HAPPY NEW YEAR 2008

H A P P Y
N E W Y E A R
2 0 0 8

And I am feeling great. Though there has been more than one moment when I have felt as though I was being dragged through a knot-hole I have emerged experiencing what I feel has been an epiphany year filled with a number of very subtle yet salient revelations, not the least of which is eloquently expressed in the quote attributed to Mother Teresa . . . “do not wait for leader, do it alone person to person” . . .

Following what I perceived as a debacle surrounding the introduction in 2000 of the then newest set of rules promulgated by ADEQ, respecting the design, installation, construction, O&M and sale of any properly upon which a residential on-site wastewater treatment and effluent disposal system is installed, I withdrew from the scene and have patiently awaited the arrival of that “white-knight” who was willing to accept the challenge as leader honestly striving to promote awareness to long term environmentally viable solutions to our residential wastewater issues in Arizona. As I assessed and reflected upon the manner in which I performed as co-chairman of the Arizona Ad Hoc Committee, I found my performance lacking in a number of areas, coupled with my own naivety about how politics really worked in Arizona. I failed to lead in a manner which permitted a large enough umbrella for all of the diverse parties to be heard, acknowledged and honored. Our position was fractured when “we” went before GRRC in the vain attempt to stop the ADEQ juggernaut from implementing its ill-conceived rule. Reflecting today, It appears to me in the ensuing seven years, that a champion has not surfaced or has thus far been unwilling to show his/her face. And given the political climate, I can easily understand why. As anyone choosing to risk publicly voicing an opinion or position contrary to that deemed politically correct is immediately branded, demeaned, ostracized and disowned by the very stakeholder group they are attempting to assist. Think I’m kidding; look around at the eviscerated bodies…! I know of what I speak, for I am one of those bodies.

And the question is, who cares and why should they care…? Naively I thought it was because “we” – that’s you and me – had the opportunity to honestly put into place a process which when cogently implemented would provide the initial frame work for a long term environmentally viable base to resolve our vexing residential wastewater issues. As a result of a combination of ignorance and arrogance, I overlooked the 900 pound gorilla, never seen publicly but always lurking in the backroom pulling the strings on their puppets, governor, legislature and ADEQ – developers/home builders/mining interests/large cities, i.e. Phoenix, Tucson & Scottsdale – the underwriters and advocates of our prevailing – though unsustainable - political and economic mantra of unrestricted growth.

In retrospect frankly I should have known better as I saw a similar scene played out some years earlier by the City of Phoenix, when it chose to close its 23rd Ave wastewater treatment plant to receiving of residential septic waste. The reality was private investors, who just happen to include former owners of the Phoenix Suns wanted to open a private “for-profit” septic receiving facility. With lobbyist assistance, which the then fledgling Arizona Liquid Waste Transporters Associating (ALWTA) could not hope to match, these “corporate” capitalist quickly monopolized and cornered the market. Reflecting on this scenario from a “public” perspective, I find it interesting that at one time “government” – that’s you and me – had quite viable information on the type, volume and location of the majority of septic and grease trap waste collected and disposed in Maricopa County and to lesser degree Pima and Yavapai Counties. Today, “we” – that’s you and me – are totally excluded from disclosure of this information now the proprietary property of private corporations. In reality “we” don’t have a clue about the volume of septic waste generated nor where it is disposed nor the manner of its disposal. And “we” allow our government to call this progress.

Once every two years, now for the past ten years or more, the Arizona Environmental Health Directors Association has conducted a seminar in Laughlin, Nevada. It is interesting to note that in the main the topics listed for presentation at the upcoming seminar in Feb 2008, largely mirror the topics presented in years past. Are you really telling me, that Arizona still does not get why it is honestly in the public’s best interest to have actual field verification that all septic tanks installed on any site in Arizona shall be “water-tight” …? Are you really telling me that ADEQ, the real estate and escrow community still believe there is truth in the currently mandated septic inspection and certification program … ? How many times do nationally recognized and credentialed individuals need to present continuing evidence of our errors before “we’ choose to actually address them and implement rules which effectively eliminate them …?

