draft legisla-tion and the OOWA President-elect, Rick Novickis, has met with Represen-tative Niehaus at his office. OOWA

President, Conall Stapleton, who lives inRepresentative Niehaus’s district,arranged for a TV news brief onCincinnati’s Channel 12 and includedRepresentative Niehaus in this opportu-nity to explain the need for legislationand subsequent rule revision. OOWAsees this basic legislation as necessary toprovide a foundation for future legisla-tion to support the long term goal ofstatewide contractor certification.

It is expected that Household SewageTreatment System (HSTS) legislationwill be introduced in the 125th OhioGeneral Assembly in early 2003. If youhave any questions concerning OOWAor this HSTS legislative effort, contactCommunications Chair, Jean Caudill, at614-644-7181 orjcaudill@gw.odh.state.oh.us.

…On the Legislative Front…HOPES OF NEW HSTS LEGISLATION IN OHIO

AN EXPLANATION

Due to the time needed

to produce NOWRA’s

new Membership, Products

and Services Directory—

together with the

end-of-year membership

billing and office move—

we combined Onsite Journal

issues Nov./Dec. and

Jan./Feb. We will catch

up this month and

make adjustments to

our advertisers.

NOWRA’S ROLE—Fulfilling a VitalEducation NeedFor years, traditional septic systems havehad a reputation of having a limited lifespan, and were often associated withinadequate or failing treatment technology.These opinions resulted from severalsignificant factors. First, and foremost,installing septic systems in urban areaswas viewed as a temporary solution to the wastewater infrastructure, untilmunicipal or public sewer connectionsbecame available. Ensuring that ownersof these systems were provided witheducation about a proper maintenanceprogram or operations was not a highpriority. Similarly, regulations requiringthat effective long-term treatment tech-nology be used, and that installation pro-cedures were inspected, were not majorconcerns of public officials. As a result,many of the perceptions that exist todayabout onsite systems and treatment tech-nology are still associated with the use of yesterday’s older septic tanks thatfrequently affected groundwater pollution.

In the 1990s, public officials in cities andmunicipalities throughout the U.S. beganto realize that municipal wastewater treat-ment plants and older forms of dispersalsystems cannot provide the needed capac-ity requested by every home site, busi-ness, or commercial center. The reasonsthese conditions exist are the costs toexpand existing municipal facilities andthe inability to address the differences inthe soils in various areas. As a result, the use of onsite wastewater treatmentsystems in the 21st century is extensivelyaccepted as an effective solution to thechallenges associated with unfavorablesoil conditions.

KEY FACTS■ Over 25-30% of the residential

population throughout the U.S., todayuses onsite systems for wastewatertreatment.

■ Nearly 40% of all new U.S. home construction now uses some form ofonsite system.

■ Due to the huge demands placed onexisting municipal wastewater treat-ment systems to eliminate or treatextraneous wet weather flows, it isanticipated that the percentage ofonsite systems associated with newconstruction will significantly increasethroughout the decade.

The Education and Training programshave been developed and conductedexclusively by NOWRA educators,researchers and leaders who are recog-nized for their national expertise andskills within the onsite industry. In addition, industry members representinga significant group of manufacturers anddistributors also participate in these sessions to provide additional technicalexpertise and answer questions about theoperation of certain equipment. Becauseof these credentials, certificates of coursecompletion issued to NOWRA programparticipants are accepted and can beapplied to the professional continuingeducation requirements in various states.NOWRA’s programs, as described below,are offered either as educational sessionsor specialty workshops. These programsare adaptable to meet the legal and coderequirements of the various states and ofthe technologies that work within thespecific geographic area.

NOWRA SPECIALITYWORKSHOPS

A New Paradigm For OnsiteSystems—Integrating Planningand Management into Local andRegional Planning This comprehensive one-day sessionfocuses on one of the leading and emerg-ing activities in the onsite industry—howto manage the newer technologies foronsite systems, as prescribed by the EPAguidelines. It dispels the aged views andmyths about older septic tanks with vitalinformation on the highly successfultechnology used in the newer onsite system. Most of all, this session answersthe essential questions as to how to effec-tively manage large numbers of onsitetreatment systems and thus achieve anoverall goal of water quality protection.

WHO Should Attend?Private and public sector planners, regulators,public and elected officials, and publichealth and water resource managementspecialists involved in the planning,location and management of onsitewastewater treatment systems.

What You LearnOrganization prescribed in EPA’sVoluntary Management Guidelines anddeveloping plans for management andutility districts. Highlights:■ An Overview of the New Technology

in the Onsite Industry■ Interfacing Management Procedures of

Onsite Systems with Land UsePlanning

■ Developing a Business Plan forManaging Numerous Onsite Systems

■ Case Studies of Local Monitoring andTracking Programs with PrivateMaintenance Companies – A Public Management Entity with

Homeowner-Owned Systems – Public Management with Operator

Permits – Publicly Owned Management Entity – A Unique Public Management Entity – A Quasi-Private Management

Entity—Operation of a Regulated (Private) Management Entity

National Onsite WastewaterRecycling Association

2003 Technical Education Program

Education and Training ensure that consistency about the value and the need forproperly designed and maintained onsite wastewater treatment systems is achieved toprotect and enhance water quality. NOWRA’s mission is to educate and inform itsmembers and the public about the most current technologies and methods to achievewater quality excellence using onsite wastewater treatment and recycling.

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Onsite Cluster Systems andTechnology—The Infra-structure Solution for Smalland Rural Communities andSensitive Environmental SitesA One-Day Specialty WorkshopThis workshop focuses on one of themost important approaches to the futureof communities and the wastewaterinfrastructure.

What You LearnA comprehensive introduction of ClusterSystems and their Technology—theirrelationship to gravity systems, designand management considerations. Usingthe EPA Design Manual, cluster systemtechnology and its applications illustratetheir effectiveness in sensitive environ-mental conditions. It addresses the coreareas of Regulating, Managing andPermitting, and Owning Onsite ClusterSystems, through the presentation ofcase studies. Special attention is givento understanding how to integrate onsitecluster systems with land use planning,“smart growth principles” and desiredopen space.

Workshop Topics include:■ Effective Use of Cluster Systems ■ EPA Management Guidelines■ EPA Design Manual Principles■ Cluster System Challenges■ Sanitary Permits and Storm Water

Regulations■ A Regulator’s Perspective on Cluster

Systems ■ Case Studies■ Political Challenges, Public Barriers

and Funding.

Drip Distribution Systems forWastewater RecyclingA “hands-on” education and trainingforum designed to advance the knowledgeabout the value of onsite drip dispersalsystems and water quality protection, andthe needed expertise to make them work!

What You Learn■ HOW Onsite Drip Dispersal Systems

solve community and individual needsfor effective wastewater treatment facilities located in outlying and

sensitive environmental areas (endan-gered and threatened streams wherepoint discharges are unavailable);onsite systems also provide affordableanswers.

■ WHY Drip Dispersal Systems arerapidly achieving acceptance as one ofthe more advanced treatment methodsof wastewater.

■ WHERE Drip Dispersal Systems havedemonstrated proven capabilities inproviding the greatest flexibility formanaging complex soil and environ-mentally sensitive site conditions, aswell as addressing other limitationsassociated with traditional wastewatertreatment discharges.

