Online Course
Lagoons and Small Wastewater Plants
Run a lagoon or small plant with confidence: how facultative and aerated lagoons treat wastewater, what to watch, how to fix common problems, how to care for berms and package plants, and how to discharge and work safely.
Course Details
- Certificate
- 1.0 hour
- Time
- About 65 minutes
- To pass
- 80% or better on the final
- Price
- Free in most places. $20, or $150 for a yearly pass in Alabama, Arizona, Idaho and South Carolina. See prices
For You
Pick your state or province to see if this course counts.
Your progress
Checking your course record…
What You'll Learn
- Describe small wastewater systems: facultative, aerated and controlled-discharge lagoons, cells and flow paths, package plants and baselines.
- Explain how a facultative lagoon works: bacteria, algae and sunlight, layers, bottom sludge, temperature, pH, detention time and loading.
- Run aeration and mixing: surface aerators, blowers and diffusers, partial and complete mix, DO, poor mixing and short-circuiting.
- Monitor and control the process: inspection routes, representative samples, flow and level, simple lab tests, sludge surveys and trends.
- Troubleshoot lagoon problems: odors, excess algae, duckweed, shoreline growth, burrowing animals, ice cover and turnover.
- Care for the site: berm condition, erosion, liners and leakage, freeboard, fences and signs, safe access, valves and preventive maintenance.
- Run package plants: daily checks, aeration basin appearance, settling, return and waste sludge, flow peaks, disinfection and failures.
- Read the permit, plan a controlled discharge, report results, keep logs, work alone safely and prepare for emergencies.
What's Inside 8 parts, 72 pages
Small Wastewater Systems 9 pages
- The Small-System Operator
- Facultative Lagoons
- Aerated Lagoons
- Storage and Controlled-Discharge Lagoons
- Lagoon Cells and Flow Paths
- Package Plants
- Influent Changes and Community Sources
- Building a Normal Operating Baseline
- Module 1 Checkpoint
How a Facultative Lagoon Works 9 pages
- Treatment by Bacteria
- Algae, Sunlight, and Oxygen
- Lagoon Layers
- Settling and Bottom Sludge
- Temperature and Seasonal Treatment
- pH and Biological Balance
- Hydraulic Detention Time
- Organic Loading
- Module 2 Checkpoint
Aerated Lagoons and Mixing 9 pages
- Why Aeration Matters
- Surface Aerators
- Blowers and Diffused Air
- Partial-Mix and Complete-Mix Operation
- Measuring Dissolved Oxygen
- Finding Poor Mixing
- Short-Circuiting and Flow Distribution
- Aeration Energy and Run Time
- Module 3 Checkpoint
Monitoring and Process Control 9 pages
- A Consistent Inspection Route
- Representative Sampling
- Flow, Level, and Weather
- Color, Odor, and Surface Conditions
- Simple Laboratory Tests
- Sludge-Depth Surveys
- Percent Removal
- Trends and Troubleshooting
- Module 4 Checkpoint
Common Lagoon Problems 9 pages
- A Structured Troubleshooting Approach
- Odor Investigation
- Excess Algae
- Duckweed and Floating Plants
- Weeds, Trees, and Shoreline Growth
- Burrowing Animals
- Ice Cover and Winter Operation
- Turnover and Sudden Change
- Module 5 Checkpoint
Berms, Liners, and Site Care 9 pages
- Why Berm Condition Matters
- Erosion and Wave Damage
- Liners and Leakage Signs
- Water Level and Freeboard
- Fences, Gates, and Signs
- Roads, Docks, and Safe Access
- Valves, Pipes, and Structures
- Preventive Maintenance
- Module 6 Checkpoint
Package Plants and Small Mechanical Plants 10 pages
- Treatment Through Activated Sludge
- Daily Package-Plant Checks
- Aeration-Basin Appearance
- Settling Observations
- Return Sludge
- Sludge Wasting
- Flow Variation and Equalization
- Disinfection and Chemical Safety
- Responding to Equipment Failure
- Module 7 Checkpoint
Permits, Records, and Safe Work 8 pages
- Reading the Permit
- Planning a Controlled Discharge
- Discharge Monitoring Reports
- Operator Logs and Handoffs
- Working Alone at Remote Sites
- Confined Spaces and Hazardous Energy
- Preparing for Upsets and Emergencies
- Module 8 Checkpoint
More Details
Who It's For
Wastewater operators at any level, especially at small systems, and people studying to become operators. No experience needed.
Format
72 narrated pages with short checks and a final. Built by a working wastewater operator (Washington Group III).
Where Does This Course Count?
A course counts toward your continuing education credit only once your state or province accepts it. Today our courses count in Alabama, Arizona, Idaho, South Carolina, where courses need no pre-approval, and we are asking more states. Ask us to add your state or province.
Do I Need an Account?
Yes, to take the course. Signing in lets us record your time and issue your certificate. This page, the topic pages and the practice questions need no account.
Can I Skip Ahead?
No. Each page has a minimum time before the next one opens, and your time is recorded.
What Do I Get When I Finish?
A certificate of completion from Operator Master for 1.0 hour, once you pass the final with 80% or better. Your operator certificate or license always comes from your state, not from Operator Master.