by Elijah Lemieux
This article was published in the winter 2024–25 issue of our newsletter.
Not too long ago, I was studying for my wastewater exams. I took the Basic Wastewater Course (twice) when studying for my lower-level license exams, and I quickly recognized that I would benefit from a course for the higher-level exams, too. I knew I needed more training, but I didn’t know which classes to take.
Since then, I have joined the team at Vermont Rural Water and we’ve been designing a program of studies to help wastewater operators prepare for higher-grade exams. We are pleased to announce that starting in 2025, we will be offering a series of advanced wastewater classes.
Students in the fall 2024 Basic Wastewater Course tour the Montpelier Water Resource Recovery Facility.
We are calling this new offering the Advanced Wastewater Treatment Series, and it will be comprised of a curated menu of classes for operators who are looking to enhance their understanding of wastewater treatment. If you are preparing for a Grade 3, 4, or 5 wastewater exam, or are seeking a management position at a wastewater treatment facility, this series is for you. These trainings will also help wastewater operators keep up-to-date with advancing technology as plants become more complex.
This series is a work in progress so we haven’t finalized all of the topics yet. Our initial goal is to offer classes on clarifiers, digesters, activated sludge, disinfection and chemical addition, sequencing batch reactors (SBRs), and laboratory analysis.
How will the series work?
There is no formal enrollment in the Advanced Wastewater Treatment Series—just sign up for each class you want to take. Classes will have “Advanced WW Series” in the title. You are not required to take every class in this series.
Some classes will be in-person and some will be held on Zoom. They will range in length from 3 or 4 hours to multiple days. Like our other trainings, these classes will provide TCHs for license renewal.
We anticipate offering one class from this series every month or so. We are collaborating with expert instructors from around the country to provide you with the best training possible.
The Advanced Series will kick off in February 2025 with a class on BOD, ORP, and Sludge Production, and another in March on Septage and Toxicity. Both classes are taught by Michael Gerardi, a wastewater expert from Pennsylvania. Michael has been operating plants and troubleshooting wastewater treatment for 45 years. He has also been training wastewater operators for 35 years and has authored 11 books on wastewater biology.
Additional classes will be posted soon on our website. Some will be new classes that we haven’t offered before, and some will be new takes on existing classes, revised to meet the goals of this series. Register on our website at vtruralwater.org/training.
Why can’t you offer a course for higher-grade exams?
Operators seeking higher-grade licenses are frequently asking us for an advanced version of the Basic Wastewater Course. Why can’t we “teach to the test?” The higher-grade license exams encompass a wide range of topics and consist of very specific questions. The exams for grades 3, 4, and 5 become increasingly technical. Any one course could not cover the complexities required for these exams.
Instead, we are creating this series that includes classes on many of the topics required for the higher-grade licenses. This will allow us to dive deeper into individual topics with leading experts in the field.
It is our hope that operators will find this series helpful for preparing for higher-grade exams, and find the information useful for their work at wastewater facilities. Because this is new, we will work to refine and develop the series and appreciate your feedback.
If you have suggestions for future trainings, as always, please reach out to VRWA by emailing info@vtruralwater.org.