Advanced Water & Wastewater Treatment: Comprehensive 5-Day Expert Training Course

Course Overview

The Advanced Water & Wastewater Treatment training course is an intensive 5-day professional program designed for experienced operators, engineers, and managers seeking mastery of cutting-edge treatment technologies and optimization strategies. This expert-level course explores emerging contaminants, advanced treatment processes, membrane technologies, nutrient removal, resource recovery, and sustainable water management practices. Combining theoretical depth with practical applications, this training prepares participants to tackle complex water quality challenges, implement innovative solutions, and lead operational excellence in modern water and wastewater treatment facilities.

Target Audience for Advanced Treatment Training

• Experienced water and wastewater treatment operators (Grade 3-4)

• Process engineers and design consultants

• Plant managers and operations directors

• Environmental engineers specializing in advanced treatment

• Regulatory compliance specialists

• Research and development professionals

• Utility planners and capital project managers

• Industrial wastewater treatment specialists

• Water quality scientists and technical advisors

• Technology vendors and equipment specialists

Day 1: Membrane Technologies & Advanced Filtration Systems

Morning Session: Membrane Filtration Fundamentals & Applications

Next-Generation Treatment:
Membrane technology represents the future of water and wastewater treatment, offering superior removal capabilities and enabling water reuse for potable and non-potable applications.

Core Topics:

• Membrane classification: microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF), reverse osmosis (RO)

• Pressure-driven vs. osmotic-driven membrane processes

• Membrane materials: polymeric, ceramic, composite membranes

• Rejection mechanisms: size exclusion, charge repulsion, adsorption

• Transmembrane pressure (TMP) and flux relationships

• Concentration polarization and boundary layer effects

• Membrane module configurations: hollow fiber, spiral wound, tubular, flat sheet

• Direct filtration vs. submerged membrane systems

• Membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology and applications

• Forward osmosis (FO) and emerging membrane technologies

Afternoon Session: Membrane Operations & Fouling Management

Optimizing Membrane Performance:

• Membrane fouling mechanisms: particulate, organic, inorganic, biological

• Fouling prediction models and monitoring strategies

• Critical flux concept and sustainable flux operation

• Backwashing protocols: frequency, intensity, duration optimization

• Chemically enhanced backwash (CEB) procedures

• Clean-in-place (CIP) protocols and chemical selection

• Membrane integrity testing: pressure decay, bubble point, particle challenge

• Normalized performance parameters: flux, pressure, rejection

• Membrane autopsy and failure analysis techniques

• Pretreatment strategies for fouling mitigation

Workshop Exercise: Membrane system design calculations, fouling diagnosis case studies, and cleaning protocol development

Day 2: Advanced Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR) Processes

Morning Session: Nitrogen Removal Technologies

Enhanced Biological Treatment:

• Nitrogen transformation pathways: ammonification, nitrification, denitrification

• Autotrophic nitrification: Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter kinetics

• Alkalinity consumption and pH impacts during nitrification

• Separate-stage vs. single-stage nitrification systems

• Denitrification stoichiometry and carbon source requirements

• Anoxic zone design and internal recycle optimization

• Modified Ludzack-Ettinger (MLE) process configuration

• Step-feed and four-stage Bardenpho processes

• Simultaneous nitrification-denitrification (SND) phenomena

• Deammonification and anammox (anaerobic ammonium oxidation) technology

• Shortcut nitrogen removal: nitrite shunt strategies

• Total nitrogen removal to ultra-low limits (<3 mg/L)

Afternoon Session: Phosphorus Removal & Integrated BNR Systems

Complete Nutrient Management:

• Enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) mechanisms

• Polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs) metabolism

• Anaerobic-aerobic sequencing for luxury phosphorus uptake

• Volatile fatty acids (VFA) requirements and carbon optimization

• Chemical phosphorus removal: metal salt precipitation

• Simultaneous chemical and biological phosphorus removal

• A²O (Anaerobic-Anoxic-Oxic) process configuration

• Five-stage Bardenpho and University of Cape Town (UCT) processes

• Sequencing batch reactors (SBR) for BNR applications

• Integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) systems

• Moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) for nutrient removal

• Process control strategies and advanced monitoring

Technical Analysis: Evaluating BNR performance data, optimizing operational parameters, and troubleshooting process failures

Day 3: Advanced Oxidation & Disinfection Technologies

Morning Session: Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs)

Destroying Recalcitrant Contaminants:

• Hydroxyl radical (•OH) chemistry and oxidation potential

• UV/hydrogen peroxide (UV/H₂O₂) process design

• Ozone-based AOP systems: O₃/H₂O₂, O₃/UV combinations

• Fenton and photo-Fenton reactions for organic destruction

• Electrical energy per order (EE/O) calculations

• Contaminant-specific AOP selection and optimization

• Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) removal

• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) treatment strategies

• Endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) degradation

• 1,4-dioxane removal technologies

• Micropollutant transformation products and toxicity assessment

• Economic evaluation and lifecycle cost analysis

Afternoon Session: Advanced Disinfection & Pathogen Control

Multi-Barrier Protection:

• Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection: low-pressure vs. medium-pressure lamps

• UV dose validation and bioassay testing procedures

• UV reactor hydraulics and computational fluid dynamics (CFD)

• UV/LED technology: emerging solid-state disinfection

• Ozonation: generation, dissolution, and contact system design

• Ozone CT requirements and bromate formation control

• Chlorine dioxide generation and application advantages

• Peracetic acid (PAA) for wastewater disinfection

• Mixed oxidant solutions and electrochemically activated water

• Cryptosporidium and Giardia inactivation requirements

• Virus and emerging pathogen control strategies

• Disinfection byproduct (DBP) minimization across treatment trains

Laboratory Demonstration: UV intensity measurement, ozone residual testing, and disinfection efficacy evaluation methods

