Water and Wastewater Treatment: Comprehensive 5-Day Professional Training Course

Course Overview

The Water and Wastewater Treatment training course is an all-encompassing 5-day program covering both drinking water production and wastewater treatment operations. This dual-focused course provides comprehensive understanding of treatment processes, regulatory requirements, operational strategies, and quality management for both municipal and industrial water systems. Designed for operators, engineers, and environmental professionals, this integrated training delivers essential knowledge for managing complete water cycle operations from source to tap and from collection to discharge, emphasizing the interconnection between water supply and wastewater treatment systems.

Target Audience for Water and Wastewater Treatment Training

• Water and wastewater treatment plant operators (all levels)

• Municipal utility operators and supervisors

• Environmental engineers and consultants

• Plant managers overseeing water/wastewater facilities

• Public works department personnel

• Industrial facility operators managing both systems

• Environmental compliance officers

• Maintenance technicians in treatment facilities

• Laboratory analysts and quality control staff

• Utility management professionals

• Recent graduates entering the water industry

• Career changers seeking water sector employment

Day 1: Water Supply Systems & Primary Treatment Processes

Morning Session: Water Sources, Quality & Treatment Overview

Foundation for Safe Water Supply:
Understanding water sources, quality parameters, and treatment objectives establishes the foundation for effective drinking water production and public health protection.

Essential Topics:

• The complete urban water cycle: source to tap to treatment

• Surface water sources: rivers, lakes, reservoirs characteristics

• Groundwater sources: aquifers, wells, infiltration galleries

• Source water protection and watershed management

• Raw water quality parameters: physical, chemical, biological

• Turbidity, pH, alkalinity, hardness, and dissolved solids

• Microbial indicators: total coliforms, E. coli, pathogens

• Seasonal water quality variations and treatment challenges

• Water treatment objectives and regulatory requirements

• Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) overview and standards

• Treatment process selection based on source water quality

• Multiple barrier approach to water treatment

Afternoon Session: Coagulation, Flocculation & Sedimentation

Primary Water Treatment Operations:

• Coagulation chemistry and particle destabilization

• Common coagulants: alum, ferric chloride, polymers

• Jar testing procedures and dose optimization

• Rapid mixing and flash mix design

• Flocculation process and gentle agitation

• Sedimentation basin types and operation

• Clarifier performance monitoring and optimization

• Sludge collection and handling systems

• Chemical feed systems: calibration and control

• Process calculations: detention time, overflow rate

• Troubleshooting poor settling and carryover

Practical Exercise: Performing jar tests, interpreting results, and calculating chemical doses for optimal coagulation performance

Day 2: Water Filtration, Disinfection & Distribution Systems

Morning Session: Filtration & Advanced Treatment

Particle Removal & Water Polishing:

• Rapid gravity filtration principles and operation

• Filter media types: sand, anthracite, multimedia

• Filtration rates and head loss development

• Backwashing procedures: rate, duration, frequency

• Filter performance monitoring and turbidity control

• Membrane filtration: microfiltration, ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis

• Activated carbon adsorption for taste, odor, organics

• Iron and manganese removal processes

• Fluoridation systems for dental health

• Corrosion control: pH adjustment, inhibitors

• Arsenic removal technologies and compliance

Afternoon Session: Disinfection & Distribution Management

Public Health Protection:

• Chlorine disinfection: gas, liquid hypochlorite, on-site generation

• CT (concentration × time) calculations for pathogen inactivation

• Free chlorine vs. combined chlorine residuals

• Chloramination for distribution system residuals

• Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection systems and dose validation

• Ozone disinfection applications and benefits

• Disinfection byproducts (DBPs): formation and control

• Distribution system design and hydraulic principles

• Water storage tanks: ground-level, elevated, standpipes

• Pressure zones and booster pump stations

• Cross-connection control and backflow prevention

• Distribution system water quality maintenance

• Flushing programs and dead-end management

Laboratory Session: Chlorine residual testing, turbidity measurement, and distribution system sampling techniques

Day 3: Wastewater Collection & Primary Treatment Operations

Morning Session: Wastewater Collection Systems & Characteristics

From Collection to Treatment:

• Sanitary sewer collection system design and operation

• Gravity sewers vs. force mains and lift stations

• Combined sewer systems and overflow management

• Infiltration and inflow (I&I) problems and solutions

• Collection system maintenance: cleaning, CCTV inspection

• Wastewater characteristics: domestic, industrial, stormwater

• Flow variations: diurnal, seasonal, wet weather

• Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD)

• Total suspended solids (TSS) and settleable solids

• Nutrients: nitrogen and phosphorus forms and sources

• Grease, oils, and fats management

• Industrial pretreatment programs and discharge limits

Afternoon Session: Preliminary & Primary Wastewater Treatment

Headworks & Physical Treatment:

• Screening equipment: bar screens, fine screens, comminutors

• Grit removal: aerated, vortex, and horizontal flow chambers

• Flow measurement and equalization

• Primary sedimentation tank design and operation

• Scum removal and handling systems

• Primary sludge characteristics and withdrawal

• Chemical addition for enhanced primary treatment

• Odor control at preliminary treatment facilities

• Septage and hauled waste receiving stations

• Screenings and grit disposal methods

• Process calculations: detention time, surface loading

• Troubleshooting floating sludge and poor settling

Technical Workshop: Sizing preliminary treatment units, calculating removal efficiencies, and analyzing primary treatment performance data

Day 4: Biological Wastewater Treatment & Nutrient Removal

Morning Session: Activated Sludge Process Operations

Secondary Biological Treatment:

