Introduction to Microscopic Examination of Wastewater

(1.4 OR & WA Wastewater CEUs)

Due to financial constraints, many facilities are operating above design capacity and with aging equipment and infrastructure. At the same time, because of a heightened focus on water conservation and water quality, wastewater treatment operations are facing increasingly stringent discharge permit limits. As a result, complex treatment technologies, such as biological nutrient removal (BNR), are frequently incorporated into new designs and plant upgrades. The narrow margin built into today’s permits require us to closely monitor and control operational changes and challenges to avoid permit violations.

Microscopic examination of wastewater is an excellent tool for identifying a wastewater treatment process’ “health and condition”. Frequent microscopic examinations can provide valuable information about the condition of the microorganisms in the various phases of the treatment process and allow the operator to identify changes that may cause a plant upset or permit violations. Often changes to the microbial conditions can be observed much earlier than physiochemical changes can be detected in the laboratory or visually in the field. Every wastewater treatment facility has its own unique set of challenges, but the basic principles of phase contrast microscopy do not change. A trained professional is capable of identifying what is going on in a system within a few minutes.

Our two day “Introduction to Microscopic Examination of Wastewater” workshop is designed for wastewater technicians and operators as well as laboratory personnel.

This class explains

• essential functions of the microscope as well as its parts, maintenance, set up, operation, and troubleshooting
• morphology of aquatic organisms
• microbiological staining techniques
• protozoans (ciliates, flagellates, and amoebas) and Metazoans (rotifers, water bears, Annelids, and Nematodes)
• identification of Norcadioforms, Mircrothrix Parvicella, and other filamentous organisms as well as their impact on wastewater operations and control measures for their mitigation.
• floc structure and its overall effects on solids separation problems and foaming

• alkalinity and volatile acids and how these chemical parameters affect wastewater biology and vice versa.

• nitrification / denitrification and introduces the principles of the biological degradation of nitrogenous components present in wastewater.

This “Introduction to Microscopic Examination of Wastewater” workshop will provide you with essential skills to successfully operate your wastewater facility, succeed in your career, and obtain or maintain your wastewater operator certification.

1.4 Wastewater CEUs have been approved for Oregon and Washington.