DecentralizedWastewater.org Newsletter for February 2026 |
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Submit an Abstract to Present at the 2026 Onsite Wastewater Mega-Conference!
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The 2026 Onsite Wastewater Mega-Conference is months away, but now is the time to start preparing. The National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association has recently opened the Call for Abstracts. Organizers are seeking proposals for papers, oral presentations, and posters. The conference is a great opportunity to share research and expertise for decentralized wastewater professionals.
The deadline to submit an abstract is Tuesday, March 31. Selections will be made by June.
Finally, make sure you have the conference dates on your calendar: October 25-28, 2026, in Westminster, Ohio!
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| More Information » |
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Register for the Private Well Conference 2026 |
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Registration for our sister program The Private Well Class' 2026 Private Well Conference is officially open!
Our teams invite you to join us from May 19-21 in Missoula, Montana. The conference's continued mission is to serve those who work with wells by providing information and insights to be taken home and used to benefit well owners. Health department staff, lab personnel, extension educators, well drillers, environmental health professionals, and academic researchers are among the well practitioners we expect to most benefit from the conference.
Registration (which is free!) and hotel information is available at the "More Information" link below.
In addition, we are still accepting abstract submissions until 5pm CST on Wednesday, February 25, 2026. You can also find information about the type of abstracts we are seeking on the conference webpage. (Including those concerning septic systems!)
Please consider registering, and be sure to spread the word to colleagues or well professionals you work with as well!
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New NSF-Funded Decentralized Wastewater Research in Hawaiʻi Is Targeting Cesspools |
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The Mānoa Valley area of Honolulu on Oahu, near the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. |
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The National Science Foundation's Convergence Accelerator program recently awarded a three-year, $5 million dollar grant to a team featuring researchers from the University of South Florida and the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. The funded project will target and accelerate the elimination of the roughly 83,000 cesspools that remain in Hawaiʻi. The system being developed by the grant is called the "Hona Hub," and it is both solar-powered and equipped with remote monitoring & automation systems that will suit low-density areas across the Hawaiʻian islands. Hawaiʻi's cesspools discharge 52 million gallons of untreated wastewater directly into the ground each day, and cesspool replacement for one house can cost between $30,000 to $50,000; making their existence one of the most significant wastewater infrastructure challenges in the United States.
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| Read More from Wastewater Digest » |
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| Read More from University of Hawai'i News » |
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TT067 – The Value of Well Data in Serving Well Owners |
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![The promotional graphic for Tap Talk episode #66, featuring photos of guests Jackie MacDonald Gibson and Jenny Hoponick Redmon; and a quote: "Every single American should be able to turn on their tap and [have] water that is safe, affordable, and reliable. Bottled water is not a guarantee of that.".](https://content.app-us1.com/cdn-cgi/image/onerror=redirect,width=650,dpr=2,fit=scale-down,format=auto/lmplq/2025/11/17/5771710d-6e10-4aaf-aff3-4ff3f1ef63b8.png "The promotional graphic for Tap Talk episode #66, featuring photos of guests Jackie MacDonald Gibson and Jenny Hoponick Redmon; and a quote: \"Every single American should be able to turn on their tap and [have] water that is safe, affordable, and reliable. Bottled water is not a guarantee of that.\".") |
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In TT067, we were pleased to welcome guest Erin Ling, a senior extension specialist at Virginia Tech University who coordinates the Virginia Household Water Quality Program (VAHWQP). The unique program provides a wealth of services to well owners in Virginia, including affordable testing, educational programming & workshops, water quality data collection & publication, and youth outreach for high school students. In particular, Erin emphasizes the value of the program’s data on Virginia’s private wells, and discusses with Steve and Jennifer how other states might learn from Virginia’s model. |
| 🎧 Listen Here » |
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Featured Webinars & Training |
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Choosing Tanks, Risers, and Lids
February 18 | 9:00 am PT | Orenco Systems
In this webinar, Orenco will discuss why quality tanks, risers, and lids are necessary; and also explain how to use them to help wastewater treatment systems function at peak performance levels.
Register here »
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Liquid Only Pressure Sewer – A STEP in the Right Direction
February 18 | 1:00 pm ET | Infiltrator Water Technologies
This webinar will explore Liquid Only Sewer (LOS), which originated in Florida in the 1970s as a rudimentary system composed of septic tanks and centrifugal effluent pumps on cinder blocks. Today's systems are much more advanced, but still convey only liquids from wastewater sources.
Register here » |
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Solutions for Addressing Onsite Difficult Sites for Septic System Professionals
March 17-19 | Griffin, GA | SERCAP & NOWRA
SERCAP & NOWRA will host an in-person training course with a train-the-trainer session for septic professionals to expand their skills in managing complex wastewater system designs and site constraints with confidence.
Register here » |
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Need Treatment? No Power, No Problem! Combined Treatment and Dispersal Solutions
March 18 | 1:00 pm ET | Infiltrator Water Technologies
This webinar will explore Combined Treatment and Dispersal (CTD) systems, which are passive technologies that deliver standard effluent without control panels, air pumps, or complex maintenance. Topics will include passive oxygen transfer, system sand specifications, effluent quality, and more.
Register here »
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Decentralized Wastewater System Operations and Maintenance
March 24-26 | Springfield, MO | MAP & NOWRA
MAP & NOWRA will host this in-person training for septic system professionals to promote workforce development related to system management, such as the operation, maintenance, monitoring, and troubleshooting of decentralized wastewater systems.
Register here »
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Highlights from Pumper Magazine |
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Considerations for Campground Septic Systems
Onsite wastewater systems at campgrounds and similar recreational areas are a separate challenge to handle than regular residential systems. In a new article for Pumper, Sara Heger explores the differences of these often seasonal systems and why it's important to understand how a campground is used and operated before designing, installing, and maintaining these sytems.
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| Read Here » |
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New from Onsite Installer: Dirty Drops Weekly |
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Onsite Installer has launched a new newsletter, Dirty Drops Weekly, with the goal of helping young adults in the age range 16-32 discover meaningful careers in the water and wastewater industries.
Specifically, the content of Dirty Drops Weekly is created for students, emerging professionals, veterans, and other individuals seeking stable, purposeful employment. The newsletter will explain career pathways, spotlight young professionals, list training and certification dates, provide job alerts, and share industry news.
Signup for this newsletter and be sure to tell other young professionals about it too.
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| More Here » |
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| Identifying Priority Research Questions for Decentralized Wastewater
This 15-page paper, published in Environmental Science & Technology, was developed by a large list of contributors across the decentralized field. The authors initiated an effort to understand challenges and to identify research opportunities related to the science & practice of decentralized wastewater. Research needs were submitted by over 450 professionals in various corners of the industry, which were refined into six broad research categories. The authors also offer recommendations to answer the primary questions presented.
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| Read Here » |
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