■ ABOUT the high tech automatedprocesses, designed to ensure thatproper preventive maintenance occurson a regular basis for effective DripDispersal Systems.

This two-day workshop concentrates onthe latest technology in drip dispersalused for large onsite or decentralizedwastewater systems.

DAY 1

Drip Distribution Systems Overview—defines the various systems, answers thebasic questions about drip distribution,presents the core principles, system com-ponents, and presents a typical layout.

Designing at the Boundaries—identifiesthe appropriate wastewater loadings andother relevant information, such asboundary conditions.

Soils Characteristics and Site Conditions—preferred loocations and soil profilecharacteristics necessary for a qualitydesign, in the context of understandingeffluent quality, loading rates, and soilmorphology.

Drip Distribution Design Concepts—when to use these systems, the mostappropriate applications, and how dripdistribution is better suited than otherland application systems.

Regulations Affecting Onsite Systems—addresses the various approaches of stateand local regulations for onsite designs—what’s good—what’s needed.

DAY 2

Construction and Start-up—guidance fora drip distribution system, the types ofequipment needed and issues affectingstart-up procedures.

Operation and Maintenance—routineprocedures, emergency operations, con-trollers and monitoring (meters, gauges,alarms, data logging, and telemetry).

A four-hour field trip concludes the session.

12.0 CEU credits are issued as a certifi-cate at the end of the session.

Developers, Real Estate IndustryEducation WorkshopThis unique half- or one-day session provides an excellent overview for thebuilding and realty industry on the manytopics relating to onsite wastewater treat-ment, and why decentralized systemsprovide the solutions to tomorrow’swastewater infrastructure.

What You LearnConcise presentations by NOWRAexperts explain soil absorption systemsand the highly important advancesachieved over the past decade in bothtechnology and management. This sessioncovers everything from the basics ofonsite wastewater treatment, such as thetraditional septic tank, through the mostadvanced mound and drip irrigation systems,to the use of clusters for communitiesand sensitive environmental areas. How-ever, since most onsite systems today usesoils as the final method of dispersal, andmuch of the cost of the system dependson the soils, this topic receives specialattention.

From the perspective of property owners,and sellers, participants are informedabout the process of an onsite waste-water system inspection and how theyare evaluated for loan transactions. Theresult of the time spent in this session isa significantly broader understandingabout what to expect during the opera-tion and performance of onsite systems—and especially, how to avoid costly surprises.

continued on page 16

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NOWRA 2003EDUCATION PROGRAMS

NOWRA’s education programs are fully developedand ready to be conducted upon request.

Please call either the headquarters office at 1-800-966-2942

or contact the Education Chairpersons:

Jim Converse (jcconver@facstaff.wisc.edu)608/262-1106

and Peggy Minnis (mmminnis@aol.com)

203/866-3006

BBrenda Guy wishes she knew what itwould take to persuade members ofthe onsite industry to get involved

on the issue of using utilities—or “respon-sible management entities” (RMEs)—toinstall and maintain treatment systems.

Unless the industry gets involved, Guybelieves, utilities in some areas will gainmonopoly control over onsite systems, tothe detriment of private service contrac-tors, treatment system manufacturers, andhomeowners alike. Rural electric cooper-atives and other established utilities insome parts of the country have openlyexpressed interest in entering the onsitetreatment business.

Guy is owner and president of DeltaEnvironmental Products, Inc., based inDenim Springs, La. The company, found-ed in 1985, is dedicated to the research,development, marketing and sales ofonsite wastewater treatment equipmentfor residential and commercial uses.

Among her industry activities, Guy servesas a board member of the National OnsiteWastewater Recycling Association (NOWRA)and as chairperson of the NationalSanitation Foundation (NSF International)Certification Council. Guy presented herviewpoints on RMEs in a panel discus-sion at last September's NOWRA 2002annual conference in Kansas City. In thisPumper interview, she expands on hercomments.

Pumper: Based on your interactions, howwould you characterize the attitude ofestablished utilities toward the onsiteindustry?Guy: In my private conversations withutility representatives, it saddens and sur-prises me that they are so completelyintractable in their attitudes. I would liketo see our industry—including the utility

industry—engage in dialogue towardchanging the way we approach the prob-lem of managing onsite systems. Eachplayer in this debate will have to give inorder to make this a successful venture.Pumper: What do you mean when yousay that utility representatives areintractable?Guy: Utilities in my observation arereluctant to change the way they do busi-ness. They are the big boys on the block.They are coming from the outside, wantingto play in anindustry wherethey have no realexperience, yetthey are comingin a dictatorialfashion. I believethat if they aregoing to moveinto this arena,they need to beinclusive of theopinions of manu-facturers, instal-lers, pumpers, andall the othergroups that arestakeholders in the decentralized treat-ment industry today. If they took an inclu-sive approach, they would get a lot morecooperation from the industry. Withoutsuch an approach, what I fear will happenis that each of the stakeholder groups willengage with their various Congressionalrepresentatives in a way that will stymieany progress toward management entities.Pumper: What is your opinion on themerit of RMEs in certain situations, as inLevels 4 and 5 of the EPA’s VoluntaryGuidelines?Guy: I think management entities are agood thing. I am in favor of managementstandards. But I am not in favor of havingthe utility industry overrun the wellestablished decentralized wastewater

industry to accomplish the goal. We haveto allow all players in this industry to havethe right to become RMEs if they want to,so long as they are qualified. We muststructure a framework that will allow thatto happen and let the free market economydetermine who is successful.Pumper: In general terms, how do youthink that can be accomplished?Guy: First, the definition of an RMEneeds to be clarified. We need to write thedefinition in such a way that everyone

who is qualifiedhas equal accessto becoming thatentity. If ABCCompany wants tobecome an RME,they should havejust as muchaccess to thatopportunity as anestablished elec-tric utility.

The definitionmust not be writ-ten in such a waythat ABC companycannot become a

RME because some rule creates a hoopthat is too big to jump through. The rulesshould be structured so that they are notslanted toward big business. They shouldbe equally applied. Then, let the freemarketplace work.

Let homeowners decide who theywant coming into their back yards to ser-vice their onsite systems. ABC Companymay be able to provide that homeownerwith equal or better service than an elec-tric utility, and at a cheaper price. As ahomeowner, I should be able to decide ifI want my utility company to do the work,or if I want ABC Company to do it. Pumper: Why do you think entities likerural electric cooperatives are so interestedin the onsite industry?

Pumper Interview 01-03

Ride or Get Run OverThe utility "train" is coming, and pumpers and installers have a clearand simple choice to make, says Delta Environmental's Brenda Guy

by Ted J. Rulseh

"I think management entities area good thing. I am in favor of

management standards. But I amnot in favor of having the utilityindustry overrun the well estab-lished decentralized wastewaterindustry to accomplish the goal.

We have to allow all players in thisindustry to have the right to

become RMEs if they want to,so long as they are qualified."

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Guy: The utilities provide electricity. Thatis what they care about. I think they seethe onsite industry as a means to provid-ing electric service to more outlyingareas. It is a vehicle by which they will beable to get more meters—morepaying customers. That's all it isfor them.