• Activated sludge process fundamentals and microbiology

• Conventional plug-flow vs. complete-mix configurations

• Extended aeration and oxidation ditch systems

• Sequencing batch reactors (SBR) operation

• Food-to-microorganism (F/M) ratio management

• Solids retention time (SRT) and mean cell residence time

• Mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) control

• Return activated sludge (RAS) and waste activated sludge (WAS)

• Dissolved oxygen control and aeration systems

• Secondary clarifier operation and optimization

• Sludge settling characteristics: SVI and zone settling

• Process troubleshooting: bulking, foaming, rising sludge

Afternoon Session: Nutrient Removal & Alternative Systems

Advanced Biological Treatment:

• Nitrification: converting ammonia to nitrate

• Denitrification: biological nitrogen removal

• Modified Ludzack-Ettinger (MLE) process

• Biological phosphorus removal mechanisms

• A²O (Anaerobic-Anoxic-Oxic) process configuration

• Trickling filters and biofilm processes

• Rotating biological contactors (RBC)

• Moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBR)

• Integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS)

• Lagoon systems: facultative, aerated, polishing

• Constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment

• Process control strategies and optimization

Case Study Analysis: Evaluating activated sludge performance, diagnosing operational problems, and implementing corrective measures

Day 5: Sludge Management, Advanced Treatment & Compliance

Morning Session: Biosolids Processing & Management

Residuals Handling:

• Sludge thickening: gravity, dissolved air flotation, centrifuge

• Anaerobic digestion: process control and biogas production

• Aerobic digestion and stabilization

• Sludge dewatering: belt press, centrifuge, filter press

• Biosolids classifications: Class A and Class B

• Land application and beneficial reuse programs

• Composting operations and marketing

• Incineration and thermal drying alternatives

• Landfill disposal and regulatory requirements

• Odor control technologies at biosolids facilities

• Pathogen and vector attraction reduction

• Biogas utilization for energy recovery

Afternoon Session: Advanced Treatment & Effluent Polishing

Meeting Stringent Discharge Standards:

• Tertiary filtration: cloth media, disk, membrane

• Nutrient removal to ultra-low limits

• Chemical phosphorus precipitation

• Breakpoint chlorination for ammonia removal

• Effluent disinfection: chlorine, UV, ozone, peracetic acid

• Dechlorination using sulfur dioxide or sodium bisulfite

• Membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology

• Water reuse and reclamation opportunities

• Effluent discharge to surface waters: mixing zones

• Groundwater recharge and indirect potable reuse

• Environmental monitoring and receiving water assessment

Regulatory Compliance & Operations Management

Ensuring Environmental Protection:

• Clean Water Act and NPDES permit requirements

• Effluent limitations and monitoring requirements

• Discharge monitoring reports (DMR) and compliance tracking

• Biosolids regulations: 40 CFR Part 503

• Pretreatment program administration

• Laboratory quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC)

• Standard Methods for water and wastewater analysis

• Chain of custody and sample handling procedures

• Safety programs: confined space, lockout/tagout, chemical safety

• Emergency response and spill prevention

• Asset management and capital improvement planning

• Energy efficiency and sustainability initiatives

• Public outreach and community relations

Comprehensive Review & Assessment:

• Integration of water and wastewater treatment concepts

• Process optimization across both systems

• Career development pathways in the water sector

• Operator certification requirements by state/province

• Continuing education and professional development

• Final examination covering all course material

Complete Training Package & Professional Development

Comprehensive Course Materials:

• Water and Wastewater Treatment comprehensive manual (500+ pages)

• Process flow diagrams for typical treatment configurations

• Mathematical calculation worksheets with examples

• Water quality standards and regulatory references

• Troubleshooting guides for common operational problems

• Equipment maintenance checklists and schedules

• Laboratory testing procedures and methods

• Glossary of water and wastewater terminology

• Online resource library access

Hands-On Learning Components:

• Water quality testing demonstrations

• Process calculations and problem-solving exercises

• Equipment operation simulations

• Virtual facility tours of treatment plants

• Troubleshooting scenario workshops

• Group discussions and knowledge sharing

• Video presentations of treatment processes

• Interactive Q&A sessions with experienced instructors

Key Learning Outcomes:
Participants will successfully:

• Understand complete water cycle from source to discharge

• Operate water treatment processes: coagulation through disinfection

• Manage wastewater treatment: preliminary through advanced treatment

• Perform process control calculations accurately

• Interpret water quality data and adjust operations

• Troubleshoot common operational problems systematically

• Ensure regulatory compliance and environmental protection

• Implement safety protocols and emergency procedures

• Apply best practices for operational efficiency

• Prepare for operator certification examinations

Professional Certification Support:

• Aligned with Association of Boards of Certification (ABC) standards

• Preparation for state/provincial operator certification exams

• 40 continuing education units (CEUs) for license renewal

• Certificate of completion for professional credentials

• Study guidance for advancement to higher certification grades

Career Advancement Value:

• Foundation for entry-level positions in water utilities

• Advancement preparation for operators seeking higher grades

• Cross-training for specialists moving between water/wastewater

• Management skills development for supervisory roles

• Industry networking and professional connections

Training Delivery Methods:
Blended learning approach featuring classroom instruction, hands-on laboratories, equipment demonstrations, calculation workshops, case study analysis, group problem-solving, multimedia presentations, facility tours (when available), and interactive discussions.

Enroll in Water and Wastewater Treatment training and gain comprehensive expertise in managing both sides of the water cycle. This integrated course prepares you for successful careers in municipal utilities, industrial facilities, and environmental consulting while ensuring public health protection and environmental stewardship through operational excellence.