Installing and Designing Bottomless Sand Filters

NEOWTP classes meet regulatory requirements in RI and MA to install and design Bottomless Sand Filters (BSF).

Installers adding gravel to the top of a nearly complete bottomless sand filter

How do I get listed in the RIDEM registry of approved installers and/or designers of bottomless sand filters (BSF) in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) regulations require any licensed onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS) installer seeking to install BSF to complete appropriate training. New England Onsite Wastewater Training Program (NEOWTP) classes, specifically OWT 105, Innovative and Alternative (I&A) Technologies and OWT 125, Bottomless Sand Filter (BSF) Design and Installation, have been approved by the RIDEM for BSF training requirements.  RIDEM maintains a list of BSF trained licensed installers who have completed both OWT 105 and OWT 125 on the RIDEM OWTS licensing page.

Licensed designers seeking to design BSF are also required to complete appropriate training. NEOWTP classes, specifically OWT 105, Innovative and Alternative (I&A) Technologies and OWT 125, Bottomless Sand Filter (BSF) Design and Installation, have been approved by the RIDEM to design BSF.  RIDEM maintains a list of BSF trained designers who have completed both OWT 105 and OWT 125 on the RIDEM OWTS licensing page.

How do I become qualified to install and/or design bottomless sand filters (BSF) in Massachusetts?

Current Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MADEP) regulations require any OWTS installer seeking to install BSF to complete appropriate training. Massachusetts installers should take NEOWTP classes OWT 105, Innovative and Alternative (I&A) Technologies and OWT 125, Bottomless Sand Filter (BSF) Design and Installation, to meet MADEP training requirements. Installers should check with their local Board of Health for additional regulatory requirements.

Massachusetts BSF designs must be completed by a MA Registered Professional Engineer or Massachusetts Registered Sanitarian with appropriate training. MADEP requires NEOWTP classes OWT 105, Innovative and Alternative (I&A) Technologies and OWT 125, Bottomless Sand Filter (BSF) Design and Installation, and OWT 150, Automated Support Materials for Pump Timers, Tanks, Chambers, BSF Sizing, and Buoyancy Calculations, totaling 20 hours of training for BSF design. Designers should check with their local Board of Health for additional regulatory requirements.

For more information, please visit the MADEP Wastewater and Septic Systems web page.