Wastewater Management

Certificate: Wastewater Basic Operations Course

North Country will offer the 90-hour Basic Operations course this September on the Saranac Lake campus, after Labor Day. The course will be presented in 14 modules by both wastewater operator experts and wastewaterr engineers and will incorporate in-person presentations, laboratory training, and supportive elements on our learning platform. The classes will be in-person with some virtual opportunities.

An extensive supportive math element is included as part of the training, to help the students understand the formulas needed to run a wastewater facility.

The cost of the program will be $975 dollars, not including books. Visits to local wastewater treatment facilities are also part of the course. 

All classes will begin at 8 a.m. and end at 5 p.m.

Basic Operations course Modules

(Each module is approx. 8 hours)

1. Intro to wastewater treatment  [Sept 20] 

2. Preliminary and primary wastewater treatment   [Sept 21]

3A. Secondary wastewater treatment process pt. 1    [Sept 27]

3B. Secondary wastewater treatment pt. 2    [Sept 28]

4A. Advanced wastewater treatment pt. 1 suspended growth   [Oct 4]

4B. Advanced wastewater treatment pt. 2 activated sludge [Oct 5]

4C. Advanced wastewater treatment pt. 3 [Oct 11]

5. Disinfection and effluent disposal    [Oct 18]

6. Solids management    (Bob Fischer) [Oct 19]

7. Equipment and support systems [Oct 25]  

8A. Monitoring and regulation requirements [Oct. 26]

8B. Lab procedures and computer applications [Nov 1]

9. Management and supervision of plant operations   [Nov 2]

10. Final exam, Next steps, preparing for the ABC exam and beyond  [Nov. 9]

Students who successfully finish the Basic Operation course will satisfy a prerequisite to take the ABC exam, and depending upon their experience and education level, will be able to begin their journey to become a certified wastewater operator.

There are many openings for wastewater operators at the local, regional and national level. The average starting salary in New York State for wastewater operators is in the range of $52,000 annually.

For more information, please contact us.