Wastewater Treatment Plant Operation

Hours: 360 / Access Length: 12 Months / Delivery: Open, Mentor Supported
Retail Price: $1,850.00

Course Overview:

Wastewater Treatment Plant – Level 1 is designed to train students to safely and effectively operate and maintain wastewater treatment plants. This course is designed to train students in the practical aspects of operating and maintaining wastewater treatment plants, emphasizing the use of safe practices and procedures.

The information from this course includes the role and responsibilities of a treatment plant operator, an explanation of why wastes must be treated, and detailed descriptions of the equipment and processes used in a wastewater treatment plant.

Students will learn to operate and maintain racks, screens, comminutors, sedimentation tanks, trickling filters, rotating biological contactors, package activated sludge plants, oxidation ditches, ponds, and chlorination facilities.

After completing this course, you should be able to:

• Comprehend the role of the treatment plant operator in a wastewater treatment plant
• Identify steps in the wastewater treatment process
• Comprehend features of sedimentation, flotation, and trickling filters
• Identify steps in the activated sludge process and maintaining ponds
• Identify the steps in the disinfection process and sulfur dioxide hazards

Wastewater Treatment Plant – Level 2 is designed to train students in the practical aspects of operating and maintaining wastewater treatment plants, emphasizing safe practices and procedures. Topics covered in this course include conventional activated sludge processes, sludge digestion and solids handling, effluent disposal, plant safety and good housekeeping, plant and equipment maintenance, laboratory procedures and chemistry, use of computers for plant operation and maintenance, analysis and presentation of data, and records and report writing.

After completing this course, you should be able to:

• Identify the steps in the activated sludge process
• Identify the steps in sludge digestion and water sampling
• Comprehend strategies for maintaining plant safety
• Identify the steps for performing laboratory procedures
• Identify methods for analyzing and reporting data

Course Outline:

Wastewater Treatment Plant Module 1
Water Treatment Operators & Facilities

• What is a Treatment Plant Operator?
• The Water Quality Protector
• Your Qualifications
• Staffing Needs & Future Job Opportunities
• Prevention of Pollution
• Types of Waste Discharges
• Effects of Waste Discharges
• Solids in Wastewater
• Natural Cycles
• NPDES Permits
• Collection of Wastewater
• Treatment Plants
• Flow Measuring Devices
• Solids Handling & Disposal
• Advanced Methods of Treating Wastewater
• Effluent Discharge, Reclamation, & Reuse
• Bar Screens & Racks
• Comminutors & Barminutors
• Grit Removal
• Operational Strategy & Design Review

Wastewater Treatment Plant Module 2
Sedimentation, Flotation & Trickling Filters

• Purpose of Sedimentation and Flotation
• Operation & Maintenance
• Sampling & Laboratory Analysis
• Sludge & Scum Pumping
• Safety Issues
• Principles of Operation
• Review of Plans & Specifications
• Flotation Processes
• Combined Sedimentation Digestion Unit
• IMHOFF Tanks
• Septic Tanks
• How the Trickling Filter Works
• Classification of Filters
• Starting, Operating, & Shutting Down a Filter
• Filter Operational Strategy
• Filter Maintenance & Troubleshooting
• Loading Criteria
• Trickling Filter / Solids Contact (TF/SC) Process

Wastewater Treatment Plant Module 3
Activated Sludge & Wastewater Stabilization Ponds

• Description of Rotating Biological Contractors
• Process Operation & Pretreatment Requirements
• Maintenance & Troubleshooting: Drives, Bearings & Motors
• Safety of Equipment, Connections & Surfaces
• Loading Calculations
• The Activated Sludge Process
• Package Plants & Extended Aeration
• Oxidation Ditches
• Use of Ponds
• History of Ponds in Waste Treatment
• Pond Classifications & Applications
• Explanation of Treatment Process
• Pond Performance
• Starting the Pond
• Daily Operation & Maintenance of Ponds
• Surface Aerators
• Pond Sampling & Analysis of Performance
• Review of Pond Plans & Specifications
• Eliminating Algae from Pond Effluents

Wastewater Treatment Plant Module 4
Disinfection Processes

• Need for Disinfection
• Disinfection Using Chlorine
• Points of Chlorine Application
• Chlorination Process Control
• Chlorination Feed Rate & Control
• Measurement of Chlorine Residual
• Chlorine Safety Program
• Chlorine Handling
• Chlorination Equipment & Maintenance
• Other Uses of Chlorine
• Dechlorination
• Sulfur Dioxide Hazards
• Sulfur Dioxide Supply System
• Operation & Maintenance of Sulfur Dioxide Systems
• Disinfection Using Ultraviolet (UV) Systems
• Uses of UV Systems
• Emergency Alarms
• Maintenance & Troubleshooting of UV Systems
• Disinfection Using Ozone Systems

