Kathy White, Environmental Training Center Director for SUNY Morrisville provides direct oversight of the water and wastewater certification courses, the Onsite Wastewater Treatment Training Network, and safety and industry training workshops. She also instructs a number of the courses.

Target Audience

The training provided by the ETC is considered to be invaluable for anyone involved in the onsite wastewater treatment industry. Community leaders, lake association members, farmers, and homeowners are identified as beneficiaries of this training due to the vast existence of unsewered "rural" onsite wastewater generation in New York State. It is imperative that every rural community be concerned with, and ensure proper treatment of, their wastewater because of the serious health problems it has the potential to cause. Wastewater that is not properly treated may carry disease causing organisms and pollutants that are identified as the root cause of many cases of human illness, environmental damage, and even death. Much of our wastewater, treated or untreated, eventually ends up in our streams, rivers, lakes, and groundwater… the very sources we tap into for our drinking water. Serious health risks arise if wastewater from failing onsite systems is allowed to flow into our drinking water sources. Excessive nutrient releases into New York’s waters from failing or improperly sited, installed, or operated onsite systems have been identified as a significant non-point source of environmental damage and serious public health risks. Phosphorus encourages algal blooms which, after death and decay creates an oxygen deficiency in the surface waters and is responsible for fish kills and major aquatic ecosystem upsets. Too much nitrogen, if allowed to enter our groundwater drinking supplies is known to cause methemoglobinemia, or "blue baby syndrome" which is a condition that prevents the normal uptake of oxygen in the bloodstream of young babies. Preventing potentially harmful substances from polluting New York’s waters in the first place is the best strategy for protection of public health and the environment. Proper and complete onsite wastewater treatment is essential for protecting our drinking water quality. It is everyone’s concern and each and every individual’s responsibility. Designers, contractors, and installers are sure to find the courses offered to them a vital component of the overall delivery of the services they provide. Timely coverage of regulatory updates and issues foster statewide consistency of the application of Appendix 75-a (the State's Regulatory guidance). The benefits of training received at the ETC and demonstration site will lead to improved design, appropriate onsite technology for site specific applications, proper installation and enhanced understanding of why systems fail, corrective measures, and innovative & alternative solutions for replacement.

New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) officials, local code enforcement officers, and home inspectors are responsible for ensuring the public’s health and safety, as well as the protection of the environment. This is an awesome, and sometimes overwhelming responsibility. The training offered at the ETC not only provides an introduction to various onsite wastewater treatment technologies, but also goes in-depth as to why they work, why they fail, system evaluation/failure analysis & troubleshooting. Attendance at these courses will heighten awareness of the complexities and comprehensiveness of onsite wastewater treatment, and assist attendees in their efforts to communicate this information to the untrained regulated community.