National Tribal Environmental Council

Circuit Rider activity continued to be a focus of our Tribal Assistance (TA) with the tribes in New Mexico and Wisconsin. This month work began on design of curricula designed to enhance the education of operators of native community public water/wastewater systems and the staff engaged in small tribal system operation and maintenance for Native Utilities.

Advertising and calendar changes driven by revisions in schedules and continuing education credit unit requirements found Thomson getting ready for the delivery of its first NTEC workshop of the FY 10-11 fiscal year. The class will be taught through the use of webinar technology and begins November 18, 2010. The class will be taught on three separate dates for Native Drinking Water Utilities. Sessions will be delivered on November 18, December 3 and December 17, 2010. This course is designed to teach operators the responsibility for septic tanks, onsite treatment, and disposal systems.

Wastewater collection systems and pumping or lift station operators will find this course helpful and it will provide them with skill sets that will enhance their ongoing operation and maintenance activity. This course is the first for this fiscal year and is only one of the many that have been delivered on behalf of the National Tribal Environment Council by Thomson & Associates under a subcontract for services. This training will also benefit operators in preparing for State Board Certification.

Ron Thomson and Lewis McLeod shown in this picture (above), signed a renewal services agreement at a water program team planning session held in Reno, Nevada September 26-29, 2010. The planning session provided the past years activities by the Circuit Riders and outlined work to be conducted by circuit rider services in the NTEC Water program area and in office research and representation on projects related to the technical operation of running a tribal water system, that includes on site mentoring, specialized training that includes on-site and webinar internet technology, reactive technical assistance that includes hands on mentoring on the administrative and technical aspects of running a successful water system, and continued follow-up representation for tribal members certified with the Associated Boards of Certification.