In rural areas that are yet to bedeveloped, the linchpin is how totreat the wastewater from thesenew homes. Municipalities are nolonger able to provide service tothose areas. The utilities want tosee land developers buy into themanagement standards that theEPA is proposing. In return for thatbuy-in, developers will receivefunding to get these wastewatersystems in place, thereby allowingthem to build homeowner communities,which in turn, for the electric co-op,means paying customers.

Interest in the onsite industry is notlimited to small electric cooperatives. Forexample, the Tennessee Valley Authority,one of the largest utilities in the nation, isvery much interested. They are develop-ing a drip system standard that they planto showcase at the next NOWRA confer-ence. They plan to get that standardimplemented to facilitate the cre-ation of new electric customers.What will happen, an eventualoutcome, is that once one largeutility has a standard, the otherswill start to adopt it.Pumper: From a practical perspec-tive, what's wrong with havingonsite systems in these rural commu-nities managed by electric utilities?Guy: There is nothing wrong withthe concept of management enti-ties, but the control of the man-agement function by utility monopolieswould have negative consequences for theonsite industry as it exists today.

The federal government and state gov-ernments want to see management ofonsite systems. So does the manufactur-ing community. What I fear is thatbecause of the way utilities currently dobusiness, they will standardize on one ortwo products. That will put the other man-ufacturers out of the loop, and the ulti-mate result will be a stifling of researchand development into new and betterways to treat wastewater. Technologyadvancement requires viable businesses

who can do this kind of research.Furthermore, the Model Performance

Code that is being developed by NOWRAacknowledges that you can have differentsoil conditions from house to house. It’s

going to be very hard for a utility to stan-dardize on any one type of product whenthe soil conditions at a given site shoulddictate what is used there. And ultimately,where the choice of a system is con-cerned, the homeowner should be able tosay yea or nay.Pumper: There are those who say utilitymanagement will not hurt installers orpumpers because utilities will subcontractthose services to existing businesses,

rather than provide them directly. What isyour response to that argument?Guy: If you look at the utility industry his-torically, if you look at line management,pole management and other functions,they have tended to prefer having directemployees rather than subcontractors. Itmay well be that the decentralized waste-water industry is so large, and the loca-tions are so varied, that utilities will find itcost-prohibitive to have direct employeesdo the work. It may well be that becauseof the nature of the industry, it will bemore conducive for them to subcontractthe work to pumpers and installers. But

the reality is that nobody has had thatdiscussion from a national perspective.Pumper: From what you observe, howwell are pumpers, installers and other ser-vice providers prepared to deal with the

coming of management entities?Guy: The installer community, thepumper community, the haulercommunity, are all somewhat in astate of denial about what is goingto happen to them. It will be toolate, once they finally realize thatsomething has happened, to doanything about it. There is a traincoming down the track. You cansee the lights in the distance. Andpeople will either be run over by it,or they will ride it.Pumper: How can members of theonsite industry respond effectively

to these changes?Guy: Members of the industry need tobecome very active. The utilities are highlyorganized and very well funded. They haveresources that we can't imagine. In orderfor the members of the onsite industry toprotect themselves and be meaningfulplayers, they have to become organized.

Pumpers, installers, and haulers needto partner. They are the heart and soul ofthis industry. They are the people who get

out there and do the work in allkinds of weather. They respond tocustomer needs. Most of them arereally good and very diligentpeople who care about the industry.These groups need to come togetherand say to the EPA and the utilityindustry: “We're not going to be runover. We want you to be inclusive.We want you to recognize our con-tributions to this industry. We wantyou to recognize our expertise andmake us equal players at the table

in this debate.”The pumpers, installers and haulers

need to put aside their differences andrealize that they have a common goal towork toward for the good of an entireindustry. They will create a huge, grass-roots force of opinion and expertise. Thepoliticians care about the vote, and themembers of the industry need to under-stand that. They need to start talking totheir local politicians and to their repre-sentatives in Congress, and they need todo it in a very organized, articulate way.

Reprinted by permission of Pumper

"Let homeowners decide who they wantcoming into their back yards to service theironsite systems. ABC Company may be ableto provide that homeowner with equal orbetter service than an electric utility, andat a cheaper price. As a homeowner, I

should be able to decide if I want my utilitycompany to do the work, or if I want

ABC Company to do it."

"The installer community, the pumper com-munity, the hauler community, are all some-

what in a state of denial about what isgoing to happen to them. It will be too late,once they finally realize that something has

happened, to do anything about it."

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In the 21st century, in wastewater infra-structure planning, more recognition thanever before will be focused on NOWRAand its affiliate state groups to ensure thatproperly designed, installed and main-tained onsite sewage treatment and dispos-al systems are the most cost-effective andefficient means of water quality manage-ment. This recognition is being accom-plished through effective education andtraining, and the development of performance standards and sound ecological practices—the essential steps inthe work carried out by NOWRA and itsconstituent group members. These activi-ties illustrate the leadership role thatNOWRA members play—working as part-ners, with open doors of communication,they promote the principles and programson both the national and local levels.

Building NOWRA membership is ahighly important goal that occurs primar-ily through the states. To provide thedirection and guidance to achieve thismission, NOWRA has a ConstituentGroup Leadership Manual that is avail-able to interested parties. The Manualidentifies the basic steps necessary tostart or form a Constituent Group of theNational Onsite Wastewater RecyclingAssociation, Inc. (NOWRA). It buildsupon the work of NOWRA’s founderswho, in 1991, established an associationto represent and serve all aspects of theonsite wastewater industry, that includesinstallers, field practitioners (inspectors),suppliers, distributors, engineers,research professionals, consultants,educators, governmental regulatorypersonnel and manufacturers. Excerpts

of the updated Manual are provided forthis article and the complete document canbe obtained from NOWRA headquartersoffice by calling 1-800-966-2942.

What is a NOWRAConstituent Group?It is an autonomous group within a

specific geographic area, who have organized to function as a legal entitywith the same purpose and objectives asthe national association—to advance andpromote the onsite wastewater industry.The difference is that this group has theability to provide a more frequent andactive educational/social forum betweenonsite industry professionals. At thislevel, constituent group members meet to exchange experiences, ideas andknowledge with a group of local peerson a more regular basis.

Forming A State GroupThe first step is to obtain a commitmentfrom potential members to financiallysupport this new entity and its mission.In order to emphasize the benefits ofjoining a state group, you need to definethe proposed group’s mission statement,goals and objectives. Often, a smallgroup of individuals assume the role ofan “organizational or steering committee”to develop a mailing list of potentialmembers and organize the first meeting.A survey included with the initial invita-tion helps to identify some of the localissues to be discussed at the organiza-tional meeting and facilitates framing thegroups mission and strategic plan.

One of the more successful strategies informing state groups is through the use

AnotherMemberOpinion

about RMEs—Reactions to the RMERoundtable Discussion

at NOWRA’s 2002Annual Conference

by Ralph Macchio

What came as a surprise to me was thatmany of the NOWRA practitioners’ andmanufacturers’ concerns regardingLevels 4 and 5 (of the utility manage-ment concept) were similar to those ofNAWT and the pumpers.

