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WATER AND WASTEWATER REGULATORY AND SAFETY TRAINING PROGRAMS NPDES WASTEWATER DISCHARGE PERMITS Water is a critical resource that must be protected to supply safe drinking water and support various activities, such as farming, manufacturing, and tourism. The federal Clean Water Act (CWA) protects waters of the United States (WOTUS). This ½ hour online training course provides general guidance on what waters are considered WOTUS. With certain exceptions, the CWA prohibits the discharge of pollutants from a point source into waters of the United States without a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. The requirements of this permit are also covered in this training course.


Understand the current definition of Waters of the United States Describe the purpose of National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permits Identify where a NPDES permit is required Describe the difference between General and Individual permits List the steps required to obtain an NPDES permit Describe NPDES permit requirements How to comply with those requirements



Historically, wastewater treatment started as risk reduction for human health and welfare, migrated to environmental risk reduction, and has now matured into resource recovery and revenue generation. Technology and common practices are in place to treat water as a sustainable resource; we simply can no longer afford to use it once and "throw it in the ocean" nor can we afford the liability of not treating water to our best abilities to protect human health and the environment. In this interactive online course, we will cover specifics, metrics, and detailed examples about recovery of the water from wastewater. We discuss how to manage the design of wastewater facilities to reduce environmental, personal, and public health risk from insufficiently treated potable and reuse water supplies. We will also show how to reduce costs in operation of a proper wastewater treatment plant.


Discuss how to manage the design of facilities to reduce environmental, personal, and public health risk from insufficiently treated potable and reuse water supplies Compare and contrast the water quality specifics, operational reliability, environmental safeguards, and public safety risks for recycle and recovery of wastewater as a secondary water supply and alternative potable water supply Calculate the reduced costs and decreased environmental risks of proper wastewater treatment Identify different design and operational strategies claiming to improve safety, reduce public health or environmental risks, or reduce costs


The treatment of wastewater is an important process that eliminates potentially harmful waste from entering our environment. When used effectively, land treatment systems can safely treat wastewater before it enters our ground water. This 1 hour interactive online course addresses operation and maintenance of the three types of land treatment systems, slow rate, overland flow, and rapid infiltration, and discusses how they differ in the rate that water is applied. All three land treatment systems use vegetation and soil percolation as methods to treat wastewater. Each type of system is used as each situation warrants. This course may be used to prepare additional operations and maintenance manuals, providing valuable information that may be used to understand the operation and maintenance of land treatment systems. At the conclusion of this course, you will be armed with all the knowledge and skills to design basic land treatment systems and to further your study in this important field.


Discuss three basic land treatment systems used to treat wastewater before it enters the ground water Explain what types of areas, land, and terrain are appropriate for each type of treatment system Describe how wastewater is treated in slow rate land treatment systems Identify the various environmental health dangers present in wastewater that present a risk to drinking water supplies Recognize percolation qualities and mass constituents Identify hydraulic loading rates Discuss frequency of monitoring sites for Nitrogen and Phosphorous Explain how chemicals are used to suppress odours in storage ponds


Hazardous waste can exist in liquid, solid or slurry forms. It may originate in a current manufacturing process or from clean-up of an abandoned site. This course will review the background and design considerations for different methods of treating hazardous waste.


Analyze five major sectors of chemical treatment for industrial and municipal wastewater streams, sludge and solids, and learn how they are utilized Differentiate between four major types of physical treatment processes and summarize how they are used Discuss the important factors and concepts in biological treatment, along with processes and types of reactors used Describe the steps involved in incineration, main factors controlling incineration effectiveness, and effluent standards for incineration State the methods and mechanisms utilized in stabilization Describe five emerging technologies used in hazardous waste treatment


Onsite wastewater treatment systems enable millions of people who do not have access to public sewage and treatment plants to treat household effluent by safely cleansing the wastewater and returning it to the environment. However, faulty treatment systems can contaminate the surrounding environment, spreading contaminants and disease that may pollute groundwater reservoirs for generations. This 4 hour interactive online course is based on Chapter 2: Management of Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems, from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems Manual. This chapter is intended as an informational guide to management of these systems, a key element in maintaining the health of the public and the environment.


