Online Course
Water Distribution Fundamentals
Protect finished water all the way to the tap: pressure zones and water age, mains and valves, storage tanks, pumps and pressure, water quality in the pipes, backflow, main work and the daily round.
Course Details
- Certificate
- 1.0 hour
- Time
- About 60 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
- Follow water from the plant to the tap: finished water entry, pressure zones, storage and flow, demand changes, fire flow and water age.
- Describe water main materials and layouts, isolation, control, check and air valves, valve exercising and asset maps.
- Run storage: ground, elevated and standpipe tanks, operating levels, turnover and mixing, overflow and drain paths, security and inspection.
- Explain booster stations, pump curves, system head, variable speed, lead and lag pumps, pressure control, surge and standby power.
- Protect water quality: disinfectant residual, temperature, turbidity and color, taste and odor, nitrification, biofilm, corrosion and sampling.
- Control cross-connections: backflow, backpressure, backsiphonage, hazard recognition, air gaps, backflow assemblies, records and incidents.
- Do main work safely: planned shutdowns, main breaks, site protection, excavation, repair and disinfection, flushing and return to service.
- Run daily operations: rounds, leaks, low-pressure and water-quality complaints, hydrants, SCADA checks, emergency communication and handoff.
What's Inside 8 parts, 72 pages
From Plant to Tap 9 pages
- Distribution Purpose
- Finished Water Entry
- Pressure Zones
- Storage and Flow
- Demand Changes
- Fire Flow
- Water Age
- Operator Responsibilities
- Checkpoint
Pipes and Valves 9 pages
- Water Main Materials
- Main Layouts
- Isolation Valves
- Control Valves
- Check Valves
- Air and Vacuum Valves
- Valve Exercising
- Mapping Assets
- Checkpoint
Storage 9 pages
- Why Store Water
- Ground Storage
- Elevated Storage
- Standpipes
- Operating Levels
- Turnover and Mixing
- Overflow and Drain Paths
- Security and Inspection
- Checkpoint
Pumps and Pressure 9 pages
- Booster Stations
- Pump Curves
- System Head
- Variable Speed
- Lead and Lag
- Pressure Control
- Surge and Water Hammer
- Standby Power
- Checkpoint
Water Quality 9 pages
- Disinfectant Residual
- Temperature
- Turbidity and Color
- Taste and Odor
- Nitrification Risk
- Biofilm
- Corrosion Control
- Sampling Context
- Checkpoint
Cross-Connections 9 pages
- Backflow Basics
- Backpressure
- Backsiphonage
- Hazard Recognition
- Air Gaps
- Backflow Assemblies
- Program Records
- Incident Response
- Checkpoint
Main Work 9 pages
- Planned Shutdown
- Main Break
- Site Protection
- Excavation Boundaries
- Repair and Disinfection
- Flushing
- Pressure and Bacteriological Checks
- Return to Service
- Checkpoint
Operations and Response 9 pages
- Routine Rounds
- Leak Indicators
- Low-Pressure Complaint
- Water-Quality Complaint
- Hydrant Operation
- SCADA and Field Verification
- Emergency Communication
- Complete Handoff
- Checkpoint
More Details
Who It's For
Drinking water distribution operators at any level 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.