Wastewater Treatment Plant Module 1
Activated Sludge Plants

• The Activated Sludge Process
• Aeration Systems
• Safety of Aeration Systems
• Checking Out a New Plant
• Process Start-Up Procedures
• Routine Operational Control
• Abnormal Operation Conditions
• Equipment Shutdown, Abnormal O & M
• Modifications of the Activated Sludge Process
• Sequencing Batch Reactors (SBRs)
• Microbiology for Activated Sludge
• Collection & Preparation of Samples
• Interpretation & Response to Results
• Monitoring the Changes & Trends in Microbiology

Wastewater Treatment Plant Module 2
Sludge Digestion, Effluent Discharge, Reclamation, & Reuse

• Need for Sludge Digestion
• Components in the Anaerobic Sludge Digestion Process
• Gas Systems
• Digester Heating & Mixing
• Operation of Anaerobic Digesters
• Anaerobic Digestion Controls & Test Interpretation
• Operational Strategy
• Digester Cleaning
• Aerobic Sludge Digestion
• Digested Sludge Handling
• Sludge Disposal
• Effluent Discharge to Surface Waters
• Receiving Water Monitoring
• Sampling & Analysis

Wastewater Treatment Plant Module 3
Plant Safety & Maintenance

• Why Safety?
• Types of Hazards
• Specific Hazards
• Pumping Stations
• Treatment Plants
• Industrial Waste Treatment
• Safety in the Laboratory
• Fire Prevention
• Water Supplies
• Safety Equipment & Information
• How to Develop Safety Training Programs
• Hazard Communication (Worker Right-to-Know Laws)
• Treatment Plant Maintenance
• Mechanical Equipment Maintenance
• Electrical Equipment Maintenance
• Motors & Maintenance
• Mechanical Maintenance
• Unplugging Pipes, Pumps, & Valves
• Flow Measurements – Meters & Maintenance

Wastewater Treatment Plant Module 4
Laboratory Procedures & Computer Use

• Importance of Laboratory Procedures
• Basic Laboratory Words, Equipment, & Techniques
• The Metric System
• Chemical Names & Formulas
• Use of a Spectrophotometer
• Safety & Hygiene in the Laboratory
• Personal Safety & Hygiene in the Laboratory
• Representative Sampling
• Laboratory Procedures for Plant Control
• Tests for Activated Sludge Control
• Tests for Digestion Control
• Laboratory Procedures for NPDES Monitoring
• Dissolved Oxygen (DO) & Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)
• Hydrogen Ion (pH), Metals, Nitrogen, & Ammonia
• Nitrites, Phosphorus, & Sulfate
• Computer Use in a Treatment Plant
• Data Analysis, Report Generation & Recordkeeping
• Systems Monitoring with Computers
• Time Saving & Better Communication with Computers
• SCADA Systems

Wastewater Treatment Plant Module 5
Analysis, Records, Reporting & Administration

• Need for Analyzing & Presenting Data
• Causes of Variations in Results
• Monometer & Gauge Reading
• Chart Reading
• Average or Arithmetic Mean
• Arithmetic Range of Values
• Understanding Median & Mode
• Geometric Mean
• Moving Averages
• Graphs & Charts
• Variance & Standard Deviation
• Prediction Equations, Trends, & Correlations
• Metric Calculations
• Records & Report Writing
• Typical Monthly Report
• Emergency Planning & Response
• Function of a Manager
• Planning, Organizing & Staffing
• Communication, Conducting Meetings & Public Relations
• Financial Management

All necessary materials are included.

System Requirements:

• Cable and DSL internet connections are recommended for the best experience.

• CPU: 1 GHz or higher
• RAM: 2 GB or higher
• Resolution: 1280 x 720 or higher
• Speakers / Headphones
• Microphone (Webinar / Live Online sessions)

• Microsoft Windows 7 or 10 (Home, Pro)
• Mac OSX 10 or higher.
• Latest Chrome OS
• Latest Linux Distributions

NOTE: While we understand that our courses can be viewed on Android and iPhone devices, we do not recommend the use of these devices for our courses. The size of these devices do not provide a good learning environment for students taking online or live online based courses.

• Latest Google Chrome is recommended for the best experience.
• Latest Mozilla FireFox
• Latest Microsoft Edge
• Latest Apple Safari

• Office suite software (Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, or LibreOffice)
• PDF reader program (Adobe Reader, FoxIt)
• Courses may require other software that is denoted in the above course outline.