It seems very clear how creativity andinnovation can become stifled when cus-tomer choice and competition is replacedwith uniformity for the sake of financialefficiency and control, as might be thecase with utility type operations.

Most of the panel agreed that there is muchto be done with regard to technology,standards, record keeping, data and public education for “onsite systems”—most of which is now done by small tomid-sized manufacturers and mainte-nance companies. All agreed that theguidelines are a step in the right directionand will go forward on their ownmomentum—except for levels 4 and 5,which produced controversy.

The roundtable discussion did allow fordiverse persons to express their views.The problems seemed well defined, asillustrated in the first round of “afterthoughts”; however, solutions seemedharder to find.

Manufacturing technology, operation and maintenance coupled with ultimatedisposal of waste produced from “onsite”systems represent a mix to be puttogether to allow existing practitioners to be participating parties. Perhaps jointventures of these diverse groups wouldbe a place to start.

The challenges are out there—and theopportunities are great. These are excit-ing times in the onsite business.

BECOMING A NOWRASTATE ASSOCIATION ORCONSTITUENT GROUP

—What are the Steps Involvedand How Do You Start?

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of an education and training workshop—where NOWRA education leaders provideneeded expertise and skills, and CEUcredits are issued. The headquartersoffice, or Education Chairperson JimConverse, can assist in developing thisprogram. The most recent example of astate group using this strategy is Penn-sylvania—they started with 6 people andgained a membership group of 106.

At the first meeting of prospective members, NOWRA’s programs and benefits are introduced, together with a proposed dues structure that recom-mends and allows for constituent groupmembers to be affiliated with the nationalassociation. (Refer to NOWRA’s duesbilling policy so you are aware of whenthese dues are to be paid and how to addnew members during the year.) At thismeeting, commitment forms are distrib-uted in order to obtain a more permanentcommitment for dues payments. At thismeeting, officers are elected, or at least atemporary organizational team is appointed,to develop the bylaws and attend to theadministrative tasks to register the groupwith the state or province and IRS (orCanadian authority). After a determina-tion of the available revenues for the yearis made, it is then easier to design afinancial forecast of projected revenueand expenses for the upcoming year—that eventually becomes the organization’sformat for an annual operating budget.

Legal & Administrative Actions1. As a legal entity, the constituent groupmust obtain a tax identification numberfrom the IRS (USA only). This informa-tion is then used to open a bank accountand for other documents required. Youmay request a "Form SS-4" either bytelephone or fax. With a fax, the infor-mation is normally received within days.

2. To charter the organization withinyour state of operation, contact theSecretary of State’s office for the necessary applications as a 501(3) or (6)entity. In chartering the organization, the advantage and disadvantages of incorporation must be considered.

Although somewhat more complicatedand expensive, incorporating tends tolimit the scope of liability to the corpora-tion as a legal body.

3. The organizing committee of the constituent group is responsible for filingall appropriate non-profit income taxreturns with all federal, state and localagencies. There are some disadvantagesto the tax exemption status, such as eligi-bility for membership, sources of revenue,and amounts and kinds of business activi-ties. Make sure you are familiar with thetype of activities you may and may notengage in as a non-profit organization.

4. The basic framework of an associationrequires identifying the rules of authorityin order for decisions to be made. Suchbasic rules are known as the constitution,bylaws, or both, and are combined witha mission statement to clearly state theintent of the organization.

5. Bylaws are the legal tools to build thefoundation of the association, with thefollowing sections commonly used tocreate this document.• The organization’s name• The association’s goals and objectives• Description of general, honorary

and other types of membership• Membership dues, responsibilities and

privileges with a membership• General and Board of Directors

meetings; how and when they are held• Board of Directors’ responsibilities and

functions• Members of Board of Directors• Officers of the association• Committees, their functions, roles and

responsibilities• Fiscal accountability and auditing

procedures• Procedures to change or amend the

bylaws

MeetingsBoard of Directors meetings are held atleast quarterly to summarize activities/concerns and to plan for the next quarter.A financial summary of all accounts ispresented for review and approval.

The last meeting of the year should rec-ognize outgoing officers and elect newofficers. All meetings are documented bythe secretary. Minutes of all board meet-ings and quarterly financial reports aresent to all board members, and oftenmailed to the whole membership.

A general meeting should be held at leastonce a year to invite the general member-ship to make comments on the activities/action of the Board for that calendar yearand to elect new directors. Again, allmajor comments and decisions should bedocumented and distributed to the mem-bership, along with an annual financialreport. This meeting is an excellentopportunity to recruit future leaders andbrainstorm new ideas, programs andevents.

Annual Program GoalsThe Board of Directors conducts anannual strategic planning meeting tobrainstorm ideas for association activi-ties and programs. Once the activitieshave been defined, persons responsiblefor implementing them and establishinga timetable for completion of the activi-ties—along with approval of any neces-sary funding—are assigned.

Member CommunicationOne of the best ways to communicatewith members is through a regularnewsletter. You might include meetinginformation, a calendar of future events,news of members, news of the organiza-tion’s activities and progress, spotlighton individual members, and articles oftechnical interest and education. To helpfund the cost of the newsletter, you maywish to accept advertising. The newsletteris also an excellent tool to use forsoliciting new members.

Are You a Member?NOWRA headquarters now has newbrochures and materials available fororganizing a State Constituent Group.Don’t hesitate to call—we need yourgroup involved as we move forwardwith the important work within theonsite industry.

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State Group HappeningsCaliforniaCalifornia Onsite WastewaterAssociation

Special NOTE: COWA’s “WesternOnsite Wastewater Exhibition andTechnical Conference” has beenchanged from February 5 and 6 toMay 1 and 2.

Starting the New Year is always exciting.We enter it with our New Year’s Resolu-tions and the feeling that we have a cleanslate. We also begin with the hope thatwe can accomplish all of our “needs”and some of our “wants.”

COWA heads into the new year with somecontinuing commitments from 2002 andalso some goals for 2003. The big newsin California is the awaited “CaliforniaOnsite Wastewater Treatment SystemsRegulations.” The draft process with theState has been delayed and extended. A“final draft” was presented for considera-tion and after committee meetings and aCOWA General Membership meeting, wasfound wanting. The largest complaintswere that the draft regulations did notmeet all of the legislative requirements,were not organized clearly and had notaddressed many of the issues raised bythe Stakeholder Committee. The resultwas the organization of a small stake-holder committee to draft a set of regula-tions, for presentation to the State, thatwill satisfy the legislative requirementsand address the stakeholder concerns inan acceptable manner. The new draft regulations will be a major part of thediscussions at COWA’s “Western OnsiteWastewater Exhibition and TechnicalConference” to be held in Sacramento onMay 1 and 2, 2003. Please note that thisis a change from the original dates ofFebruary 5 and 6.

In 2003 there will be an increasing needfor education, training and certification ofall those involved in the design, manufac-ture, installation, maintenance, manage-ment and monitoring of onsite wastewatersystems. COWA has made a commitmentto be a leader in the delivery of such pro-grams that will satisfy this demand. Thisneed is brought on by new regulations,new technology and the growing under-standing of the need for long-term man-agement, maintenance and monitoring.