The elements of a successful program: specific goals, public education and outreach, system maintenance and monitoring, adequate legal enforcement, and funding The types of management entities: federal, state, and tribal agencies, local government agencies, special-purposed districts and public utilities, and private management entities The components of management programs: legal responsibilities, public health and resource protection goals, system planning, performance requirements, public education, and site design and construction Financial assistance programs and financing options for the construction of wastewater treatment systems: government grants, loans, bonds, and property assessment



Many households live in rural areas that do not have access to public water or sewer systems. They must get their fresh water from private wells, and treat their household wastewater effluent using onsite wastewater treatment systems. Treating wastewater aids in the safe recycling of water to the environment; however, faulty systems can contaminate the surrounding environment, spreading contaminants and disease that may pollute groundwater reservoirs for generations. This 4 hour interactive online course is based on Chapter 4: Treatment Processes and Systems, from the Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems Manual published by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. This chapter is intended as an informational guide to understanding the various types of onsite wastewater treatment systems and their treatment uses and capacities.


Recognize the difference between conventional (soil based or subsurface wastewater infiltration) systems or SWISs, and alternative wastewater treatment systems, such as sand or media filters Be familiar with SWIS designs, applications, and performance Have a better understanding of design and construction considerations according to the site and wastewater characteristics Be familiar with the operation, maintenance, and monitoring of SWISs Know the function, construction, operation, and maintenance of septic tanks Have a better understanding of sand media filter designs, applications, and performance


Maintaining water quality is critical for health, safety, and welfare of the general population served by the supply facilities. In this interactive online course, we will present key information regarding the critical parameters for drinking water quality. The primary parameters include microbiological, physical, and chemical. If you are in the design, engineering, maintenance, or operations areas of these facilities, this information will be critical to successful operation.


Recognize the primary parameters involved in maintaining drinking water quality Explain the differences between microbiological, physical, and chemical parameters Identify the potential impacts to health, safety, and welfare of the population being served with respect to drinking water quality Describe the key principles involved in maintaining acceptable parameters for drinking water


The Clean Water Act (CWA) protects Waters of the United States (WOTUS) by prohibiting the discharge of dredged or fill materials without a Section 404 permit. This training provides general guidance for which waters are considered WOTUS, and the requirements for obtaining a Section 404 permit.


Define the term “Waters of the United States” Describe the purpose of Clean Water Act Section 404 permits Describe the difference between General and Individual permits Describe the Section 404 permit application process Describe the requirements for discharging dredged and fill material in waters of the United States Identify and describe common practices to avoid impacts to wetlands, and other aquatic resources Describe the compensation options for unavoidable impacts


Many industrial processes, including the production of pulp, paper, and board products, require large volumes of water. Governments require these facilities to collect and treat their effluent streams in order to protect the environment. The sewer and effluent system is responsible for collecting all of the effluents present on site, which may include process effluent, sanitary effluent, and surface water runoff effluent. This module describes process sewers and effluent collection systems and the purpose of primary, secondary, and tertiary effluent treatments.


Describe process sewers and effluent collection systems Identify and describe safety hazards and safe work practices associated with sewers Identify and describe key equipment Differentiate between process sewers and sanitary sewers Describe the purpose of primary, secondary, and tertiary effluent treatments List parameters monitored by instrumentation in the sewer and effluent system


It’s understood that drinking water should be suitable for human consumption and for all usual domestic purposes. So, what is suitable drinking water? Ideally, drinking water should not contain any microorganisms known to be pathogenic or capable of causing diseases. It should be free from chemical contamination, and it should have the right physical properties. In this interactive, online course, we will discuss key information regarding drinking water monitoring and security required to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the general population being served by water supply facilities. We will discuss the minimum parameters recommended for monitoring drinking water, and the surveillance process and products used for monitoring water quality. We will also discuss the types of threats to facilities, and types of physical security elements that may be put into place to help protect these facilities.