Since 2000, ADEQ has revised their residential wastewater rules and in Nov 2005, GRRC granted them the right to implement their revised rules. One of the paramount changes in thee rules, was to throw out the dichotomy between “deep” and “shallow” effluent disposal fields, though for a number of seminars sponsored by Arizona Environmental Health Directors Association the virtues of “shallow” disposal has been championed by their featured speakers. Another was to include all residential sales of property upon which is currently installed a wastewater treatment and effluent disposal system regardless of date of installation under the mandate for septic inspection and certification.

Since 2000 a new organization Arizona Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association (AzOWRA) has been formed and currently struggling to maintain semblance of life. An affiliate of NOWRA, the AzOWRA hoped to become that unifying voice for all stakeholders comprising the Arizona on-site community under a single umbrella. To be the unifying voice for the professional engineers, state, county, city environment health personnel, contractors, plumbers, septic pumpers, O&M providers, designers, installers, “for-profit” providers of residential septic inspections and certification and John Q. Public. Its current membership numbers about 25 and many of its early supporters have subsequently jumped or abandoned ship. Tragically AzOWRA has not been able to provide an umbrella or the leadership conducive to permitting stakeholders to feel included and honored.

Though I possess no crystal-ball, it is readily apparent upon reflection the “on-site” community in Arizona has never chosen to speak with a single voice nor act in any unified united manner. For over 30 years now, I have been actively associated in this industry and “we” consistently repel any attempt to develop a “collective” voice. “We” would sooner fight each other for dwindling market shares for proprietary products rather than band together to formulate and implement viable and safe rules to secure Arizona’s environmental future. “We” would sooner sit around among our petty groups and point fingers and demean anyone who dares to speak out and embrace ideas and philosophies which may well demand collectively “we” get more education, perform our jobs more efficiently and effectively, be legally and ethically held accountable and responsible.

Current reality is in every county in Arizona by choice of implementation ADEQ has permitted the development of 15 separate “chiefdoms” wherein the Environmental Health Director for that county is essentially free to act with impunity on how they choose to implement the current ADEQ rules. Friendship, good-old-boys club, nepotism and money-power-politics is alive and performing exceedingly well today in Arizona’s 15 counties. This is not to demean any County Environmental Health Director nor any County, “mother-nature” abhors a vacuum and ADEQ has chosen to abdicate its responsibility to implement and provide the oversight and enforcement provisions necessary, therefore, those responsibilities fall like apples from a tree via gravity to the Counties to perform. Meanwhile, ADEQ, from a presumed comfort afforded them by virtue of their vaunted “delegation” agreements smugly report to our mass-media outlets that everything is under control and there are no problems. Welcome to fantasy world . . . !

I am no longer willing to wait the arrival of an alleged “white-knight” and I choose therefore to endeavor to the extent of my abilities in whatever manner possible to bring what I consider to be issues of importance respecting residential wastewater treatment and effluent disposal systems initially to an “awareness” level for any citizen in Arizona. I do not claim I have all the answers, in fact I may well not have any answers, but I am willing to hear what you have to say and together “we” will prevail.

The water and wastewater environment in Arizona will only change for the positive when “we” the people become sufficiently aroused and are made honestly aware of the long term implication of the actions “we” are permitting to occur today. On the face of it, this seems a daunting project to promote “awareness” on a society which currently feels it is overworked, under paid, and with little or no free time as it is. I need to own, that for some time now that is how I’ve felt as I sat and waited for others to muster the personal courage to run the awaiting gauntlet.

If you are willing to hear a voice and position different from that posed by current mass media or ADEQ, give me a call. If you want information on how together “we” can take back the power we permitted to be usurped from us, give me a call. If you want someone to address and offer insight of a different color to your discussions on water and wastewater, give me a call. If you want to learn how “we” can honestly be “green” give me a call, let’s discover it together. If you are looking for someone with all the answers, don’t call, as I too have a host of questions unanswered for decades now. If you want to be accountable and responsible, give me a call. If you are choosing to waste your time and mine, please don’t call. If you’re looking for solutions which get you barely under the current regulatory radar screen, don’t call as I advocate what are solution in the public’s best long term health and welfare. Yup, these solutions at first blush appear to cost more initially, but in the long term do they really…? The challenge is determining which is the mirage and illusion and what is reality…?

Welcoming the challenge…!