Cliff Trammel, Executive Director

FloridaFlorida Onsite Wastewater Association

FOWA’s legislative committee reportedto the board that its PAC in its first yearcontributed to eleven candidates. Ten ofthe eleven candidates are now either rep-resentatives or senators to the FloridaHouse. Also, the board approved theagenda for the upcoming legislative session which will start in March 2003.Two issues, fees collected from permitsto fund training center grants and lan-guage in the state statutes regarding thelicensing of portable restroom operators,are at the forefront of Florida’s 2003 legislative session. The committee willaddress language in the state statutes thatMANDATE connection to central sewerWHEN it becomes available. Florida'sdevelopment law requires central sewersin all but the rural areas. As densityincreases, central sewers are required.There currently is no consideration givento performance-based (engineered) systemswith maintenance agreements. We willneed a lot of help on this because we willrun against the likes of: The League ofCities, State Association of CountyCommissioners, the engineering commu-nity, and the Underground UtilityAssociation. Additionally, we will moni-tor The Florida Department of Environ-mental Protection's workshops on chang-ing the rules regarding land spreadingbiosolids. We have just been madeaware of the State’s starting to writerules requiring biosolids to be at leastClass A before land application.

MichiganMichigan Onsite WastewaterRecycling Association (MOWRA)

MOWRA would like to congratulate andwelcome the incoming officers for 2003and 2004 (biannual election): President– William Gregory, President Elect –Dan Milan, Vice President – BruceGruner and Secretary/Treasurer – MikeStephens. One of the priorities for thisincoming group will be to help establisha system for advancing and recognizingthe professionalism of individuals/enti-ties within the onsite industry across thestate. The hope is to build off of thetraining program for onsite wastewater

practitioners that is being developedcooperatively between the Consortium of Institutes for Decentralized WastewaterTreatment and NOWRA. What a greatbenefit something like this can be to stategroups such as MOWRA. We anxiouslyawait a final product from which tobuild on.

Jon Morrison, MOWRA President

MinnesotaThe Minnesota ProfessionalOrganization of Wastewater Recycling

(MPOWR) has been organized as a statechapter of the National Onsite Waste-water Recycling Association (NOWRA).MPOWR is scheduled to hold its chartermeeting on March 7, 2003, at theRadisson Suite Hotel in St. Cloud,Minnesota.

MPOWR Mission:Provide vision and leadership for theempowerment of all professionals andbusinesses engaged in the wastewaterrecycling industry in Minnesota whileadhering to the core values of protectingconsumer rights and enhancing both theenvironment and public health.

MPOWR Vision:The foremost wastewater recycling industryadvocate in Minnesota for the advance-ment of innovative and sustainable design,construction, manufacturing, regulatoryand management practices.

MPOWR intends to uphold its missionand vision through a dedicated member-ship who is interested in advancing theonsite wastewater industry in Minnesota.MPOWR’s role in water quality manage-ment and protection will include educa-tion, training, system management,technical guidelines and public informa-tion dissemination.

Those interested in learning more aboutMPOWR and the charter meeting pleasecontact the Charter Secretary, PeterMiller at millerenvironmental@msn.comor 763-370-5961.

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PennsylvaniaPennsylvania Associations Engage inDialogue

A couple of months ago a couple ofPOWRA board members met with boardmembers of both PASEO (PA Associ-ation of Sewage Enforcement Officers)and the PSMA (PA Septage ManagementAssociation). The purpose of the meetingwas to come to an understanding of therole of the three associations. PASEOrepresents about 200 or so of the 600state certified SEOs, and PSMA repre-sents about 10% to 20% of the serviceproviders. Pennsylvania does not licenseinstallers, pumpers, or designers. SEOs,for the most part, are hired by the localmunicipality to issue permits for the construction of individual and smallcommunity systems under a very prescrip-tive code. The results were productive inbeginning a long overdue dialogue.

POWRA has been asked to give a pre-sentation (90 minutes) at the upcomingPASEO convention March 3rd and 4th.The SEOs will get 1.5 hrs of continuingeducation credits for attending the ses-sion. The session topic is SewageManagement. But, an overview ofNOWRA could also be useful. POWRAwill have a booth. The Convention hashad up to 400 in attendance in the past,but I do not think we will have as many,as most of the SEOs were recertifiatedlast year. We tried to get NOWRA’s A toZ course approved for CECs but PA DEPsaid the A to Z course is too general andcovers alternatives that the SEOs are notallowed to issue permits for. In Pennsyl-vania, the Local SEO only can issue per-mits in accordance with the code. For allother systems, PA DEP issues the permits.We could use NOWRA’s help at thebooth. Bob Lee came to PASEO twoyears ago and got us off to a good start.If the NOWRA tabletop exhibit is avail-able along with some handouts, it couldbe a big help. POWRA also was asked toco-sponsor a Water Reuse Symposium(see the link below).http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/depu-tate/watermgt/WSM/WSM_TAO/Reuse/Reuse_Sympos.htm I hope POWRA canexhibit here as well.

We (POWRA) have been talking to JimConverse about putting on the A to Zcourse anyway. And I have recentlytalked with Larry Hepner (POWRAboard member) about developing a cou-ple of under- and post-graduate courses,using the A to Z course as a spring-board. We also see the need for a SewageManagement Forum.

POWRA is in the process of electingofficers, sending out invoices for dues,and planning our programs. We haveincorporated but we have not filed ourIRS paper work for our tax status (Iguess we have the same for the State).

David V. Linahan, PEActing President

TexasTexas On-Site Wastewater Association

At the last board meeting (end ofNovember), TOWA decided to proceedwith a new training program, called theCERTIFIED MAINTENANCEPROVIDER program. The purpose ofthe CMP program is for TOWA to trainand “certify” participants in the conceptsand techniques in properly maintainingand trouble-shooting all types of OSSFs(onsite sewage facilities) in Texas.

The first two days of the training wouldinclude a basic coverage of these, with the second two days a more advanced and technical review. Participants whocomplete the entire course, including bothwritten and hands-on examinations, willbe granted a TOWA CMP certification.

It is hoped that such a level of competencywill increase the quality of O & M workon all systems in Texas.

The first offering of the course willprobably be in June, 2003, at the TOWAconference in San Antonio.

State Group Happenings

importance of education to NOWRAmembers. More will make it fine—lessmeans being left behind!

There is another new subject matter onthe horizon that the onsite industry mustaddress. It is called Capacity Manage-ment Operations & Maintenance—CMOM. This new program, also underthe direction of the US EPA, will changethe way cities and small communitiesexamine their sewer collection systemsfor things like build-up in lines, liftpump station failures, deterioration oflines, infiltration, and sewers that may beundersized for the amount of liquids theycarry. When this program goes intoeffect, guess what happens? Munici-palities will start to form sanitary districts (as the answer to growth). And, because these newly found condi-tions result in limited flow capacity atexisting municipal treatment plants, thenewly formed sanitary districts will use“onsite systems” as their solution. Theend result will be sanitary districtsaround the municipal systems—alreadyapproved and under way.

