Manitoba Operators Webinar Questions
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
What are Health Care Providers doing with their used PPE?
Used PPE should be being handled like other regulated medical waste. Disposal should be in accordance with routine practices, as no special precautions are recommended. Reference: Infection Prevention and Control for COVID-19: Interim Guidance for Long Term Care Homes.
Have PPE requirements been upgraded?
We are not aware of any changes to personal protective equipment requirements. Please contact your health and safety advisors for information.
Certification
Will there be any consideration to fast track certifications for operators who have passed exams but are short experience?
Consideration will be given for a conditional certification in these cases.
How do we update our operator certificate if we currently hold a conditional certificate?
If you hold a conditional certificate and have met the conditions for full certification, you should submit an application for certification to the department as usual.
If I have a small systems certification can I ‘cover’ for someone who needs a level 1? Do I need to apply for a conditional certificate?
In accordance with the regulation, you can operate a facility with a certificate one class lower (e.g., Class 1 facility with a small system certificate) on an interim basis for no more than 45 consecutive days or 150 days in any twelve month period. This would not require a conditional certificate.
How many continuing education units (CEUs) are available for attending this webinar?
This webinar is 0.1 CEUs. Please include the name you used to log into the webinar. If you were in a group, please identify the group and which user was logged in.
Drinking Water
What are the requirements and guidelines around public water taps and drinking fountains?
Public fountains should be closed during this time. If the outside tap is a pail fill, remove your hose and ask residents to bring their own to fill up.
Seasonal Systems
Can RV parks with transient or leased sites open for the season?
Campgrounds, RV parks can open to the public to provide accommodations for primary residences. To ask questions on how your business is affected by Public Health orders visit COVID-19:Critical Services Providers.
For seasonal campgrounds are we better off delaying sending samples until distancing is lifted, or should we wait until they can open?
Wait until a week before your opening date. This is a good time to check for leaks and make distribution repairs.
For seasonal residents, what about water turn-ons?
If the seasonal residence is a primary residence then you may turn on the water. However, you should practice social distancing measures when performing services for the public. If the sites are recreational only, the Public Health Order is requesting people to stay at home and has closed private and public campgrounds. More COVID-19 information for Businesses.
Wastewater and Solid Waste
Do we know if the risk of COVID is greater with raw sewage?
The coronavirus is not a water-borne virus and does not to our knowledge provide a greater risk in raw sewage than other viruses and bacteria. It will be present in raw sewage if present in your community. You should take all regular precautions when handling raw or partially treated sewage or working near raw or partially treated sewage.
Do Class 1 waste disposal grounds require a certified operator? Does the back up need to be certified too?
Class 1 facilities require a Manager of Landfill Operations (MOLO) operator to be employed (they do not have to be on site). Class 1 facilities also require a Landfill Operations Basics (LOB) operator to be on site when the public has access to the active disposal area. If the public access is restricted from accessing the active area, the back up would not have to be certified.
Can septic trucks dump without an operator at the dump site, e.g., lagoon?
Our understanding is that some municipalities allow this; the municipality provides the registered sewage hauler with a key to access the dumping station but there may not be an operator present. Ultimately, the owner of the facility (e.g., municipality) is responsible for meeting the licence conditions.
Do septic truck operators need waste handling certification?
Yes, persons engaged in the activity of sewage pumping and hauling must be registered under the Onsite Wastewater Management Systems Regulation. Sewage hauler registrations are renewable and are valid for a period of five years.
Will we be allowed to do a continuous discharge if our sampling results are good?
Your Environment Act Licence will dictate how your facility discharges treated effluent and what the effluent quality limits are. If you have a need to temporarily change your operation, you will need to submit a Notice of Alteration to the Environmental Approvals Branch. Please contact your local Environment Officer or the Environmental Approvals Branch to discuss your options prior to making any changes.
Laboratory
Do you know if ALS will accept e-transfers?
Please contact the laboratory for payment options.
Operator Training
We had some of our personnel registered to take courses at Red River College followed by the certification exams. These courses have been cancelled/postponed. Is there any chance that the courses will be offered on an online platform?
Red River College has advised that they are not currently looking at doing online training. They can be reached by email for questions about their training.
Where are training sessions available in Winnipeg for new staff, specifically in regards to operators that are employed at private recreational parks?
Most training sessions that were scheduled to take place in Spring 2020 have been cancelled or postponed. You may refer to our website for a list of online training opportunities, particularly for small system operators such as would be needed for private RV parks. If you wish to enrol in an online course that you do not see on our website, please contact the department.
