What's New at NOWRA?
- "This Isn't Your Father's Onsite System." NOWRA’s 2012 Annual Conference Highlights New Opportunities for the Industry -- And a Bigger Role For Decentralized Technologies In the US Water/Wastewater Infrastructure
NOWRA’s recently concluded 2012 Annual Technical Education Conference put a spotlight on the diverse ways our industry’s technologies are being applied to address the challenges facing our nation’s water and wastewater infrastructure. More.
 Charles Webb Takes Home Crown as 2012 NOWRA National Backhoe Roe-D-Hoe® Champ
Following an extremely competitive final round, Charles Webb of Delaware emerged as the 2012 NOWRA National Backhoe Roe-D-Hoe® champion. The event, which was held February 28-March 1 at the 2012 Pumper & Cleaner Expo in Indianapolis, IN, is an annual contest to identify the nation's best backhoe operators.
Webb hails from Delaware and won the Delaware Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association's (DOWRA) Backhoe Roe-D-Hoe® competition held October, 2011. For his efforts Webb took home the $1,000 first prize along with a (somewhat smaller) replica of the belt buckle he is shown wearing in the photo at left. The Roe-D-Hoe® was sponsored this year by Bio-Microbics, Inc., Jet, Inc., and Norweco, Inc. You can watch a short video of the Roe-D-Hoe® finals by visiting NOWRA's YouTube Channel, and learn more details about this year's competition, including pictures of all of the winners by visiting here.
- NOWRA's Annual Business Meeting
NOWRA’s Annual Business Meeting was held from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm on April 4, 2012, during the NOWRA Annual Conference. All members in good standing were invited to attend. The agenda was as follows: (1) Call to Order and availability of corporation membership list (2) Reading of the Annual Meeting Notice (3) Reading of the previous annual meeting minutes (4) President’s report (5) Secretary/Treasurer’s report (6) Executive Director’s report (7) Committee reports (8) Other business (9) Adjournment.
- Curious About USDA Funding? Answers Here
We are pleased to present an article written by Benjamin Shuman, PE, who is a senior engineer with USDA's Rural Utilities Service. Ben's article focuses on an overview of various programs in their Rural Development area, along with insights about what types of funding is available and for what purposes. Read the article
The NOWRA Board recently approved it list of 2012 goals. President Dick Otis outlines those goals in this letter to the membership.
- New Member Benefit! Errors and Omissions Insurance for Designers and Inspectors
NOWRA is pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement with Alteris's SeptiCover insurance program. This is a stand-alone E & O insurance program which is specifically designed for onsite system designers and inspectors. It is also reasonably priced, with coverage starting at just $750. For more details, visit here.
- NOWRA's Business Benefit Program -- Your Ticket for Reaching the Onsite Market
Is your company looking to raise its profile within the Onsite Wastewater market? Partnering with NOWRA through its Business Benefit Program is a terrific place to reach thousands of onsite professionals each month. Our partnerships are priced competitively and offer big marketing and promotion opportunities for nearly any budget! Details
- 2011 - 2014 NOWRA Board of Director Election Results
NOWRA members elected five individuals to fill open seats on the Board of Directors: John Buchanan (academic/research sector), Nancy Deal (compliance monitor/regulator), Russell Martin (engineering/designer), Tony Birrittieri (service provider), and Mike Catanzaro (supplier/vendor). The new board members officially took office December 1 and will serve three-year terms. Congratulations! Bios on the new board members can be found here
- NOWRA Renews MOU Agreement with EPA
NOWRA recently participated in a signing ceremony at EPA headquarters to renew the Memorandum of Understanding agreement between EPA and 16 partner organizations to work together to improve the performance of onsite systems. Pictured above are representatives from EPA and the 16 partner organizations. NOWRA President Dick Otis is shown above, signing the agreement. Otis also served as the spokeperson for the original 6 organizations which signed on to the MOU. In his remarks, Otis thanked EPA for its past support for the industry, but also encouraged the agency to do more, as the resources it is providing the industry has lagged in recent years.
- NOWRA Member Benefit -- Discount Equipment Financing
NOWRA has partnered with Wells Fargo to offer NOWRA members real savings on financing the purchase of new trucks or equipment. NOWRA members will save a minimum of $500 over the life of the loan. Details
- Restaurant Do's and Dont's
NOWRA's Technical Practices Committee has developed a detailed list of recommendations for restaurants which have an onsite wastewater treatment system. Download the document here
- Two distance education presentations you can watch now
NOWRA recently partnered with WasteWater Education 501(c)3 to co-sponsor two fascinating presentations. One examined the Otter Tail Water Management District in Minnesota, and the second looked in depth at Enterprise Cascadia’s Hood Canal Septic Loan program. To watch either presentation, click here
- Would your affiliate like to host an official NOWRA Roe-D-Hoe® event?
Think you have the skills to be a National NOWRA Backhoe Roe-D-Hoe® finalist? National Backhoe Roe-D-Hoe®, which will be held at the 2012 Pumper Show, February 27-March 1 in Indianapolis, IN. If your state affiliate is hosting a Roe-D-Hoe event, make sure to find out if it is officially sanctioned by NOWRA. Winners of sanctioned state competitions allow the winner to automatically advance to the finals of the National Backhoe Roe-D-Hoe® !
Visit NOWRA's official YouTube page to watch the 2011 finals , won by IOWWA champion Casey Mallon. You can also see pictures from the Roe-D-Hoe here.
- Make a Difference. Participate on a NOWRA Committee!
NOWRA welcomes members who are interested in advancing the goals of the industry. NOWRA's committees are charged with implementing the association's goals. In addition to expertise in a particular area, enthusiasm and a willingness to help NOWRA are the most important characteristics we look for in committee members. Visit our NOWRA Committees page for more details and to download a sign-up sheet.
- Thanks to our 2012 BBP Sponsors! NOWRA greatly appreciates the support of those companies which have committed to be a sponsor of NOWRA activities during 2012. Our current 2012 Gold Partners are shown at right. For a full list of our BBP partner sponsors, click here.
Who We Are
The National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association (NOWRA) is the largest organization within the U.S. dedicated solely to educating and representing members within the onsite and decentralized industry. NOWRA headquarters are located in Alexandria, Virginia, with constituent local groups throughout the U.S. and Canada.
What We Do
Providing education and training programs to professionals within this industry, to policy officials, the public, and system owners is the driving force to the work of this organization. Through education, we provide a leadership role in state and federal legislative initiatives to protect water quality and public health. NOWRA’s most prominent initiative at this time is the development of a model performance code for use by states and local regulators.
Why We Are Needed
Onsite systems provide wastewater treatment to homes, businesses and industrial centers. This service sector is one of the fastest growing markets within the U.S., Canada, Australia and Eastern Europe. Onsite systems support the municipal wastewater treatment infrastructure. They provide services in urban and rural areas and effectively solve problems found in unusual situations and difficult locations.
In this era of fiscal limitations, many cities and towns have difficulties addressing the high costs to expand the capacity of their wastewater treatment facilities or extend lines to urban areas to accommodate growth. As a result, onsite systems now provide more than 40% of the wastewater treatment services to residential areas, communities, shopping centers and commercial businesses throughout the U.S.
Onsite systems are an effective solution to protecting water quality. They are valuable component to integrate with watershed management plans and implementing sustainable development concepts. The recycling component in this system supports the water resources management goals in many arid areas of the Country. NOWRA’s framework defines how it will implement programs and plans to achieve these goals.
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