These issues present a whole new set ofquestions affecting NOWRA members.Does the city engineer design, install andmanage these systems? If so, what dothey know about onsite systems? Aspotential business, do we lose or do weget to them? I say, let’s charge forwardand make these city engineers highlyaware of NOWRA. Here is a whole newset of opportunities for our industry. Ifyou are one of the industry practitioners,get subscriptions to all of the trade mag-azines and prepare for the new wave ofissues and business opportunities as a“responsible management entity.”And—in order to be considered to be anRME—businesses will need to be incor-porated and registered within the state.

There’s more to read in the journal—butremember, we need to hear from you—to know what your needs are in order toprovide the best member benefits. S

FRANKLY SPEAKING…

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Attention Conference Exhibitors

The National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association’s 12th Annual Conference, the premier educational eventfor our industry, begins Monday, November 3, 2003, in Franklin, Tennessee (just south of Nashville) with twounique workshops geared toward the Building/Development Industry and Operations & Management. Thisyear’s events are designed to provide the 2003 NOWRA conference attendees with more interaction within thefacilities in order to promote stronger education and knowledge about your products and services for thedesign, management and operation of onsite wastewater systems. Our mission is to ensure that you have, andleave with, numerous successful opportunities in 2004.

Exhibitors at the 2003 Conference will find the facilities at the Marriott Cool Springs Conference Center a particu-larly advantageous location to develop new contacts and build upon existing relationships with professionals inthe onsite industry. All social activities and break events are held within the exposition area in order that maximuminteraction takes place between conference attendees and the service industry. We are marketing this event muchearlier than in previous years. The bottom line is that…few onsite industry events offer the chance to marketproducts so directly to your most important customers, as NOWRA’s Annual Conference.

Enclosed in this prospectus is the new exposition layout that provides ample traffic flow to all exhibitor locations,at affordable fees. The spacious booth layout enables potential exhibitors to select either a double or singlebooth, with ease of passage through the aisles. A second room is available for additional exhibits, as well asaccess to a parking area that can be used for equipment. More importantly, 2003 exposition rates have onlyincreased 5%! Our goal is to ensure that you have a highly successful event.

In response to feedback about NOWRA’s 2002 Conference Exposition, the exhibit area is open only during thetwo-day “prime-time” meeting period. Educational programs are being planned as incentives for contractorsto attend the conference and visit exhibitors. Similar opportunities are planned for regulators to maximize theirtime with the onsite industry exhibitors. We hope that through these changes and actions, we demonstrate ourcommitment of support to you.

Should you have any questions about the Exposition after reading the enclosed materials, please do nothesitate to contact us. We look forward to an exciting Conference and Exposition—and most importantly, toseeing you there!

Sincerely,

Tim Frank, PresidentRaymond Peat, Vice PresidentLinda Hanifin Bonner, Ph.D., Executive Director

12th Annual Conference & Exposition Prospectus & Registration

Decentralized Systems—The Changing World of Wastewater Treatment

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WHEN AND WHERE? EXHIBITORS’ SCHEDULE

The NOWRA Exposition will be located in the Marriott CoolSprings Conference Center in Franklin, Tennessee.

Booth Set-Up Sun., Nov. 2 4:00 p.m. Mon., Nov. 3 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Opening Reception Mon., Nov. 3 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.Exhibit Hall Open Tues., Nov. 4 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon

2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.Wed., Nov. 5 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Breakdown Wed., Nov. 5 3:00 p.m.

Booth staffing during technical sessions is optional. Breaks will beheld in the Exposition Hall. Security will be provided during set-up and exhibit hours.

NOWRA reserves the right to remove other materials and to reject aregistration for any reason.

WHAT DOES THE SPACE COST?The NOWRA Member rate for a 10 X 8 booth $850

20 X 8 booth $1500Non-NOWRA Member rate for a 10 X 8 booth $1000

20 X 8 booth $2000

Reservations received after August 15 will be accepted on aspace available basis, with an additional late fee of $200.

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE SPACE?Each 10 X 8 both includes:

1 – 7" x 44" one-line, black on white identification sign to include booth number

1 - 8’ x 30" x 30" table topped in white vinyl and skirted on three sides

2 – chairs1 – wastebasket

Each 10 X 8 booth registration includes:Two full conference registrations

Company name in the Exhibitors‘ Listing in the Conference Program Directory and Exposition Hall signage as of publication date.

One-time use of a set of mailing labels of all conference regis-trants available, upon request, until May 30, 2003.

All booths are being set up as defined in the floor plan. Boothback drapes are 8’ high with two 36"-high side dividers, supportedby a steel framework. All drapery is clean, properly hemmed andflameproof in accordance with local fire regulations. The hall haspermanent carpet.

RESERVING SPACE

Complete and sign the “Exhibit Space Reservation Form” on page 28. Send it with your check (payable in U.S. $$) to NOWRA,P. O. Box 1270, Edgewater, MD 21037-7270; or fax the form withcredit card payment. (410/798-5741)

WHEN WILL SPACE BE ASSIGNED?The space assignment process begins March 30, 2003.

CANCELLATION

If an exhibitor cancels on or before September 30, 2003, a fullrefund, less $50 processing fee, will be made. If an exhibitor cancels after October 1 but prior to October 15, there will be norefund, unless the Exposition is sold out and the space can bereassigned, in which case the exhibitor will pay 50% of the totalcontract fee.

Exhibitors must first call NOWRA if they must cancel their spacereservations. A cancellation is not effective until it has beenreceived in writing from the exhibitor. Signed cancellations sentvia facsimile will be accepted (1-410-798-5741).

VISIBILITY FOR YOUR COMPANY

Become a Conference Sponsor at NOWRA’s 12th AnnualConference and Exposition and receive company visibility andrecognition among collegues in the onsite industry. For additionalinformation about sponsorship opportunities, contact Brenda Guyat 1-225-665-1666.

Don’t miss this wonderful marketing opportunity!

The conference Program will go to press October 3, 2003.

The deadline for reserving prime advertising space is August 1, 2003.

The deadline for advertising copy to be submitted toNOWRA is August 29, 2003.

Conference Program Advertising is separate from other advertisingopportunities. Advertisement rates are:

Full Page $10001/2 Page $7501/4 Page $450Professional Business Card $250Back Cover $15001/2 Inside Back Cover $850Full Inside Front or Back Cover $1200

HOTEL RESERVATIONS

All Lodging Reservations for NOWRA’s Conference will be madeby individual attendees directly with Marriott reservations. Pleaseremember to ask for the National Onsite Wastewater RecyclingAssn (NOWRA) group rate. Individual cancellations must be mademore than 72 hours prior to arrival. After this time, attendees willbe charged for the first night of their reservation or forfeit theirindividual deposits. All Hotel Rooms are $99.00 per night + taxes.Please see the Reservation Form for additional information.

Other lodging facilities in the area include the Hampton Suites andRamada Inn.

CONFIRMATION AND EXPOSITION KITS

When registration is complete, your company will receive confir-mation, booth space assignment and exhibitor kit from theexhibitor services firm (allow a number of weeks). The exhibitor kitincludes order forms for electrical, telephone, water, carpeting, andany other booth needs.

LIABILITY

NOWRA is not responsible for, and does not carry liability insur-ance for, the safety of your exhibit materials or equipment againsttheft, robbery, accidents, damage by fire or any other cause priorto, during, or subsequent to, the conference period. Valuablesshould be removed from all booths when not staffed. Pleasecheck with your insurance carrier regarding Conference coverage.

