If you are licensed as a water or wastewater operator in the State of Iowa — or would like to be — the Environmental Training Center at Kirkwood Community College (Cedar Rapids) could be your one-stop shop for professional development.
To remain certified, operators need to complete between 10 and 20 hours of training, which translates to earning 1 to 2 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) every 2 years. To make the requirement easier to meet, the Environmental Training Center sponsors water and wastewater workshops for operators to upgrade and re-certify at locations around the state. Each workshop lasts from 1 to 4 days and covers specific subjects such as pump maintenance, chlorination chemistry, and worker safety regulations.
The maintenance lab on Kirkwood’s Cedar Rapids campus provides hands-on training in everything from packing a pump to fire hydrant repair. Also, an analytical chemistry lab is completely equipped for water and wastewater monitoring and analysis.
Kirkwood has classes for beginners as well. Using texts developed by the California State University, Sacramento, Office of Water Programs, Kirkwood offers basic training classes in water and wastewater treatment for entry-level operators. These self-study modules, which can be completed at one’s own pace, are designed to teach basic process operation of water resource recovery facilities.
Costs for a typical 3-CEU class is $475. See the list of currently scheduled classes. Registration inquiries should be made to contactce@kirkwood.edu or by calling 319-398-1022.
— Mary Bufe, WEF Highlights
Water and Wastewater Training Opportunities Featured in WEF Highlights
Whether you are a wastewater veteran in search of an online continuing education course or an entry-level employee aspiring to enter the water sector, colleges and universities across the country now offer coursework designed to help. The key is to find the program that works for you. Stay tuned to WEF Highlights for articles featuring these programs. Find the articles by searching for the keyword TrainingCourses. Know a program that you’d like to share? Send it to Jennifer Fulcher, WEF Highlights editor, at jfulcher@wef.org. |
February 28, 2017
Featured