Field Training/Workshops
Site and Soils Evaluation Field Days
Site and Soils Evaluation Field Days will be held for those interested in learning more about performing detailed site visits and designing systems for difficult situations and soils. This training workshop will provide information on assessing soil structure and texture, assessing site conditions and constraints, logging information and applying that knowledge to the design of onsite systems.
May 28, 2013
High River, AB
June 4, 2013
St. Paul, AB
June 27, 2013
Edmonton, AB
Mound Installation Demo
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:
- 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; sand layer, fill, gravel, chambers.
- 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 requirements of Standard of Practice:
- 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.
June 20, 2013
St. Paul, AB
Refresh and Review Pressure Distribution and Timed Dosing & System Design
This two day workshop will focus on the design and installation of a pressure distributed systems including pumps and controls. Students in the classroom will utilize the results from various site and soils evaluations to design pressure distribution systems. A full description is available for download.
Dates to be Announced
Certified Pumps Installer Workshop
The Little Giant Certified Contractor training class is a comprehensive review of sump, sewage, effluent, grinder and jet pumps, including applications, sizing, operation and trouble shooting. The class instructor has over 35 years experience with Little Giant Pump Company. Upon completion of the class , attendees will receive a certificate of completion, The class is about 5 hours in length.
Dates to Be Announced
Problem Soils in Your Backyard
From the literature and conversations with professionals the understanding of soil is the critical component in onsite wastewater management. The trend appears to be that many believe knowing less rather than more about soils is sufficient for their work. This workshop presents the opposite view. An Engineer or designer planning onsite systems should want to know as much as possible about soils and the relationships between the classification of soils, soil forming factors, soil development processes, the description of soils in the field and their interconnected relationships and their implications in wastewater management. Knowing what you don’t know is the corner stone to avoiding costly problems and/or legal setbacks.
How soils develop, factors of soil formation and processes are introduced to set the stage for soil classification. A brief overview of the World Reference Base, US Soil Taxonomy and the Canadian System of Soil Classification will be presented. The ten Canadian soil orders will be covered with specific attention to limiting horizons and their relationship to waste water management. Classifications systems developed as soils were described in the field. “When mapping soils, we can record individual properties at each observation point. We soon discover, however, that sets of properties co-vary, and that we can recognize classes of soils.” (http://www.itc.nl/~rossiter/research/rsrch_ss_class.html). From soil descriptions elements such as horizon designations, depths, textures, structure, colours, consistence, to name a few, is collected. Some of these variables are critical in planning onsite systems. These variables will be described in detail and where possible related back to orders, formation and processes. Participant exercises will be included to enhance the presented concepts and assist in determining loading rates using the effluent loading rate tables.
Water movement in soils is a critical factor in system design. Some jurisdictions use percolation tests and texture alone in an attempt to determine a hydraulic loading rate. Others use percolation tests, texture, structure and consistence. Other jurisdictions do not use percolation or permeameter testing at all since from literature reviews it is the least accurate variable in the equation regarding loading rates. The research gathered regarding the pro and cons of percolation and permeameter testing will be presented. It is then anticipated that an open discussion will take place in the afternoon portion of the workshop.
At the end of the workshop it is anticipated that one will see that a more in depth understanding of soil, rather than less, will prompt one to learn more, specifically to understand the big picture in their own area regarding the soils they work with daily.
The more one knows the easier the task of describing soils becomes and the more confidence one would have in their work. Knowledge is power: limit your liability.
Numerous training web resources will be provided that cover many of presented topics and ideas. The PowerPoint presentation notes will also be provided in colour for participant’s future reference. Reference to Watson, 2007, Soils Illustrated – Field Descriptions manual will be incorporated within the workshop presentation.
Dates to be Announced
Advanced Soils Training Session
The objective of this course is twofold. Firstly, introduce the learner to information currently not taught or known, which will be required to be known in the future and secondly, cover the current soil requirements needed to meet the criteria outlined in SPM 2. This site was specifically chosen for its ability to demonstrate parent materials, soils structures and difficult soils features such as redoximorphic soils.
Day 1
Lecture 1: Introduction to WCOWMA course materials.
Lecture 2: Introduction to Soil Orders, Horizons and Limiting layers.
Exercise 1: Identification of soil orders from photographs.
Lecture 3: Describing Soils in the Field, what is the minimum required to meet SPM 2.
Exercise 2: Given soil profile examples determine the limiting layers and the loading rate from Table 2 – 8 from SPM 2.
Lecture 4: Soil Texture, sample preparation for hand texture, jar tests, COLE Tests, wet consistence and plasticity.
Exercise 3: Hand and jar texture, use of textural triangle. Calculate COLE results from sample data from actual soil test pits.
Lecture 5: Soil structure, grade, kind and class.
Exercise 4: Identify structure kind and class and correctly fill in soil log form.
Lecture 6: Consistence
Exercise 5: determine dry, moist, wet consistence and plasticity.
Lecture 7: Roots.Lecture 8: Munsell soil colour and mottles.
Exercise 6: Use Munsell soil colour book to determine soil colour.
Lecture 9: Video 1, how water moves through soil. Video 2, how cemented horizons creates a perched water table.
All exercises to be turned in by all participants at the end of this section for checking by the instructor.
Lecture 10: Parent materials
Field Exercise 1: Examine, identify and describe parent materials in the field. Landform associations will also be discussed.
Field Exercise 2: Instructor will demonstrate how to describe at least 1, possibly 2 profiles, in the field and learners will record the field data on a soil description form.
Day 2
Participants, working in pairs, will describe a minimum of two soil profiles in the field. From the field data the loading rate from Table 2 – 8 of SPM 2 will be determined.All soil logs will be examined for accuracy, completeness and discussed.There will be a great deal of material covered and all participants are expected to participate fully throughout the course. Credit will not be given to anyone who does not participate.
Expect to put in two long days.
Anyone who has a copy of Soils Illustrated; please bring it along as how to use it will also be covered.
Dates to be Announced
Pressure, Pumps, Dosing & Data Logging Workshop
A workshop will be held for those interested in understanding more about the basic advantages of pressure distribution, understanding friction loss, and determining pump performance requirements. Calculating timed dosing systems and setting floats and data loggers will also be covered. Participants will receive a Certificate of Participation for professional development purposes.
Dates to be Announced
Pumps and Controls Workshops
Pumps and Controls workshops provide training in how to size pumps for onsite wastewater design and installation. Students will learn how to read pump curves, calculate friction loss and pressure head.
Dates to be Announced
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
Pressure Distribution Refresher Training
With the installation season right around the corner, it is time to dust off your design and calculation skills for pressure distribution systems! This half day training course is designed for those who have completed the Onsite Wastewater Practitioner training and wish to review the process and calculations for designing pressure distribution.
Dates to be Announced
SOP Update Class
The Standard of Practice update is required for all PSDS ticket holders who completed their training prior to December 31, 2009 who wish to maintain their ticket.
Dates to be Announced
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. The training takes place on a live site for a residence that is having a replacement field installed. Participants will excavate the field, set the pump, build and test the pressure distribution system, install the chamber system and complete the system to complete cover and commissioning.
Dates to be Announced
Upon receipt of your completed registration form, you will be sent the information on the location of the training site along with any other information required.
If you are currently a member please login and visit the members registration page for your member rate.