Identify the minimum parameters for monitoring to ensure the safety of drinking water supplies Identify the various systems utilized for monitoring drinking water facilities Describe different types of water monitoring products used to monitor drinking water distribution systems Identify the security measures involved in protecting drinking water facilities Describe the operation and maintenance requirements for monitoring and security systems that ensure safe drinking water


Safe drinking water supplies are crucial to the health, safety, and welfare of society. In this interactive, online course, we will discuss key information regarding water treatment technology of drinking water, including characteristics and capabilities of water treatment processes, source water quality, distribution system considerations, and residuals management. Technical personnel in the design, engineering, maintenance and operations areas of facilities will find this information critical to the successful operation of drinking water related facilities. This course addresses critical factors that affect health, safety and welfare of the population being served by the water treatment system.


Discuss the various requirements for water treatment to ensure the safety of drinking water supplies Describe the principles behind major treatment processes used to ensure the safety of drinking water supplies, including coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, flotation Identify the methods used for media filtration related to water treatment Discuss the requirements for special water treatment processes- chemical disinfection, precipitation, natural treatment



Proper storm water management is critical to ensure safe drinking water for all of us. In addition, the EPA can levee substantial monetary fines as well as criminal prosecution for violators of EPA storm water regulations. This course will discuss the environmental impacts of storm water runoff, the NPDES storm water program, and the elements of a storm water pollution prevention plan.


Identify pollutant sources that may affect the quality of storm water discharges associated with manufacturing facilities and construction activity Select prevention strategies for storm water pollution Recall the federal requirements for storm water runoff for manufacturing facilities and construction sites List who is required to get NPDES permit coverage Name the required element in a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan Match the rules and responsibilities in a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan


This 1 hour interactive online course presents the latest information on nutrient removal from storm water. Storm water management is receiving increased scrutiny because of EPA Phase II storm water regulations, and nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus are among the chief storm water concerns. All of the information presented is available in more detail from public and vendor reports and websites. Understanding storm water management and nutrient removal is an essential skill for engineers, scientists, developers and regulatory authorities. A test will be presented at the end of the course.


Sources of storm water Nutrient concerns General nutrient removal Treatment systems for nitrogen removal Treatment systems for phosphorus removal Sources for more information


Understanding storm water management is an essential skill for engineers, developers and regulatory authorities. This 2 hour interactive online course reviews the basics of storm water management, which is receiving increased scrutiny because of EPA Phase II storm water regulations. Most of the information presented is available from public reports and vendor websites. This course is presented in two sections.


List sources of storm water Explain regulatory driving forces behind storm water mitigation Discuss discharge options Identify pollutants of concern Demonstrate preliminary treatment design



This 3 hour interactive online course describes a number of the Low Impact Development (LID) methods that have been proposed. It includes information on applicability, design considerations, limitations, maintenance considerations and pollutant removal effectiveness of these methods. The course is based on guidance provided by the US EPA.


Recognize the characteristics and applicability of seven different LID methods including: bioretention (rain gardens), on-lot treatment, infiltration trenches, vegetated filter strips, green roofs, porous pavement and grassed swales Explain the design considerations for the seven different LID methods Identify the limitations to use of each of the seven different LID methods Discuss the maintenance considerations for each of the seven different LID methods Discuss potential pollutant removal effectiveness for each of the seven different LID methods


This 3 hour interactive online course leads the student through evaluation and design of stormwater treatment systems. Stormwater management is receiving increased scrutiny because of EPA Phase II regulations. It is assumed that the student already has a working knowledge of stormwater management, either through prior experience or the Introduction to Stormwater Management training course.


Regulatory driving forces behind stormwater management Design criteria and assumptions Preliminary treatment design including: identification of target constituents; identification and evaluation of potentially appropriate control technologies; suggested methodology for evaluating control technologies; selection of preferred control technologies Sources for more information


This 2-hour interactive online course describes the available filters and media, how to design a treatment system using these filters and provides an example of the type of treatment that can be anticipated. While these filters were developed to solve problems in the Northwest, they have also been approved and used on the East Coast and elsewhere. The advantages of this system include relatively small cost compared to other systems, ease of maintenance and very small areas compared to detention ponds. The author is an engineer that has designed systems using these filters but has no financial or other interest in the company that manufactures the filters.


