Author: Alec Mackie

Advanced Water Treatment Operator Workshop, 9/30-10/2, Chino

Objectives:

Following this workshop, learners will be able to:

  • Outline the skills and knowledge that operators of advanced water treatment systems are required to have
  • Describe the reasons for implementing advanced water treatment systems
  • Describe the treatment processes that are associated with advanced water treatment
  • Describe the critical control points associated with advanced water treatment systems

Registration

Visit the CA-NV AWWA website to learn more and to register

Member $325 / Non-member $425

21 contact hours.

Location: Inland Empire Utilities Agency, 6075 Kimball Avenue
Chino, CA

Date/time: September 30 -October 2
8:00 am – 4:00 pm

 

Agenda:

Day 1
Introduction to advanced water treatment
Overview of skills and knowledge required of operators of advanced water treatment facilities
Treatment trains used for advanced water treatment
Advanced water treatment processes:Membrane filtration
Ozone
UV light
Advanced oxidation
Biological filtration/oxidation
Activated carbon

Day 2
Learning strategies as they relate to engaging advanced water treatment information.
Ancillary processes associated with advanced water treatment

Corrosion control
Manganese and iron removal
Critical control points
Regulator considerations
Critical control points and monitoring criteria
Pathogens removal
Trace organics and inorganics
Nitrogen removal
Total dissolved solids considerations

Day 3
Disinfection byproducts
Free chlorine disinfection
Ozone disinfection
Control systems
Critical control points
Multiple barrier approach to treatment and public health

This class is 8:00 am – 4:00 pm.
Earn up to 21 contact hours.
Instructor: Gina Dorrington

Due to our commitment to instructors, other students and materials, the following refund policy applies:
Requests for refunds must be made in writing and are subject to the following conditions: Full refund of fee paid (minus $50.00 handling fee) will be issued for cancellations received more than 15 days prior to class start date.  All fees are non-refundable thereafter.
Requests for transfers must be made in writing and are subject to the following conditions: Transfers are based on availability.  No transfer requests will be authorized if they are not received more than 15 days prior to class start date.
A 100% refund or credit of your registration fee will be issued if a class is cancelled by the Section.

Free Webinar, July 10th: AWTO™ Certification Orientation Webinar

We’re holding the AWT Operator Certification webinar once again.

The Future of Water is Here.
Get ready. Get AWTO™ certified!

Wednesday, July 10th
Noon to 1:00pm

Register for the webinar here

You will learn about:

  • AWTO Program Background
    Gordon Williams, EBMUD and AWTO Committee
  • AWTO Exam Sign-up Process
    Alec Mackie, CWEA
  • Audience Q&A
    Facilitated by Steven Garner, Certification Manager, CA-NV AWWA

We are now accepting applications for the AWT3™ certification exam. Click here to learn about the application process

We are now accepting applications for the AWT3 Certification Exam

The AWT Operator™ Certification program is kicking off and we’re ready to start taking applications for the exam.

Remember, to apply for the AWT3 exam you must current hold a Grade 3, California or Nevada issued operator certification (drinking water treatment operator or wastewater treatment operator).

Follow the steps on the Apply page.

The first step is to download the AWTO™ Candidate Handbook.

The future of water is starting now.
Get AWTO certified.

Good luck!

AWTO Program Development Timeline

AWT Operator Program

Tasks Completed
✔ AWTO™ Certification Committee formed
✔ Group of Subject Matter Experts identified and interviewed
✔ Job analysis completed
✔ KSAs finished for grades 3-5
✔ Minimum qualifications developed for grades 3-5
✔ Market research/forecasts written
✔ Business plan/budgets outlined
✔ CA-NV AWWA & CWEA Memorandum of Agreement signed
✔ Selected Dainis and Company as our exam development consultant
✔ Interview Subject Matter Experts (SME)
✔ Engage SMEs with item writing (exam questions)
✔ Creation of SME extraction document of all interviews
✔ Review Items
✔ Rate items based upon minimally competent operator answering correctly
✔ Determine passing score
✔ Create exam form (AWT3™)
✔ Create exam form (AWT4™)
✔ Create exam form (AWT5™)
✔ Develop candidate handbook
✔ Sign contract with computerized based testing provider

Tasks Ahead

⦾ Deliver first exams summer 2019

To stay up-to-date with each milestone, please sign up for the AWTO e-mail list >

Webinar: Announcing the Advanced Water Treatment Operator Certification Program

The Advanced Water Treatment Operator Joint Committee held a program overview webinar on Thursday March 14th. Topics included:

  • Welcome
    Toby Roy, Chair, AWTO Committee     (retired) San Diego County Water Authority
  • The value and benefits of obtaining AWTO Certification for the operators and their agencies
    Fernando Gonzalez, LA Sanitation
  • AWTO Program Development Background
    Yan Zhang, Long Beach Water Dept.

    • Information on the development of the AWTO Grades 3-5 certification program
    • The minimum qualifications for operators to take the exams and become certified
  • Exam process
    Alec Mackie, CWEA

    • Resources for learning about the treatment processes and range of knowledge included in the certification program
    • The process for applying and taking the exam
  • Audience Q&A with speakers
    Facilitated by Steven Garner, CA-NV AWWA

Presenters:

  • Toby Roy, retired, San Diego County Water Authority
  • Fernando Gonzalez, Plan Manager, Terminal Island WRP, LA Sanitation, City of Los Angeles
  • Yan Zhang, Senior Civil Engineer, Long Beach Water Department
  • Steven Garner, Certification Manager, CA-NV AWWA
  • Alec Mackie, Director of Communications, CWEA

Update on the AWTO Certification Program and Upcoming Webinar

Dear CA and NV Water Professionals,

After three years of significant effort, the California-Nevada Section of the American Water Works Association (CA-NV AWWA) and the California Water and Environment Association (CWEA) are prepared to launch the Advanced Water Treatment Operator Certification™ Program (AWTO™ Certification Program) and will begin offering certification exams for drinking water and wastewater treatment operators in California and Nevada by May 2019.

