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Explore the Technical Training Available On Demand Through NOWRA E-Learning

ByLaura Schultz

Ensuring availability of and access to quality technical training for industry professionals is a fundamental necessity of the decentralized/onsite wastewater field. Many states offer high quality in-person training through a variety of local organizations and there are also many live online events available out there that still require attendees to be available on a certain date and for a certain amount of time. These are the types of events catalogued in our Event Calendar. However, even in states where in-person training is available somewhere, the logistical commitment needed to attend either type of live event can be difficult for some professionals to fit into their schedule. 

Overcoming this hurdle is one of the advantages to asynchronous (on demand) online training courses. These courses can often be the best type of class for someone struggling with the scheduling requirements of a live event or who just wish to have more flexibility with their continuing education. 

Luckily, the National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association (NOWRA), the country’s primary national non-profit for the onsite wastewater industry, maintains an extensive online library of technical courses through their e-learning platform. This “Installer Academy” helps to provide quality training accessible to industry professionals all over the US. 

These courses can be purchased and utilized by both members and non-members of NOWRA, though they are available at a discount to members. Currently, seventeen states have pre-approved some or all of NOWRA’s courses for continuing education (CEU) credits; you can find the breakdown of these states in NOWRA’s State Continuing Education Approvals table. All NOWRA courses are approved for CEU credit for members of the National Association of Wastewater Technicians and the National Environmental Health Association.

Even if your state has not approved NOWRA courses for CEU credit (or, perhaps, does not require CEUs for professionals in the first place), the course content is still valuable simply for educational purposes. If you or someone you know is just getting started in the industry, or you need to brush up on a certain technical topic, NOWRA’s courses are an accessible and adaptable method of learning to choose. 

Additionally, five NOWRA state affiliate organizations have developed online training classes that are available on the platform and are approved for continuing education credit in their state. These states include:

  • Missouri: One course available from the Missouri Smallflows Organization
  • Ohio: 14 courses available from the Ohio Onsite Wastewater Association
  • Texas: 18 courses available from the Texas Onsite Wastewater Association
  • Virginia: One course available from the Virginia Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association
  • Washington: Three courses from the Washington On-Site Sewage Association 

Several more state affiliates are in the process of developing courses to list on NOWRA, which will continue to expand access to convenient online educational opportunities across the country. 

Highlights of NOWRA’s on demand e-learning offerings include “NOWRA A-Z,” an overview of onsite wastewater treatment; “NOWRA Installer Training,” an overview of installation for both new and experienced installers; “NOWRA Troubleshooting,” an overview of the typical treatment process; and “NOWRA Design,” a framework for designing decentralized systems. In addition, session modules from the virtual 2020, 2021, and 2022 Onsite Wastewater Mega-Conferences are available as individual “Technical Sessions.” Find the complete list of these mini-courses at this page, under the “Tech Sessions” heading.

Of course, NOWRA is not the only provider of on demand training provider available on the internet. The DecentralizedWastewater.org team is beginning to work on a project to catalogue all of the other asynchronous, on demand training in the field that is currently available online, separate from our Event Calendar. If you have any recommendations on online courses you have taken for introductory or continuing education in the past, please let us know at info@decentralizedwastewater.org!