Water Distribution Technology Certificate

Program Overview

This program provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to operate and maintain public drinking water distribution systems. It covers topics such as water hydraulics, pumps, safety, disinfection, drawings, electrical concepts, water distribution, water sources, regulations, and laboratory procedures. Upon completion, students are prepared for entry-level positions in the water industry.

Program Outline

Outline:

• WTECH 181 - Water Hydraulics (3 Credits):
Covers water hydraulics fundamentals; principles of liquids flowing in closed, rigid conduits: Bernoulli's Equation and head losses; pressure, velocity, flow relationships
• WTECH 182 - Pumps and Pumping Systems (3 Credits):
Covers theory, construction, maintenance, and troubleshooting of pump systems; pump curves; pumps in parallel and series
• WTECH 183 - Utility Worker Safety (3 Credits):
Provides an overview of safety and hazard awareness related to the water, wastewater, and environmental service industries; includes principles of recognizing hazards; incident investigation techniques; proper body mechanics; PPE; confined space entry and electrical safety principles
• WTECH 184 - Disinfection and Chemical Feed Systems (3 Credits):
Covers theory of disinfection; types of chemical used; calculation of chemical feed rates to maintain desired residual levels: and troubleshooting and maintenance of chlorine feed systems
• WTECH 187 - Drawings and Manuals (3 Credits):
Explains how to use plan and profile drawings used by water distribution personnel: reading, dimensioning, scaling and symbols and specifications; blueprint math, use of measuring tools, basic surveying techniques, global positioning systems(GPS), mapping programs, etc
• WTECH 188 - Water and Wastewater Electrical (3 Credits):
Covers theory and electrical concepts used in various electrical components found in water and wastewater utilities; includes theory, safety, electrical circuits, transformers, motors, variable frequency drives (VFDs) and programmable logic controllers(PLCs)
• WST 180 - Water Distribution (3 Credits):
Explores water distribution components of public water systems; pipelines and appurtenances, distribution pumps, and reservoirs; and storage facilities
• WST 183 - Water Sources (1 Credit):
Presents water resources and supplies used for public consumption
• WST 184 - Water Regulations (2 Credits):
Reviews federal, state and local drinking water regulations and guidelines.

Careers:

Upon completion of the program, students are prepared for entry-level positions operating and maintaining public drinking water distribution systems.