Course Outline

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This course is part of the Water Treatment Certificate Program.

INSTRUCTORS: 
Lee H. Odell, P.E., M.ASCE
Peter H. Kreft, P.E.

This course is part of the Water Treatment Certificate Program.

Purpose and Background

This course provides a thorough understanding of the major unit processes used in water treatment, including chemical, physical, and biological processes. Several case studies throughout the course will illustrate how water utilities are incorporating multiple chemical, physical, and biological treatment processes into their water treatment plants. At the conclusion of this course, you will have a thorough understanding of the theory of the processes, as well as the real-world application of each unit process.

Benefits and Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Identify and understand the twelve most important chemical, physical, and biological processes used in water treatment.
• Describe the four most important chemical reaction types for water treatment.
• Explain the five most important physical treatment processes in water treatment.
• Evaluate the ten most common contaminants removed by biological filtration.
• List the four most important factors of the carbonate system, and the nine most common chemicals used to adjust it.
• Explain five kinds of contaminants removed by aeration.
• Assess eleven kinds of contaminants removed by anion exchange and seven kinds of contaminants removed by cation exchange.
• Compare reactions and kinetics for nine different oxidants and disinfectants.
• Research how chemical, physical, and biological processes work together in nine different case studies.

Assessment of Learning Outcomes

Achievement of the learning outcomes by attendees will be assessed through (3) exams.

Who Should Attend?

• Civil engineers engaged in water treatment design
• Operation staff
• Consulting engineers

How to Earn your CEUs/PDHs

This course is worth 2.4 CEUs/24 PDHs. To receive your certificate of completion, you will need to complete (3) exams and receive a passing score of 70% or higher.

How do I convert CEUs to PDHs?

1.0 CEU = 10 PDHs [Example: 0.1 CEU = 1 PDH]

Course Outline

Week 1: The Fundamentals of WT Processes: Physical, Chemical, and Biological
Course and Week 1 Introduction
Overview of Water Characteristics
Water Contaminants
Learning Exercise
Chemical Water Treatment Processes
Physical Water Treatment Processes
Biological Water Treatment Processes
Learning Exercise
Conclusion

Week 2: Water Chemistry – Kinetics & Reactions
Introduction
Chemical Reaction Kinetics
Catalysts and Chemical Equilibrium
Acids and Bases
Learning Exercise
Ionization
Buffering and Buffer Intensity
Learning Exercise
Conclusion

Week 3: Water Chemistry – Carbonate Systems & Coordination Chemistry
Introduction
Carbonate System
Ligands and Organic Complexes
Precipitation and Dissolution Reactions
Polymers used in Water Treatment
Learning Exercise
Oxidation Reduction Reactions
Corrosion
Iron and Chlorine Chemistry
Learning Exercise
Conclusion

Week 4: Physical Water Treatment Processes – Mixing Precipitation and Clarification
Introduction
Mixing Flocculation
Settling and Flotation
Models of Mixing and Clarification
Learning Exercise
Precipitation and Lime Softening
Learning Exercise
Conclusion
Exam: Week 1-4

Week 5: Physical Water Treatment Processes – Filtration and Separation Processes
Introduction
Screening
Granular Media Filtration
Alternative Granular Media Filtration
Learning Exercise
High Pressure Membranes
Filtration Models, Bench and Pilot Testing
Learning Exercise
Conclusion

Week 6: Adsorption, Ion-Exchange and Gas Transfer
Introduction
Absorption
Adsorption
Learning Exercise
Ion Exchange
Aeration, Ozonation and other Gas Transfer Processes
Learning Exercise
Conclusion

Week 7: Physical/Chemical Water Treatment Processes – Disinfection, Oxidation and Precipitation
Introduction
Disinfection and Oxidation
Chlorine, Chloramine, and Chlorine Dioxide Reactions
UV Reactions
Learning Exercise
Electrochemical
Permanganate and Ferrate
Advanced Oxidation
Learning Exercise
Conclusion

Week 8: Biological Processes – GAC and Filtration
Introduction
Biological Treatment Processes for Surface Water
Biological Treatment Processes for Groundwater
Contaminants Removed by Biological Treatment in Surface Water
Learning Exercise
GAC as a Biological Treatment Media
Ozone and Biological Filtration
Biological Activity on Slow Sand Filters
Learning Exercise
Conclusion
Exam: Week 5-8