Understand the basic hydraulics associated with filter cartridge treatment of storm runoff Know what different types of filter media are available and understand the parameters surrounding the selection of media Understand how to compute the mass load (total amount of sediment) reaching a stormwater treatment system Understand one method to determine the removal efficiency of detention basins Understand how to size a treatment system based on mass loading, peak flows and flow volumes


Effective Groundwater Supply Management is essential if groundwater resources are to remain viable for the foreseeable future. Groundwater Management is a rapidly evolving discipline that is incorporating ever more factors into the evaluation of principles that will ensure that no harmful effects arise from the utilization of this resource while ensuring that all potential resources that can be maintained are used to satisfy an ever-increasing demand. This interactive online course will present a history of Groundwater Management from its beginnings in the middle of the last century through the present day. Current parameters and environmental factors of concern will be outlined.


Identify the basics of groundwater management techniques Describe the concept of safe groundwater yield Compare and contrast the safe yield concept and the sustainability concept Identify the environmental factors that determine groundwater withdrawal rates Identify basic components of groundwater flow Recognize basic groundwater flow equations Identify types of aquifer material Identify aquifer parameters such as porosity, yield, storage, and hydraulic conductivity


Operators can play an important role in controlling the amounts of impurities that are released to the environment. It is, therefore, important for operators to have an understanding of current environmental regulations and preventive practices. This training module focuses on these regulations and the operator's role in controlling industrial pollution.


Define air pollution Explain the steps taken to minimize pollutants released into the atmosphere Define water pollution Describe the general objectives for wastewater treatment and the methods used to accomplish them Describe the methods used to monitor emissions and the methods used to sample and test wastewater


Pulp bleaching is usually accomplished using a series of chemical treatments. The chemicals and the order in which they are used make up a "bleaching sequence." One of the main goals of bleaching is to mitigate the environmental impact it has on the environment. This ½ hour online training course will focus on the environmental concerns associated with pulp bleaching including water and energy use, resource conservation, air emissions, and wastewater quality.


Describe environmental concerns and considerations for bleaching Describe AOX and its environmental impacts Describe pulp bleaching wastewater quality concerns and typical controls Describe air emissions and controls Explain how water use is conserved in the bleach plant and why Identify and describe the factors that impact bleach plant energy use


Approximately 40% of the world's drinking water is drawn from wells, and in some locations, like in the Pacific Southwest, 80% of potable water is drawn from aquifers. Groundwater is an easily accessible resource, and this accessibility is also its biggest threat. Contaminants above ground and underground can easily seep into aquifers. There are a large variety of contamination sources, both natural and man-made. Similarly, there are a wide variety of remediation techniques to properly treat contaminated aquifers. Throughout this course, engineers, architects, planners and contractors will learn about the most common contamination sources and the industry best practices used for groundwater aquifer remediation.


List the 6 main categories of groundwater contamination sources Describe at least 3 common sources of groundwater contamination Given a specific contaminant, identify the best suited remediation technique to safeguard the health, safety and welfare of the public Define the three general strategies used for cleanup and remediation of groundwater aquifers


Lead contamination of drinking water is a major topic of concern across the country, particularly in areas with aging lead pipes. Lead contamination in Flint, Michigan; Washington, DC; and Newark, New Jersey, has focused attention on America's decaying pipes. At least $384 billion of improvements are needed to maintain and replace essential parts of the country's water infrastructure to through 2030, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. While these improvements are underway, treatment technologies can be utilized to significantly limit the migration of lead into the potable water supply. This interactive online course will describe these technologies and opportunities for implementation.


