Water Plant Operation Training Planned

Water Plant Operation Training Planned
Monday, December 14, 2020

JCC plans to conduct drinking water certification training at its Cattaraugus County Campus in Olean and North County Center in Dunkirk later this year.

“The Cattaraugus County Department of Health approached JCC recently about conducting wastewater and drinking water certification training for water treatment plant operators,” said Holger Ekanger, vice president of workforce readiness. “The Chautauqua County Department of Health joined those discussions, confirming a need for local training. In turn, we are bringing a program to our area that allows participants to stay closer to home for training.”

The sessions meet from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The fee is $1,795 per person for Grade A training and $695 per person for Grade D training.

Grade A - Water Operator classes meet August 3, 6-7, 10-11, 14, and 17-18 in Dunkirk and September 8, 10-11, 15, 17-18, and 21-22 in Olean. Operator qualifications and responsibilities, water quality control, coagulation, sedimentation, filtration, pH and alkalinity adjustment, iron and manganese removal, and water softening and chlorination are examined.

Participants will also learn about bacteriological laboratory techniques, emergency planning, safety, hydraulics and pumps, process calculations, and distribution system operation and maintenance.

Grade D - Water Operator, training designed for operators of distribution systems serving greater than 1,000 people, focuses on pressure zones, booster stations, storage tanks, fire protection and disinfection. Classes will be held June 9, 11, and 16 in Olean and July 13-14 and 16 in Dunkirk.

 “These offerings are the first step in addressing our counties’ training needs in this area,” Ekanger remarked. “The next step is to provide the wastewater treatment training using local sources. We are working on that availability and hope to have an announcement later in the year.”

For more information or to register for a program, call JCC’s workforce readiness office in Olean at 716.376.7506 or Dunkirk at 363.6500.