Day 4: Resource Recovery & Sustainable Treatment Systems

Morning Session: Energy Recovery & Optimization

Water-Energy Nexus Management:

• Energy consumption benchmarking in treatment facilities

• Anaerobic digestion optimization for biogas production

• High-rate anaerobic processes: UASB, EGSB, IC reactors

• Thermal hydrolysis pretreatment for enhanced digestion

• Combined heat and power (CHP) systems and cogeneration

• Biogas upgrading to renewable natural gas (RNG)

• Energy-positive wastewater treatment concepts

• Mainstream anaerobic treatment technologies

• Microbial fuel cells and bioelectrochemical systems

• Heat recovery from wastewater streams

• Process intensification for energy reduction

• Variable frequency drives (VFDs) and smart aeration control

Afternoon Session: Nutrient & Resource Recovery Technologies

Circular Economy Applications:

• Phosphorus recovery as struvite (magnesium ammonium phosphate)

• Crystallization reactors: fluidized bed and stirred tank designs

• Ammonia stripping and recovery technologies

• Ion exchange for selective nutrient capture

• Algae cultivation for nutrient removal and biomass production

• Biosolids management: Class A vs. Class B standards

• Thermal drying and pelletization for beneficial reuse

• Pyrolysis and gasification for energy recovery

• Heavy metal recovery from industrial wastewater

• Water reuse and reclamation: direct and indirect potable reuse

• Fit-for-purpose water treatment for industrial applications

• Zero liquid discharge (ZLD) systems and crystallizers

Case Studies: Successful resource recovery implementations, economic analysis, and sustainability metrics evaluation

Day 5: Emerging Contaminants, Smart Systems & Future Technologies

Morning Session: Emerging Contaminants & Treatment Strategies

Next-Generation Water Quality Challenges:

• PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances): occurrence and health effects

• PFAS treatment technologies: granular activated carbon (GAC), ion exchange, advanced oxidation

• 1,4-dioxane: sources, analytical methods, and destruction technologies

• Microplastics in water and wastewater: detection and removal

• Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and horizontal gene transfer

• Nanoparticles in wastewater: engineered nanomaterials fate

• Cyanotoxins: microcystin, cylindrospermopsin detection and treatment

• Taste and odor compounds: geosmin and MIB removal strategies

• Algal toxin barriers: oxidation, adsorption, biological degradation

• Analytical challenges: ultra-trace detection and matrix effects

• Risk assessment and regulatory development for emerging contaminants

Afternoon Session: Digital Water & Smart Treatment Systems

Industry 4.0 Applications:

• Real-time monitoring: online sensors and analyzer technologies

• SCADA evolution: cloud-based platforms and remote operations

• Machine learning and artificial intelligence for process optimization

• Predictive maintenance using IoT sensors and data analytics

• Digital twins: virtual modeling for operational optimization

• Advanced process control (APC) algorithms

• Model predictive control (MPC) for treatment systems

• Big data analytics and performance benchmarking

• Cybersecurity threats and protection strategies for water infrastructure

• Blockchain for water quality data integrity

• Augmented reality (AR) for maintenance and training

• Autonomous operations and decision support systems

Future Technologies & Innovation Forum

Cutting-Edge Developments:

• Electrochemical treatment: electrodialysis, capacitive deionization

• Catalytic membrane reactors for simultaneous treatment

• Advanced ceramic membranes for extreme conditions

• Graphene-based separation technologies

• Plasma technology for water treatment

• Supercritical water oxidation (SCWO)

• Nature-based solutions integration with advanced treatment

• Decentralized treatment systems and modular technologies

• Space-constrained treatment innovations

• Climate resilience and adaptive treatment strategies

Final Workshop: Designing an advanced treatment facility integrating multiple technologies, sustainability features, and smart operations for specific water quality objectives

Comprehensive Course Materials & Professional Development

Complete Training Package:

• Advanced Water & Wastewater Treatment manual (500+ pages)

• Process design software and modeling tools

• Technology comparison matrices and selection guides

• Economic evaluation templates and lifecycle cost models

• Regulatory guidance for emerging contaminants

• Operation and maintenance best practice guides

• Troubleshooting decision trees for advanced processes

• Peer-reviewed research paper compilation

• Industry white papers and technical bulletins

• Access to online learning portal with updates

Advanced Learning Methods:

• Technical lectures with research-based content

• Process modeling and simulation exercises

• Laboratory demonstrations of emerging technologies

• Virtual facility tours of advanced treatment plants

• Expert panel discussions with industry leaders

• Collaborative problem-solving workshops

• Technology vendor presentations

• Real-world design challenges and solutions

Key Learning Outcomes:
Participants will master:

• Selection and design of advanced membrane systems

• Optimization of biological nutrient removal processes

• Implementation of advanced oxidation technologies

• Resource recovery strategies for sustainability

• Emerging contaminant treatment approaches

• Digital transformation and smart operations

• Economic evaluation and technology comparison

• Integration of multiple advanced treatment processes

• Regulatory navigation for innovative technologies

• Leadership in operational excellence and innovation

Professional Recognition:

• Certificate of Advanced Specialization

• 40 continuing education units (CEUs)

• Professional networking with industry experts

• Eligibility for advanced operator certification paths

• Publication of capstone project in course proceedings

Enroll in Advanced Water & Wastewater Treatment training and position yourself at the forefront of water treatment innovation, mastering the technologies and strategies that define excellence in modern water resource management and environmental protection.