To better understand our extensive experience and education, please see the degree explanations below.
Water Supply Technology
The Water Supply Technology program prepare students, along with appropriate operating experience, provides a foundation for positions with responsibilities beyond the entry level. Professional in these fields make daily decisions that protect public health and the environment. Graduates are employed by those who operate and maintain water treatment, water distribution; primarily municipalities such as water and/or sewer districts, counties, cities, towns, states and some federal agencies. Private water systems and industries that operate their own facilities may also employ graduates.
Water Supply Technicians are responsible for purification and distribution of drinking water that is taken from a natural source. There are two major careers in this field.
- A Water Treatment Operator monitors, operates and maintains drinking water purification plants. Duties include maintenance of equipment, including pumps, valves and mechanical devices; conducting chemical analyses of water to assess the effectiveness of the treatment process; and maintaining related treatment records.
- A Water Distribution Technician is responsible for seeing that treated drinking water is distributed to where it will be used by the public, by industry, and for fire fighting. Drinking water reaches its destination through a broad network or pipes under cities and towns. Additional responsibilities include installation, maintenance and repair of this primarily underground equipment.
Wastewater Technologists are responsible for the operation and maintenance of wastewater collection systems and/or wastewater treatment plants – facilities where wastes are removed to make water suitable for return to the environment. There are two major careers in this field.
- A Wastewater Collection System Technician operates and maintains wastewater plumping stations; and inspects, maintains, and repairs underground pipelines that carry wastewater to treatment plants. They utilize specialized equipment including high-pressure pipeline cleaning machinery and closed-circuit television pipeline inspection devices.
- Wastewater Treatment Operators monitor, operate and maintain treatment plant equipment, perform laboratory analyses of wastewater, and utilize a variety of information to control the wastewater treatment process. Maintenance of equipment including pumps, valves and mechanical drivers is also included in operator responsibilities. Generating written reports is also important.