I would like to invite you to participate in a one-hour webinar Overview of the AWTO Certification Program on Thursday, March 14th at 11:00am. You can learn about:

  • The value and benefits of obtaining AWTO Certification for the operators and their agencies
    Toby Roy, Chair, AWTO Certification Committee and Fernando Gonzalez, LA Sanitation
  • AWTO Background
    Yan Zhang, Long Beach Water Dept.
    Information on the development of the AWTO Grades 3-5 certification program
    The minimum qualifications for operators to take the exams and become certified
  • Exam process
    Alec Mackie, CWEA
    Resources for learning about the treatment processes and range of knowledge included in the certification program
    The process for applying and taking the exam
  • Audience Q&A with speakers – 11:50-Noon
    Facilitated by Steven Garner, CA-NV AWWA

Thursday, March 14 11:00am to Noon
Webinar registration link >

The webinar will be recorded.

The webinar is appropriate for agency leaders, plant managers and water/wastewater operators. If possible, please plan to gather as a group in a conference room to view the webinar. We have only 100 log-ins available for the webinar.

AWTO Program Update

CA-NV AWWA and CWEA entered into two Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) on 12/15/17 and 11/29/18. Volunteers, staff and psychometric consultants collaboratively developed the new voluntary certification program.   The goals of the program are to:
Certify Advanced Water Treatment Operators to ensure they provide clean water and protect public health
Provide an advanced level certification program requested by water and wastewater agencies and State regulators
Maximize the safe use of water supplies in California and Nevada.
CA-NV AWWA and CWEA are completing an AWTO Candidate Handbook, which will be available by spring 2019.

Thank you to the AWTO program supporters

Development of a voluntary certification program is possible thanks to the strong interest and support from water and wastewater professionals, including:

  • Industry Supporters: California Urban Water Agencies (CUWA), American Water Works Associations (AWWA), Water Environment Federation (WEF), Water Research Foundation (WRF) and WateReuse California.
  • Water and Wastewater Agencies: Several water and wastewater agencies are providing funding (shown below) and their staff are participating in the development of the program.
  • AWTO Committee and Subject Matter Experts:  A committee of over 90 people worked diligently to provide direction for the program.  Subject matter experts volunteered their time to provide input on the job analysis, the knowledge, skills and abilities required of a qualified AWT Operator, and to develop exam content.
  • California State Water Resources Control Board Staff:  The CA State Water Board has an interest in the development of the certification program. CA Water Board staff provide input to ensure the program is compatible with the State’s interests in protecting public health.

Details on registering for the grade 3 AWTO exam are not ready yet but will be posted soon. We’ll send another message as soon as those details are posted.

I look forward to discussing the new AWTO certification with you during the March 14th webinar.

Sincerely,

Toby Roy

Chair, AWTO Certification Committee
(Retired) San Diego County Water Authority

Thank you to the AWTO Program Supporters

Free Webinar on March 14th: Overview of the AWTO Certification Program

Thursday, March 14 11:00am to Noon
Webinar registration link

The webinar will be recorded.
Please gather as a group in your agency’s conference room as we only have 100 log-ins available for this webinar.

  • The value and benefits of obtaining AWTO Certification for the operators and their agencies
    Toby Roy, Chair, AWTO Certification Committee and Fernando Gonzalez, LA Sanitation
  • AWTO Background
    Yan Zhang, Long Beach Water Dept.

    • Information on the development of the AWTO Grades 3-5 certification program
    • The minimum qualifications for operators to take the exams and become certified
  • Exam process
    Alec Mackie, CWEA

    • Resources for learning about the treatment processes and range of knowledge included in the certification program
    • The process for applying and taking the exam
  • Audience Q&A with speakers – 11:50-Noon
    Facilitated by Steven Garner, CA-NV AWWA

Webinar registration link

AWWA Releases Direct Potable Reuse Program Operation and Management Manual

The purpose of this standard is to define the critical requirements for the effective operation and management of a Direct Potable Reuse (DPR) water program.

ISBN: 9781613004739
Publisher: AWWA
Publication date: 2018
AWWA catalog no: STG_0086771
Media Type: PDF
Number of pages: 14
DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.12999/AWWA.G485.18

Agency reviewers included:

  • J.D. Brown, Contra Costa Water District, Concord, Calif.
  • S. Deshmukh, West Basin Municipal Water District, Carson, Calif.
  • M. Gasca, Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, Whittier, Calif.
  • T. Roy, San Diego County Water Authority, San Diego, Calif.
  • T.R. Slifko, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, La Verne, Calif

CA-NV AWWA and CWEA Sign Agreement to Work Together on the Future of Operator Certification

The California-Nevada Section of the American Water Works Association (CA-NV AWWA) and California Water Environment Association (CWEA) have signed a memorandum of agreement to jointly develop the Advanced Water Treatment Operator (AWTO) certification program.

The certification exams are expected to be ready in the spring of 2019. The certification will be open to all California and Nevada Grade 3 or higher drinking water treatment and wastewater treatment operators.

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