In a bid to help plumbers, sewer and drain contractors, and inspectors in the proper inspection and assessment of private property building sewer and drains for real estate transactions and general best practices, NASSCO has launched a Building Sewer & Drain Inspection Certification Program that began in February. Offered for a fee of $180, the BSDI program course offers:
- A detailed inspection form that includes property location, inspector information, point of access, pipe characteristics, general inspection details and inflow characteristics including downspouts, floor drains, sump pumps and so forth.
- A self-paced online training course that explains what to look for during an inspection, how to use the form and how to properly inspect, assess and document conditions of building sewers and drains.
- A study guide for use during the course and for reference in the field, post-certification
- An online exam that, when successfully completed, will provide individuals with certification that proves they have demonstrated basic knowledge in the proper inspection of building sewers and drains.
“We decided to create the BSDI program because my daughter, who is a Realtor, was in the middle of helping a client with a home inspection and there were problems with the drainage system,” says Sheila Joy, executive director for NASSCO. “The contractor that had been hired said everything needed to be pulled out and replaced. She then sent me the CCTV footage to look at. I shared it with one of our consultants, Lynn Osborn, and he said, ‘Sheila, this is no good. You can’t see anything on this CCTV video, so don’t go forward with what has been proposed.’ I also had a call from the Pennsylvania chapter of PHCC citing a similar problem, which means there is a need for properly trained people to be conducting these inspections.”
Faced with this need, Joy approached NASSCO’s Lateral and Building Pipe committee and asked them to look into it.
“Over the past couple of years, they have been working on this program to allow all plumbers, contractors and inspectors to receive certifications,” she says. “In doing so, our goal is to provide Realtors with reliable sources for these sewer and drain inspections. As well, once they see that these graduates have been NASSCO certified in BSDI, hopefully that will give them a competitive advantage while ensuring that these inspections are being done properly.”
Although the BDSI course is being offered by NASSCO, a NASSCO membership is not required to become certified. “This course is open to every plumber or small contractor that chooses to become certified in this area,” Joy says.
NASSCO chose to offer the BDSI program as a self-paced, online course for the benefit of plumbers and small contractors, many of whom work long, unpredictable hours and can’t easily set aside a set date and time each week to suit an educator’s demands.
“What this really does is to allow plumbers, contractors and inspectors to take this course anytime, anywhere,” says Joy. “Being self-paced, it’s not instructor-led. So the BDSI course is something that they can start on a Saturday morning and complete Sunday night after their kids go to bed or whenever they have the free time. So it doesn’t take them away from their business. It allows them to become certified at their convenience. That’s what we mean by self-paced: You can start, stop and complete it based on your own schedule.”
Upon completing the BDSI course successfully, each graduate will receive a certificate and a photo ID attesting to their NASSCO-tested BDSI qualifications.
“Most importantly, they will be listed on the NASSCO as a BDSI-certified individual, and we will be pushing out to the industry to look for BDSI-certified individuals to provide such services,” Joy says. “The other real benefit to these small contractors is that these BDSI certifications can be listed on their Google Local Services ads, and be useful for people searching for certified drain inspectors online. Ultimately, NASSCO’s hope is that BDSI certification resolves the issue of finding reliable drain inspectors for Realtors and their clients, while providing course graduates with ongoing business opportunities.”
In concluding her comments, Joy added, “I would also just like to share that NASSCO is in the process of developing a sister/brother program — whatever you want to call it — for certifying drain cleaning. When that has been released, which will be later in 2025, we will be bundling those two programs together so you can become certified in inspection and cleaning at the same time.”
