Newspapper - About It Happens wastewater inc

Founder Rodric Van Woerkom has been active in the wastewater industry for 14 years. He is a Registered Onsite Wastewater Practitioner (ROWP) and holds three accreditations – Private Inspector Residential, Installer, and Maintenance Provider. He is passionate about the preservation of Shuswap Lake as well as ground and drinking water. This guides his work at It Happens Wastewater Inc. everyday.

 

It Happens is an active community-based wastewater company doing septic system design, installation, inspections and remediations throughout the Columbia Shuswap Region. One of only two companies in the Shuswap accredited with Private Inspector Endorsement (Applied Science Technologists and Technicians of British Columbia). WorkSafe BC registered and fully insured, they have their bases covered.

 

Rodric is a ROWP with a Private Inspection Residential (PIR) designation, allowing him to offer services for real estate inspections. Working with both homeowners and potential buyers, an inspection of a property's onsite system can give the purchaser peace of mind and prevent expensive surprises with a septic system that may need upgrades or repair.

Another type of inspection that Rodric undertakes is compliance inspections. When the use of a residence or commercial property changes, a compliance inspection typically is required by a local government. This includes a thorough review of the wastewater flows, occupancy and more detailed description of components and soils analysis. The resulting report can be used for building or development permits.

When a new system is needed, a site assessment must be completed for new home builds or for replacement systems. Once the site assessment is completed, a design is done. The design will fit your soils, land constraints, use, occupancy, bedrooms and square footage of a home. Once completed, this is filed with the local health authority. All work will be compliant with the BC Health Act Regulations.

Natalya Melnychuk is an ASTTBC accredited planner and designs all of It Happen's Type 1 and 2 systems. Her passion for protecting our groundwater comes through in designing septic systems that are properly sized and structured for your lot. She holds a PHD specializing in freshwater management and policy. More complex systems, involve their trusted associate geotechnical engineers, wastewater engineers and hydrogeologists to respond to steep slopes or critical setback departures, such as when on a septic system needs to be placed close to a well.

Once a design is complete, the Installation team takes over to get your system in the ground. The install team includes Nika Guilbault for transportation and hauling and Chris St. Jean who has thousands of hours under his belt with heavy equipment operations. Chris and Rodric then undertake the earthworks.

 

For existing systems, remediation can sometimes be effective. Tanks can be refurbished; clogged pipes and dispersal fields can be restored. "Our ultimate goal is to ensure our groundwater and surface water is protected." Rodric confirms they maintain their own designed and installed systems and service is supported by a dedicated maintenance team.

It Happens commits 1% of all earnings to the Safe Motherhood Program in Guatemala. They also sponsor our very own Music in the Bay and are "Friends of Rotary." Rodric says that after many years of work, giving back to community resonates.

They are also designing and building septic systems for clients that have lost homes in the North Shuswap via the Mennonite Disaster Relief Society (MDS). MDS is an organization that aids folks who do not have insurance, and a portion of It Happen's profits are donated back to MDS.

Whether it is working with larger commercial installations like Peaks Lodge in Revelstoke or local homeowners, Rodric says their capable crew is ready to assist.

Pricing is job dependent. Each site has differing variables and needs. It's hard to give a fixed price. They don't want you to feel you are "flushing your money down the toilet." Rodric confirms they work to keep prices fair and competitive, and they can go through the details of any project ahead of time.

Rodric also values providing clients with thorough information on all systems he works on. There is lots to know about septic systems. Rodric confirms they will spend the time walking you through the requirements and will take the paperwork burden off you.