Important Information

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Guest Room ReservationsNOWRA‘s 12th Annual Conference & Exposition – Nov. 3-6, 2003

Last Name (please print) First Name Company/Organization

Street Address City State/Province Zip/Postal Code Country

Daytime Phone Fax Sharing Room With

Arrival Date________ Arrival Time________ Departure Date________ ■ Smoking ■ Non-smoking

All rooms are $99.00 + tax. Check preferred type ■ Single ■ Double ■ Triple ■ Quadruple

■ American Express ■ Visa ■ MasterCard ■ Discover Card Credit Card Number____________________________________ Exp. Date____________

Name on Card_________________________________________________ Signature (required)_______________________________________________________

Please Note: All rates are subject to local taxes. Check-in time is 3:00 p.m. Check-out time is 11:00 a.m.Reservations by attendees must be received on or before Sunday, October 12, 2003. At the cut-off date, the Hotel will review the reservation pick up for theEvent, release the unreserved rooms for general sale, and determine whether or not it can accept reservations based on a space- and rate-available basis atthe group rate after this date.

Mail or Fax Form to: Franklin Marriott Cool Springs700 Cool Springs Boulevard Franklin, Tennessee 37067(20 minutes south of the Nashville, TN airport)

Fax: 615-261-6148or call Marriott Reservations at 615-261-6100For reservations online, please visit www.marriott.com

Exposition Hall Layout

Exhibit Space Reservation FormNOWRA‘s 12th Annual Conference & Exposition

Decentralized Systems—The Changing World of Wastewater TreatmentCOMPANY INFORMATION

Company / Organization (please print)

Address

City State Country Zip/Postal Code

Phone Number Fax Number Website:

Company name exactly as it should be listed

CONTACT PERSON INFORMATION

Person to contact for space assignment: Title:

Phone: Fax: Email:

Person to receive materials: Title:

Address

City State Country Zip

Street Address (If PO box is used above)

BOOTH PERSONNEL AT CONFERENCE

Attendee #1 Last Name First Name Name on badge (if different from First Name)

Attendee #2 Last Name First Name Name on badge (if different from First Name)

Street Address

City State/Province Zip/Postal Code Country

Daytime Phone Fax E-mail

SPACE RESERVATION REQUESTWhile every effort will be made to accom-modate your placement request, preferencein booth assignments is given first toNOWRA‘s Corporate Sponsors, CompanyDonors and Sustaining Members.

Size of space Requested ■ Single (10' x 8')■ Double (20' x 8')

Booth choice(s) for our company are:

1st: ________ 2nd: ________ 3rd: ________

SIGNATURE REQUIREDI/we authorize NOWRA to reserve exhibitspace for my/our use. I/we certify that theproducts to be displayed are used in theonsite industry. I/we acknowledge the pay-ment and cancellations requirements con-tained in “Important Information.”

Exhibiting Company Authorized Signature

Title ________________________Date______

PAYMENT & MEMBERSHIP INFORMATIONBooth rental fees: NOWRA Member rate $850 (check)

$875 (credit card)Double: $1500 (check or credit card)

Name:________________________________

Member Number: ______________________

___New member (Membership enclosed–$140)Non-member rate $1000

Double: $2000 (check or credit card)Late fee $200

CONFERENCE SPONSOR DONATION■ Platinum–$2500 ■ Gold–$1500 ■ Silver–$750 ■ Bronze–$500

CONFERENCE PROGRAM ADVERTISING■ Full Page–$1000 ■ Prof. Business

Card–$250■ 1/2 Page–$750 ■ 1/2 Inside Back

Cover–$850■ 1/4 Page–$450 ■ Back

Cover–$1500■ Full Inside Front or Back Cover–$1200

Mail Completed & Signed Registration Formwith Payment in Full toNOWRA Exposition RegistrationP. O. Box 1270, Edgewater, MD 21037-7270or FAX Credit Card Paid Forms to: 410-798-5741

Registrations cannot be accepted withoutfull payment in U.S. Dollars. Please makechecks payable to NOWRA 2003 Conference Exposition.

Enclosed is our check #_________for $_________

■ Visa ■ MasterCard ■ Discover Card

Amount $_____________________________

Credit Card Number

Expiration Date

Name on Card

Signature (required)

Pmt. Recd ________ Entered___________Confirmed __________________________

Onsite Journal 2003 AdvertisingAs you are aware, we have made substantive changes in NOWRA’s main publication—the Onsite Journal—during the past two

years. These changes are now resulting in numerous benefits to you, our advertisers, and to our membership. The feedback we havereceived is that one of the advantages from the increased circulation is that your information is reaching potential customers such asregulators, developers and public officials. With the increased circulation, we are receiving more calls and e-mail requests forNOWRA’s members who are equipment manufacturers, suppliers, installers and designers.

A NEW 2002 BENEFIT! Each issue of the Onsite Journal is placed on NOWRA’s website—complete with advertising! And, weare planning to provide another opportunity for additional contacts. With the new website enhancements, we will be able to link yourproducts directly from the site to your contact. In 2002 we expanded our technical content to focus on a theme for each issue; in 2003we are adding “juried” articles. We are also considering 4-color sections to respond to advertising requests. All of these changes havehad a positive effect with regulators, manufacturers and others requesting additional copies of the newsletter.

Issue Theme AD DeadlineJanuary/February Regulations, Education and Certification January 3, 2003March/April Maintenance and Operations

Preliminary Conference Announcement February 22, 2003May/June Treatment Technology/Conference Registration April 19, 2003July/August Conference Registration/ Model Code Annual Update June 21, 2003September/October Research/Solids Management August 23, 2003November/December Annual Report/Membership/Financial Management October 18, 2003

RatesPage Size Single Issue ✓ Annual (6 issues)* ✓ Identify if Color is desired**Full page $1,050 $6,0001/2 Page $775 $4,3251/4 Page $525 $2,950Business Card (2.33”x1.5”) $150 $ 8371/2 Outside Back Cover $1,050 $5,859 Taken1/2 Inside Back Cover $875 $4,883Full Inside Back Cover $1,550 $8,649Centerfold Spread $2,400 $13,020

*Payment terms to be addressed with headquarters office. **Rates will be determined if there is ample interest

All NOWRA publications are produced on a Macintosh G4 system using QuarkXpress. Our preference is to receive ads via e-mailas eps or pdf files. We can also accept hard copy but caution that the quality of a scanned ad may not be as crisp as the original.Questions on the formatting specifics of an ad should be addressed to Susan Rutter, NOWRA publications designer, at 757-599-9035or e-mail sbrutter@cox.net.

Company: ______________________________ Contact Person ___________________________________________

Phone: ___________________ Fax: ___________________ email: _______________________________________

Address: _______________________________ City: _________________________ State: ____ Zip ____________

Bill Company ■ Check Enclosed ■ Credit Cardo Card No. ______________________________________________

Visa ■ Master Card ■ Discover ■ Name on Card: ________________________________ Exp. Date: ____/_____

Authorizing Signature: _____________________________________________________________________________ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Announcement…Announcement…Announcement…Announcement…The Communications & Promotions Committee of NOWRA is looking for articles for the Onsite Journal. Below you will findthe proposed issue themes for the 2003 calendar year. We are also developing a “Contractor’s Corner” feature for the publica-tion, which will be themed articles authored by an installer/contractor. Other features include the “Ask The Expert” questionand answer column and State & Province Happenings.

