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Onsite Wastewater Practitioner Training (OWTS)

Build expertise and open the door to new opportunities in the onsite wastewater industry. Walk away with the technical knowledge, practical skills, and field experience required to work in the industry.

The Western Canada Onsite Wastewater Management Association (WCOWMA) provides an excellent industry training program through its provincial chapters for Onsite Wastewater Practitioners:

This training is recognized in the Western Provinces through the New West Partnership Agreement (formerly TILMA). It is also recognized federally through the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA). 

WCOWMA’s provincial chapters also offer individual field training days and workshop opportunities for individuals seeking to continue their education. Students may use these training opportunities toward needed experience quotas, and/or professional development credits, if required. 

Information on field training/workshop opportunities can be found below or on each provincial chapter’s training webpage.

WCOWMA: Provincial Chapters
Training Registration:

The OWTS Program Offers Ongoing Registration — START ANYTIME

Visit our provincial chapters for more information and to register.

view program guide

For questions, contact our office:

1 780 489 7471
1 877 489 7471

training@wcowma.com

Field Training / Workshops

SOP Update

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Site & Soils Evaluation Field Days

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Mound Installation Field Day

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Treatment Field Installation Field Day

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Maintenance provider Parts I & ii

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Virtual Classroom
Check back regularly for updates.

Maintenance provider practical Multi-day workshop

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Dates & Location:
July 9-10 – Chilliwack area (BC)

Pre-webinar – June 30

Post-webinar – July 15

pressure distribution workshops

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Standard Of Practice Update

Current Status:

At this time, there are no additional Standard of Practice updates required beyond the 2021 update.

Please stay tuned for future updates should new revisions to the Standard of Practice or additional training requirements be introduced.

Site & Soils Evaluation Field Days

Site and Soils Evaluation Field Days provide an opportunity to learn more about performing detailed site visits and designing systems for difficult situations and soils.  This training workshop will provide information on assessing soil structure, texture, and consistence as well as assessing site conditions and constraints, logging information and applying that knowledge to the design of onsite systems.

Available training dates are available on each province’s online store.

Alberta
BC
Manitoba
Saskatchewan

Mound Installation Field Day

Mound Installation Field Days provide instruction for those interested in learning more about designing and installing mounds. Registrants participating in this training session will focus on the following outcomes:

Dates to be Announced

  • Understand the basic principles of how mounds work – treatment in sand layer and dispersal horizontally. Apply soil evaluation information. Understand ground water mounding.
  • Learn mound design configurations and materials
  • Basic knowledge of utilizing topography of installation site.
  • Know factors in locating the mound – slope vs. level, clearance separations, vertical separations, fill materials for raised bed.
  • Ability to design pressure distribution laterals for mound, orientation of orifices, spacing, preferred vs. cost.
  • Knowledge of and ability to apply regulatory requirements
  • Ability to interpret mound design worksheet
  • Ability to complete mound design worksheet
  • Ability to describe construction practices.
  • Ability to perform clarity test on sand.
  • Identify typical mound failure.
  • Ability to apply soil characteristics at site to mound design, identify key material requirements and calculate mound size.

Treatment Field Installation Field Day

Participants in this field day will review the design for a pressure distributed field and then apply that design in a field situation. Participants will excavate the field, set the pump, build and test the pressure distribution system, install the chamber system or piping and rock and complete the system to complete cover and commissioning.

Dates to be Announced

Maintenance Provider - Parts I & II

WCOWMA is partnering with WCOWMA-BC to offer a four-day, 30-hour virtual training program designed for individuals who are interested in specializing in, or expanding their knowledge of, onsite wastewater system operations and maintenance.

This highly recognized training program is divided into two parts.

It is geared towards those with prior knowledge of onsite wastewater treatment systems and who wish to expand upon existing knowledge to provide more comprehensive maintenance services.

Part 1 – Introduction to Operation and Maintenance

Participants will learn about:

  • Business aspects of operation and maintenance including: site safety, contracts, and tools of the trade
  • Maintenance assessments and troubleshooting issues of conventional systems, including trenches, beds, mounds, and at-grades
  • Introduction to aerobic tank system

Part 2 – Advanced Operation and Maintenance

Participants will build upon Part 1 concepts and expand their scope to include maintenance and troubleshooting for:

  • Aerobic Treatment Systems
  • Drip irrigation
  • Single-pass and re-circulating media filters
  • Various dosing schematics working with control panels
  • Business Practice Review for Maintenance Providers

Each part concludes with an exam to evaluate understanding and certify successful completion. Registration includes all 4 days.

Certification

Earn your Maintenance Provider Certificate after completing all 4 days

Recognition and Listing

  • Gain visibility on the WCOWMA Locate-a-Pro webpage, connecting you
    directly with homeowners looking for certified Maintenance Practitioners
  • Position yourself as the go-to expert in onsite wastewater system
    operations and maintenance in your area
  • Apply for your Maintenance Provider ROWP Stamp with ASTTBC if you plan to work in BC
Registration Is Now closed

Dates to be Announced

Maintenance Provider Practical Workshop

This workshop provides a structured, three-part learning experience focused on the operations and maintenance of onsite wastewater systems. By combining regulatory theory, hands-on field application, and professional reporting, this program ensures participants gain a comprehensive understanding of the standards required for industry practice.

Theory and Regulation:

Pre-Field Virtual Session

Before heading into the field, participants will attend a webinar to review the maintenance requirements detailed in the Standard Practice Manual (SPM) and the ASTTBC practice guidelines for Maintenance Providers.

Practical Application:

Two-Day Field Training

Participants will engage in two days of hands-on training led by a recognized industry expert. This session focuses on the direct care, maintenance and operation of onsite wastewater systems and the development of accurate maintenance recommendations.

Professional Reporting:

Post-Field Virtual Session

Following the field days, a concluding webinar will guide participants through the process of compiling and reviewing professional maintenance reports to ensure compliance and accuracy.

This integrated approach ensures that every participant is prepared to navigate the technical and administrative demands of a Maintenance Provider.

Onsite Wastewater Systems Assessed:

Systems assessed during the workshop may include any combination of the following system types: 

  • Type 1
  • Type 2 
  • Type 3

Course Outcomes

  • Review of the maintenance requirements under the Sewerage System Regulation and the Standard Practice Manual – webinar
  • Overview of the reporting documentation for maintenance assessments – webinar
  • Maintenance processes and procedures – practical field training
Click To Register

Pressure Distribution Workshops

Pressure Distribution workshops provide instruction on how to plan a pressure distribution system.  Students will learn how different sizes and types of pipes and pumps affect the pressure distribution system, how to calculate friction loss and pressure head and how to plan a system that takes into account the loading constraints of the site it will be installed on.

Dates to be Announced

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