Week 9: Biological Processes – Iron, Sulfide, and Nitrogen
Introduction
Biological Treatment of Groundwater
Biological Removal Organisms
Nitrate Removal
Learning Exercise
Iron and Manganese Removal
Sulfate Removal
Biological Removal of Other Contaminants
Learning Exercise
Conclusion

Week 10: Biological Processes – Other Contaminants
Introduction
Identifying Opportunities for Biological Removal
NOM and DBP Precursor Removal
Chlorate and Perchlorate
Learning Exercise
Bromate and Chromate
Selenium Removal
Learning Exercise
Conclusion

Week 11: Distribution System Reactions
Introduction
Chemical Reactions in the Distribution System
Physical Changes in the Distribution System
Biological Changes in the Distribution System
Learning Exercise
Conclusion

Week 12: Combining Treatment Processes
Case Studies - Introduction
Conventional Filtration Case Study
Case Study: BAC Filtration
Case Study: Slow Sand Filtration
Case Study: Membrane Filtration
Learning Exercise
Case Study: Lime Softening
Case Study: Adsorption
Case Study: Ion Exchange
Case Study: DAF & BAC
Case Study: Groundwater Treatment for Nitrate, Chromate, Uranium & Other Contaminants
Learning Exercise
Conclusion
Exam: Week 9-12

This course is now running on-demand rather than to a live schedule, making it easier to fit into your life.

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Schedule

This course outline is subject to change.

Week 1: Water Treatment and Water Contaminants

Learning Outcomes:

• Assess chemical processes used in water treatment
  • List the processes and where they apply in WT
  • How are these used in a WT plant?
• Recognize physical processes used in water treatment
• Explore biological processes used in water treatment

Topics:

• Overview of water characteristics
• Water contaminants
• Chemical water treatment processes
• Physical water treatment processes
• Biological water treatment processes
• Summary of water treatment

Week 2: Water Chemistry – Kinetics & Reactions

Learning Outcomes:

• Differentiate between first and second-order chemical reaction kinetics
• Explore catalysts role in chemical reactions
• Describe chemical equilibrium
• Compare acids and bases
• Define weak acid-weak base reactions
• Define strong acid-strong base reactions
• Recognize multi-protic acids and conjugate bases
• Calculate pH for various mixtures and reactions

Topics:

• Overview of water characteristics
• Water contaminants
• Chemical water treatment processes
• Physical water treatment processes
• Biological water treatment processes
• Summary of water treatment
• Charge balancing
• Strong acid-strong base reactions
• Weak acid-weak base reactions
• Multi-protic acids
• Conjugate bases
• Calculating pH for various mixtures

Week 3: Water Chemistry –  Carbonate Systems & Coordination Chemistry

Learning Outcomes:

• Differentiate between open and closed carbonate systems
• Predict reactions to the carbonate system when solids are present or not
• Recognize organic ligands and complexes
• Explore precipitation and dissolution
• Interpret pourbaix diagrams
• Investigate reduction/oxidation reactions
• Assess corrosion reactions
• Explore iron chemistry
• Describe chlorine chemistry

Topics:

• Carbonate system chemistry
• Ligands and organic complexes
• Precipitation and dissolution reactions
• Pourbaix diagrams
• Oxidation and reduction reactions
• Corrosion chemistry
• Iron chemistry
• Chlorine chemistry

Week 4: Physical Water Treatment Processes – Mixing, Precipitation and Clarification

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand mixing goals
• Understand coagulation’s role in clarification
• Understand settling and flotation
• Understand precipitation and lime softening
• Identify models used for mixing, coagulation, and settling

Topics:

• Mixing in water treatment
• Mixing with sweep flocculation
• Particle physics with coagulation
• Settling dynamics
• Flotation dynamics
• Mixing models
• Coagulation models
• Settling and flotation models
• Precipitation and lime softening

Week 5: Physical Water Treatment Processes – Filtration and Separation Processes

Learning Outcomes:

• Recognize filtration and separation processes
• Visualize media filtration dynamics
• Investigate membrane separation dynamics
• Explore alternative filtration dynamics
• Interpret models used for filtration and separation

