This resource is a collection of files that will equip a community leader or outside trainer to present a live, classroom-style training on septic system basics for homeowners, community leaders, planners and realtors. It is not necessarily designed for any member of these groups to read as an individual, although that can be done.
GUIDANCE FOR TRAINERS
Learning objectives
After this training, participants should understand:
- Why wastewater treatment and septic systems are important
- How a septic system works and what each component does
- How to take care of a septic system and keep it at proper operating levels
- Proper location of a septic system on property and the importance of soil
- Variations on septic systems that can be used in challenging locations
Delivery of training
This training module provides all of the necessary files to carry out training on the basics of septic systems.
The main file [1] in this module is a PowerPoint file (PowerPoint 97-2003). This PowerPoint file:
- is 36.5 MB
- is provided in editable form so the trainer can edit and adapt it to fit particular situations
- provides notes with the slides. These notes are not necessarily a script for the trainer to read word-for-word but can provide some prompts to the trainer in order to elaborate on the information in the slides projected to the trainees. The trainer should review the entire file (both the notes and the content of the slides to be projected) before delivering the presentation and print out the notes pages as a guide for delivering the presentation (since speaker notes are not shown when projecting the slide during the training).
There are various points during the delivery of the PowerPoint presentation to stop and hold discussions or carry out exercises, either in small groups or by soliciting input from participants as a whole class. These points and instructions for the discussions are indicated in the PowerPoint slides, and detailed instructions for carrying out the exercises follows below.
Carrying out the exercises
Exercise 1: What are homeowners’ concerns?
5 to 10 minutes
In this exercise, the trainer will read each scenario/question and capture responses from participants on a flipchart as they are called out. The trainer will then project a PowerPoint slide(s) with a summary of concerns that the trainer previously identified. The trainer, with help from participants, matches the comments on the flipchart with the general categories on the slide(s), making note of any that the presentation may not have addressed for later inclusion.
Purpose: Identify questions and concerns that homeowners have. Set the stage for discussion of these concerns.
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Exercise 2 (group activity): Septic System Impacts
15 minutes
This exercise gets participants thinking about the concerns of different groups relative to the impacts from septic systems.
Break participants into groups (3 to 5 people each), and assign each group a stakeholder position, i.e., one group is property owners, another is realtors…local leaders, contractors, regulators (health department, DEC), aquatic life, community as a whole, service provider, engineers/design professionals, etc.
Give the groups a few minutes to discuss and identify the concerns of the stakeholder group assigned to them. Collect and list responses on a flipchart. Give groups no more than 15 minutes to compile and share impacts/concerns.
Also, if there is enough time, the trainer can invite participants to share one or two septic-system “horror stories.”
Some examples of concerns:
- Property owners: cost, inconvenience, health, property plans
- Local leaders: angry residents/community disruption; money; property values; recreational value
- Contractors: loss of money and reputation, liability, stress
- Regulators: health concerns, neighbor complaints, enforce upgrades, ability to fine, could contaminate entire community’s water supply
- Aquatic life: low oxygen, nutrients (N&P) pollution
- Community: odor (aesthetics), recreational value, impacts on businesses, financial implications of a municipal solution
- Service providers: more work, regulatory interaction, competition, alternate technologies, education
- Engineers: small commercial, keep up with changes in regulations and innovations in design, time constraints (regulatory fines), upgrades can be a challenge for a number of reasons, need waivers for upgrades
Pre- and post-tests
There is an accompanying file (download it at a link below) for the pre- and post-test. The file has the answers included. The trainer should photocopy the appropriate parts of each file before the training; do not distribute the answers or the answer page to participants.
Handouts (in addition to pre- and post-tests)
- Contact information of the trainer
- Printout of the PowerPoint presentation (namely the slides only, printed 9 slides per page, for example)
Original content and modules created by RCAP Solutions [2], the Northeast RCAP (www.rcapsolutions.org; [3] 800/488-1969) on behalf of the Rural Community Assistance Partnership, Inc. © RCAP, Inc. 2013