✓ Articles submitted for publication should be 1 to 3 pages in length in MS Word format✓ Graphics and visuals that support the article content are encouraged (and digital files of these

should also be sent, not just embedded in the MS Word document)✓ Electronic files are preferred and should be e-mailed to Mike Stephens at scscons@yahoo.com

If you are interested in submitting an article for this publication, please contact the Committee Chairperson, Mike Stephens at(517) 339-8692.

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Small-Scale Wetland Project Seeks DataA project team working on behalf of the Water EnvironmentResearch Foundation (WERF) recently launched a website(www.wetlandsurvey.org) to collect data necessary to assess thedistribution, performance, field conditions, and regional differ-ences of small-scale wetland systems via a survey.

The project, Feasibility, Design Criteria, and O&M Requirements forSmall-Scale Constructed Wetland Wastewater Treatment Systems(01-CTS-5) was initiated in July 2002 to establish up-to-date infor-mation on small-scale constructed wetland treatment systems,including those serving single-family homes.

Most existing databases and design documents on constructedwetland performance focus exclusively on larger systems (greaterthan 50,000 gallons per day). As more and more communities areturning toward onsite decentralized facilities for their wastewaterneeds, there is a greater necessity for accurate design and opera-tion information on these systems.

Information developed from this project will be available in an easy-to-use format that is accessible to designers and regulators who haveto solve the wastewater problems of small communities. This pro-ject will result in a better understanding of treatment wetlands, aswell as improved performance of these systems.

Please visit the project website to complete the one-page survey.Scott Wallace, P.E., of North American Wetland Engineering, P.A.is serving as the principal investigator for the project. He can bereached at swallace@nawe-pa.comfor more information.

…Proposal…It is proposed that the Onsite Journal include a new sectiondealing with technical articles, called Technical Notes or Briefs.Papers published in this section will be selected through a peerreview process. Qualifications for papers and guidelines forauthors will be similar to ASAE Transactions guidelines, modified for NOWRA’s purposes. A peer review board will be selected, as will a technical editor.

Papers submitted will be accepted, accepted with minorchanges, accepted with major revisions, or rejected. The focuswill be onsite and onsite-related articles. Any paper submittedmust have a solid scientific and technical basis. Reviewers willlook for sound experimental design, replication, good samplingtechniques, good writing technique, following format andguidelines, applicable subject matter, proper citations. Papersmay be methods topics, such as “how to correctly install anduse pan lysimeters” or “environmental factors affecting sam-pling design.” Review articles may be published annually.

Each article will be limited in length to 2-3 pages. Authors willbe expected to make their thesis focused, clear and address alltechnical matters within a brief format. The goal is to ensurethat articles are usable and readable. A true peer review processwill make the articles citable and industry acceptable.

February 26-28, 2003NOWRA – Model Performance Code Committee MeetingAustin Marriott Hotel-North2600 LaFrontera Blvd., Round Rock, TXContact: NOWRA Office – 1-800-966-2942

February 28 - March 1, 2003Oregon Onsite Wastewater Association Annual MeetingChemeketa Community CollegeSalem, OhioCall 541-673-6731

March 7, 2003Minnesota Professional Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association Charter Meeting – 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.St. Cloud Radisson Suite Hotel404 W. Germain St., St. Cloud, MN 56301Contact: Peter Miller – 763-370-5961

March 24-29, 2003Small Flows Regulators MeetingLas Vagas, NVContact: Peter Casey – 800-624-8301

March 24-26, 2003Ontario On-site Wastewater Conference & ExhibitionDelta Meadowwale Hotel and ResortMississaugaContact: Remo Petrongolo – 519-824-4120

March 27-29, 2003North Carolina Septic Tank AssociationAnnual Convention & ExpoHoliday Inn-Airport in Greensboro, NCContact: Doug Lassiter – 336-345-8357

March 27-28, 2003Colorado School of Mine ConferenceTopic: NOWRA Model Performance CodeContact: Bob Siegrist

March 3 - April 18, 2003Florida On-site Wastewater Association Training Courses

March 3 - April 24, 2003Northwest Onsite Wastewater Training classesContact WOSSA office at 253-297-2837

March 3 - April 23, 2003Minnesota Onsite Continuing Education CoursesContact: Sara Heger Christopherson – 612-625-7243

June 8-11, 2003National Environmental Health Association ConferenceReno/Lake Tahoe, NV

2003 Calendar

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NOWRA Publications

Hot Off the Press!

NOWRA has just published an updatedHomeowners’ Folder and four new brochures

with important and helpful information:■ Who we are...and our role in water quality protection

■ The Evolution of a NOWRA Model Performance Code for Onsite and Decentralized Wastewater Systems

■ Important Facts about the NOWRA Model Performance Code Project for Onsite and Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems

■ NOWRA’s Model Framework for the Unsewered Wastewater Infrastructure

To order any or all of these publications for yourself,your business or your organization, please contactNOWRA Headquarters at 1-800-966-2942.

CALL FOR PAPERS NOWRA’s 12th Annual Conference and Exposition

Franklin, TN • November 3-6, 2003NOWRA welcomes members and non-members to submit proposals for papers to be presented at the Annual Conference in

Franklin, TN. All papers accepted will be included in the Proceedings distributed to conference participants and be available for sale.Conference topics represent a diverse field of subjects, ranging from technical research on effluent treatment to community

aspects involved in implementing a managed onsite district to new technology and maintenance and operation. In general, ourmembership consists of regulators, practitioners, contractors, designers, academics and community activists.

Proposed papers are given consideration only if the materials requested in this form are delivered complete and in a timelyway. E-mail submission of the proposal is preferred, and arrangements can be made for faxed submissions (see below*).

Please provide the following information in a Microsoft Word or WordPerfect document:Presenter’s Name, Organization and Job TitleStreet Address, City, State/Province, Zip/Postal Code, CountryPhone, Fax, EmailList of Co-authors

Regular Abstract – The abstract should provide enough information for the Program Committee to determine how the presenta-tion fits into the Program. Describe the information to be presented, the status of the work, the insights gained. This abstractshould be no more than 200 words. Please do not submit a finished presentation or a PowerPoint presentation. Keep it simple.Short Abstract – Condense the abstract to its essence. This brief statement will be used in Conference promotions and infulfilling CEU credit requirements from various states.Biographical Information - current position and education. (Not a detailed résumé.)Length of Presentation - 25 minutes or 50 minutes.

Please send this Word document as an attachment to Peggy Minnis at: MMMinnis@aol.com Fax: 203-866-4070 – only ifabsolutely unable to send information by e-mail. Abstracts cannot be accepted after March 30, 2003.

*This can also be downloaded as a pdf file from NOWRA’s website.

Onsite JournalOnsite JournalNational Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association

P.O. Box 1270 • Edgewater, MD 21037

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