Topics:

• Media filtration
• Low pressure membrane processes
• High pressure membrane processes
• Slow sand filtration
• DE filtration
• Filtration models
• Bench and pilot scale testing

Week 6: Adsorption, Ion-Exchange and Gas Transfer

Learning Outcomes:

• Differentiate between absorption and adsorption
• Explore adsorption process applications
• Differentiate between cation and anion exchange
• Investigate gas transfer concepts
• List gas addition to water applications
• List de-gassing applications

Topics:

• Absorption and adsorption
• Adsorption process applications
• Cation exchange, anion exchange, and demineralization
• Gas transfer
• Aeration, ozonation, and gas addition
• Degassing applications

Week 7: Physical/Chemical Water Treatment Processes - Disinfection, Oxidation and Precipitation

Learning Outcomes:

• Assess disinfection and oxidation
• Identify disinfectants and oxidants
• Explore where oxidants are used
• Recognize where disinfectants are used
• Describe disinfection and oxidation by-products

Topics:

• Disinfectants used in drinking water
• Oxidants used in drinking water
• Chlorine reactions
• Chloramine reactions
• Chlorine dioxide reactions
• UV reactions
• Ozone reactions
• Electrochemical reactions
• Permanganate reactions
• Ferrate reactions
• Advance oxidation reactions

Week 8: Biological Processes – GAC and Filtration

Learning Outcomes:

• Define biological processes used in water treatment
• Identify biological processes in biological filtration
• Explore biological activity on GAC media
• Recognize biological activity on ozone BAC filters
• Describe biological activity on slow sand filters
• Assess biological activity control measures in filters

Topics:

• Biological activity on GAC filters
• Biological activity on biologically active rapid sand filters
• Biological activity on slow sand filters
• Biological activity control measures

Week 9: Biological Processes – Iron, Sulfide & Nitrogen

Learning Outcomes:

• Compare autotrophic and heterotrophic bacteria
• Explore iron bacteria processes and organisms
• Assess sulfide bacteria and processes
• Investigate nitrate and nitrite bacteria and processes
• Recognize ammonia bacteria and processes

Topics:

• Autotrophic and heterotrophic bacteria
• Biological iron removal
• Biological treatment of hydrogen sulfide
• Ammonia oxidizing bacteria
• Nitrate and nitrite biological reactions
• Denitrification systems

Week 10: Biological Processes – Other Contaminants

Learning Outcomes:

• Describe where biological processes are being used
• Identify contaminants that can potentially can be removed biologically
• Assess natural organic removal
• Interpret DBP removal
• Compare chlorate and perchlorate removal
• Articulate bromate removal
• Explore chromate removal

Topics:

• Contaminants amenable to biological treatment
• Natural organic matter removal
• Trace organics removal
• DBP removal
• Chlorate and perchlorate removal
• Bromate removal
• Chromate removal
• Selenium removal

Week 11: Distribution System Reactions

Learning Outcomes:

• Identify chemical reactions in the distribution system
• Assess the impact of physical changes in the distribution system
• Describe biological changes in the distribution system

Topics:

• Chlorine in the distribution system
• Chloramine in the distribution system
• Corrosion reactions
• Temperature and ORP
• Calcium carbonate precipitation and dissolution
• Aluminum precipitation
• Aeration, ozonation, and gas addition
• Lead in the distribution system and premise piping
• Pipe scale
• Metals release from physical and chemical changes to scale
• Biofilm reactions
• Iron bacterial reactions
• Sulfide bacterial reactions

Week 12: Combining Treatment Processes

Learning Outcomes:

• Analyze treatment processes in conventional filtration
• Evaluate treatment processes in BAC filtration
• Recognize treatment processes in slow sand filtration
• Investigate treatment processes in membrane filtration
• Describe treatment processes in lime softening
• Assess treatment processes in adsorption processes
• Explore treatment processes in ion exchange

Topics:

• Case study: conventional filtration
• Case study: BAC filtration
• Case study: slow sand filtration
• Case study: membrane filtration
• Case study: lime softening
• Case study: adsorption
• Case study: ion exchange
• Case study: DAF & BAC
• Case study: groundwater treatment for nitrate, chromate, uranium, & other contaminants

This course outline is subject to change.

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