By Kitt Farrell-Poe and Nancy Deal
Decentralized wastewater treatment terminology originated and evolved primarily on the local or regional level in conjunction with regulatory or agricultural extension activities. The industry historically encountered discrepancies in vocabulary as professionals traveled outside their local/regional jurisdictions. When the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) conference was the lone national forum for sharing information, the technical personnel who attended conferences could review and revise materials to match local terminology. However, the greater number of educational programs and the resources available on the World Wide Web facilitate access to information from virtually anywhere. Therefore, the adaptation of terminology on localized resources from one locale to match terminology used in another is increasingly cumbersome.
Significant technological advances emerging from proprietary and academic research and development have resulted in a wider range of treatment options than has ever been accessible to system designers, and these options are available on a national basis. Information resources that were originally developed to address local issues and inform consumers are now shared on a national basis. Industry expansion is accompanied by more statewide, regional, and national educational programs that share research, demonstration, and manufacturer literature among a broader group. With time, increasing interaction among industry sectors and across the country has indicated the need for a more “national” approach to practices and terminology.
There are several initiatives under way to standardize industry practices. The National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association (NOWRA) Model Performance Code encourages use of uniform regulatory parameters. The National Precast Concrete Association (NPCA) recently adopted best management practices for the production of concrete sewage tanks used across the country. Again, standardized practices need standardized terminology.
Inconsistent terminology is a barrier to acceptance of nationally developed training materials, guidance documents, and consumer information—it is essential that all sectors begin to speak the same language. The development of a national glossary will enhance the overall professionalism of the industry by eliminating the use of multiple terms for the same technology, parameter, or required function. Standardized terminology will also allow consumers to make intelligent comparisons of technologies and service options.
Glossary Origin
During the development phase of the Practitioner and University Curriculum Projects in 2001, the Consortium of Institutes for Decentralized Wastewater Treatment (CIDWT) conducted several review and writing workshops. These workshops revealed varying opinions on descriptors for various technologies and component functions, as well as design and operation parameters. Lively debate ensued when terms such as “land application” and “media filter” were discussed. The need for a glossary to facilitate completion of those projects was apparent. Volunteers began an unfunded effort to create a glossary to assist with discussions related to those projects. The initial glossary document consisted of a list of terms with multiple definitions gathered from as many industry and educational sources as were available. A core group of people working on the CIDWT curriculum projects met informally (in person while at other meetings or conferences and through conference calls) to discuss and edit the list of terms.
While the unofficial glossary effort may not have been judged a complete success, it provided an initial level of understanding for discussions related to the earlier projects and served as a catalyst for future glossary work. Since full development and review of the glossary was not possible, the draft document (complete with disputed terms and definitions) was simply posted on the CIDWT Web site, and the public was invited to submit comments.
Funding was recently secured to pursue the project and meet specific goals. Those participating want to create a comprehensive list of clearly and concisely defined terms that represents not only the current view, but also the future vision of the industry. In order to achieve this objective, the final document will maintain many of the terms currently used in the industry, but the reader will be directed to a preferred term (chosen by consensus) for a particular component, action, method, or function. The completed glossary will thus not only provide a historical perspective but will also establish a framework to meet future needs. However, this cannot be accomplished without broad, comprehensive review by stakeholders in all industry sectors.
Terms and Definitions
The intensive task of reworking the existing glossary has been the recent focus for the group. Using the original document as the initial point, the writers began an intensive appraisal of each definition. Considerable time has been spent to make sure that definitions are technically and grammatically correct in preparation of the wider review process. Early discussions included the need to define three fundamental terms that would provide a framework within which treatment train components could be clearly described and defined. The fundamental terms and their definitions are:
- Component: a subsection of a treatment train or system
- Device: a subunit of a component
- Part: a subunit of a device
Thus, devices are comprised of parts, and components consist of devices—a simple concept, but one that facilitated a systematic assessment and description of each portion of the treatment train. The importance of the terms component, device, and part is reflected by the fact that they appear in the current document 143, 102, and 58 times, respectively.
Sets of related terms were considered simultaneously to promote consistency of content and description. An example of this approach would be the consideration of septic and pump tank depths and volumes:
- Effective depth: the maximum depth of effluent that can be contained in a tank under normal operating conditions. See also, operating level.
- Operating level: the elevation that determines the effective depth of a tank. For a septic tank, operating level is measured at the invert of the outlet, and for a pump tank it is measured at the invert of the inlet.
- Operating volume: the amount of effluent contained in a tank when filled to its effective depth. Operating volume for a septic tank is calculated using the depth from the invert of the outlet to the floor of the tank; for a pump tank, it is calculated using the depth from the invert of the inlet.
Grouping similar terms was beneficial for the development stage of the project, but the writers had a sense that it would also facilitate the outside review process and render a more valuable, user-friendly final product. Thus, the draft includes nine terms related to loading rate, 12 terms related to filter, and seven terms related to solids. The terms are listed in the glossary according to the primary phrase or word. Thus, “media filter” would be found under “filter, media.”
During the drafting period, it became apparent that definitions for some terms would be made clearer with the addition of a diagram. While diagrams are not included in the current version, a catalog of available diagrams from previous CIDWT projects is being evaluated for inclusion, and new drawings will likely be created exclusively for the project when the need is identified. Diagrams will be included in the next iteration.
Scope
The Consortium of Institutes for Decentralized Wastewater Treatment is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to research, teaching, training, and outreach education for students and practitioners in the decentralized wastewater field. CIDWT members participating on the Glossary work team are from geographically diverse areas and have familiarity with many different technologies. Their expertise encompasses a wide range of disciplines, including engineering, soil science, and operation and maintenance, as well as regulatory permitting and enforcement.
Review Process
The review process is critical to the success of the project. The list of potential reviewers includes installers, maintenance providers, regulatory officials, and industry/manufacturing representatives. To obtain input from professional organizations, an individual contact has been identified to represent each of nine national groups (limited to nine due to the Federal Paper Reduction Act), including: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE); National Association of Wastewater Transporters (NAWT); National Environmental Health Association (NEHA); National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association (NOWRA); National Precast Concrete Association (NPCA); State Onsite Regulators Association (SORA); Soil Science Society of America (SSA); The Water Environment Federation (WEF); and Washington Onsite Sewage Association (WOSA)
Each professional organization contact has agreed to coordinate the organization’s review of the glossary by compiling constituent comments into one document for submittal to CIDWT. Individuals are also invited to review and comment on the glossary. To promote open discussion of terms and definitions, two review workshops are scheduled in conjunction with the NOWRA conferences in Denver (August 2006) and Baltimore (March 2007). The glossary is now posted on the CIDWT Web site (http://www.onsiteconsortium.org) along with complete directions for submitting comments and suggestions.
Upon completion of the glossary, CIDWT plans to submit the document to an organization with a national and international history of standards development. ASABE could potentially provide a mechanism for the endorsement process.
Summary
Clear and concise terminology is critical to the continued success of the decentralized wastewater treatment industry. The increasingly broad distribution of information and products dictates the use of consistent language. The glossary project provides a mechanism to develop accepted terminology that describes practices, technologies, components, devices, and parts used in the decentralized wastewater treatment field and is essential for the development of nationally and internationally accepted education and training resources.
KITT FARRELL-POE is chairwoman of the CIDWT Executive Board. NANCY DEAL is project manager for the CIDWT’s Glossary/Train-The-Trainer Project.
OW - July/August 2006 |