Describe the effects of lead contamination on the human body Describe how lead gets into drinking water Discuss how to prevent lead contamination in water Describe phosphate treatment technologies for potable water systems Describe the issues surrounding the Flint, Michigan event


The tool allows users to build a plant, select contaminants and observe emissions. Toxchem is mainly used for estimating VOC air emissions from wastewater collection, preliminary/primary/secondary treatment and disposal facilities. The site specific wastewater characteristics, contaminant properties and the process design and operating information are used to estimate VOC emission rates. In addition to air emission estimates, Toxchem can also be used to estimate the concentrations / loads of contaminants in the water effluent, or oil and residual solids streams. Toxchem is based on fundamental mass transfer equations and mass balances including the removal mechanism of stripping and volatilization, biodegradation and sorption. Thus, it can also be used to determine the fate of any synthetic chemical compounds for which the physical, chemical and biodegrading properties are known. Typical applications could be in assessing the fate of chemicals for the REACH legislations in EU or studying the fate of Endocrine Disrupting Compounds in wastewater treatment plants.

Unit Processes:

Influents Collection Equalization/Storage Preliminary Treatment Biological Treatment Solids Digestion Dewatering Air Treatment Biosolids Handling Effluent Miscellaneous


Build a Layout – simply drag the unit processes onto the drawing board to lay out your plant; drag the connections between the unit processes to define the flows Customize - change the process images on the drawing board to your own custom pictures; change the labels of the processes and / or stream connections to easily identify locations; move the connection paths around to make the layout easier to follow; various stream types (wastewater, air, oil, sludge) are coloured to easily differentiate between them; edit the colours to suit your preferences; customizable mass transfer properties to more accurately evaluate variations in process design View Results - Use the on-screen summary dashboards to quickly view the most important information about your layout; background colouring behind the unit processes on the drawing board allow you to easily visualize the emission values at every spot throughout your plant; use the wizards to choose exactly what you'd like to export to an Excel report Unit Processes - An unmatched number of unit processes to build comprehensive process layouts Models - State-of-the-art models to simulate different volatilization, adsorption and biodegradation mechanisms pH Dependent - New pH dependent volatilization models to evaluate the effects of pH on air emissions Different Biokinetic Rate - Different biokinetic rate values for aerobic, anaerobic & anoxic zones within Biological Nutrient Removal Plants (BNR) Auto-Calculate - reduction in active biomass availability for biodegradation of organic compounds as solids retention time increases Backsolver - Easily reverse engineer an allowable headworks concentration given a downstream concentration limit; quickly develop local limits for metals or organic contaminants as part of contaminant source reduction programs or sewer use control bylaws Sensitivity Analysis - studying the relationship between input parameters and model results

Contaminant Database

Experience a broader modelling capability with Toxchem's comprehensive contaminants database which includes the compound properties as specified in the EPA WATER9 model database and an extensive array of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs). Toxchem includes an extensive database of semi-volatile and volatile organic compounds (VOC) and their relevant properties for stripping, sorption, biodegradation, etc. The database also includes a suite of metals so that the fate of a number of metals, including mercury and silver, can be followed through both liquid and solids handling processes. Applications can include tracking metals from influent wastewater through clarifier underflows, dewatering and drying processes, and incineration. If a desired VOC isn't present or you wish to experiment how different properties affect the emission rates, you are able to create your own organic chemical compounds and modify the properties accordingly.
NPDES Wastewater Discharge Permits Wastewater Treatment And Reclamation: Asset Or Liability Wastewater: Land Treatment Systems Hazardous Waste: Treatment EPA Onsite Wastewater Treatment: Systems Management EPA Processes And Systems Drinking Water Quality - Critical Parameters Clean Water Act Section 404 Permits Process Sewers And Effluent Collection Drinking Water Quality - Monitoring And Security Drinking Water Quality - Water Treatment Technology Storm Water Management: Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) Advanced Stormwater Treatment: Nutrient Removal Stormwater Management: An Introduction Stormwater Management: Low Impact Development (LID) Advanced Stormwater Treatment: Design Storm Water Treatment Using Stormfilter Cartridges Effective Groundwater Supply Management Environmental Awareness Pulp Bleaching Environmental Considerations Aquifer Remediation Lead Contamination Of Public Water Systems Toxchem - Predict And Report Toxic Emissions
Full range of dynamic modelling and simulation tools, detailed plant designing, and operator training courses delivered online with Certification and Director Approved CEUs.