SDWA eLearning
This eLearning course focuses on 4 major areas needed by small systems to maintain and achieve compliance with the Revised Total Coliform Rule, including when and how to conduct the RTCR assessment, evaluation of sampling procedures, sources water treatment assessments, and evaluation of distribution system operations, and maintenance practices on coliform occurrence.
3-hour, self-paced
This eLearning course covers drinking water regulations and equips operators to properly operate and maintain water treatment facilities and distribution systems, thereby protecting public health. After completing the course, the learner will understand the origins and process for development of drinking water regulations and their importance in protecting public health, identify the meaning of commonly used terms and abbreviations in drinking water regulations, and be able to describe the multi-barrier approach to drinking water and its benefits to public health.
1-hour, self-paced
Growing concern about the presence of highly fluorinated chemicals (PFAS) and manganese in drinking water has brought increased recognition of broader emerging contaminants issues. Understanding the science, including the formation and transformation in the environment, is an important step toward remediation and prevention. This eLearning module will discuss the background, health effects, and formation of PFAS and manganese, their presence in drinking water, and EPA health advisories for these contaminants of concern.
This course focuses on the steps small systems must take to meet the existing Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) as well as the recent revisions to the LCR (LCRR).
The overriding objective of water treatment is the removal or inactivation of pathogenic micro-organisms to prevent the spread of waterborne disease. Yet it is almost impossible to disinfect water without forming DBPs, which can also have health risks. This course covers some of those health risks, as well as types, formation, regulatory requirements, and options to control disinfection byproducts resulting from the use of chlorine-based disinfectants, chloramination, and ozone disinfectants.
From the rivers of the Midwest to shallow ground water wells across the United States drinking water systems face a growing challenge from elevated levels of nitrate in source water. There are numerous water systems that do not realize that finished water has elevated levels of nitrate until they face a notice of violation. This course focuses on steps water systems can take to understand the challenge they face and begin to evaluate treatment and non-treatment alternatives appropriate to their local circumstances and budgets.
Growing concern about the presence of manganese in drinking water has brought increased recognition of broader emerging contaminants issues. Understanding the science, including the formation and transformation in the environment, is an important step toward remediation and prevention. This eLearning module will discuss background, health effects and formation of manganese, their presence in drinking water and EPA health advisories for these contaminants of concern.
AWIA eLearning - Cybersecurity, Emergency Response, and Risk & Resilience for Small Systems
America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) of 2018 was signed into law on October 23, 2018 and requires community (drinking) water systems serving more than 3,300 people to develop or update risk assessments and emergency response plans (ERPs). The EPA has developed newly released guidance, contained within these eLearning modules, to help small systems comply with AWIA.
As the introductory course in the Small Systems Resiliency Certificate Program, this course introduces the requirements for water utilities established by America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 (AWIA) and defines how the certificate program can help small systems to meet those requirements.
The second course in the Small Systems Resiliency Certificate Program, course content covers each aspect of security, field assessments of critical assets, and operational resiliency.
As the third course in the Small Systems Resiliency Certificate Program, the course guides small systems through developing a Risk and Resiliency Assessment with a worksheet designed for small utilities.
As the fourth course in the Small Systems Resiliency Certificate Program, the course guides small systems through developing an Emergency Response Plan (ERP) with the EPA ERP template.
The fifth course in the Small Systems Resiliency Certificate program, explains the importance of cybersecurity best practices for critical infrastructure and demonstrates how AWWA’s water sector cybersecurity risk management guidance and tool can help a utility identify gaps in current cybersecurity practices.
USDA Small Systems Training
Additional learning and funding opportunities with the USDA can be found at rd.usda.gov/programs-services/rd-apply.
This eLearning course is part of a special eLearning workshop series made possible through the collaboration of the American Water Works Association (AWWA), the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Partnership for Safe Water. This eLearning course is designed to complement the series of one-day, interactive classroom-style workshops that are being delivered to small system operators and managers across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Course participants will learn how to complete a system-wide self-assessment of five core areas of everyday operations. Based on the assessment, participants identify a priority area of improvement that may be eligible for USDA funding, learn how to develop a short project plan, and then learn how to contact/connect with USDA to get the funding process started. All participants receive dedicated, follow-up technical assistance and helpful documents from AWWA.
Stormwater Best Practices in Rural Communities will introduce participants to Stormwater Management goals, practice, tools and challenges specific to rural communities. The course will provide an overview of stormwater management programs in general, followed by more detail on Stormwater Regulations, System Operations and Maintenance (O&M), the Impacts of Development & Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) and Funding Sources for stormwater programs. After taking this course participants will be able to:
- Understand the need for and components of municipal stormwater management programs,
- Identify regulations relevant to their communities
- Define their stormwater conveyance system and develop routine O&M practices consistent with best practices
- Understand the benefits of GIS and Low Impact Development (LID) in managing the impacts of development in their communities
- Identify funding for stormwater O&M and capital projects through RD Apply
Please note that EL283 does not include a Certificate of Completion, due to it's general programming nature. This course is intended for those wishing to learn the overall basics of how water works as it moves from the source to your tap. The course will provide you with the general knowledge of the processes that take place your source water, within the water treatment plant, the distribution system, your own home, and wastewater facilities. This course will also allow you to identify key administrative processes within water utilities, and helpful management processes to create a sustainable water system.
Course Outline:
- Overview of Water from Source to Tap
- Water Sources and Contamination
- Water Treatment Operations
- Distribution Operations
- Wastewater process
- Sustainable Water System Management
Upon completing all 7 courses listed below you will be eligible for a certificate.
This course introduces the topic of Non-revenue Water, which occurs in all water utilities to some degree. Water often leaks from primary supply infrastructure and never reaches customers. Inaccurate customer water meters and billing errors result in uncaptured revenue. Such failures and data lapses are explained as sources of Non-revenue Water, which have multiple negative impacts to utility operations and finances, as well as disruption to reliable customer service.
Course Learning Objectives:
- Recognize sources of Non-Revenue Water in their system
- Define the components of Non-revenue Water using AWWA’s Water Balance
- Calculate the associated costs of Non-Revenue Water
- Analyze the operational, financial, and customer impacts that result from Non-revenue Water.
In this eLearning course, students will learn how to track the water that they manage using the Water Balance diagram, and how to place data in the AWWA Free Water Audit Software to compile the annual water audit. Guidance is given both on the use of the Software and the ways to get a representative quantity of the water audit components. Participants will also see how to transfer their water audit data into the AWWA Compiler Software Tool which allowing year-by-year trending.
Course Learning Objectives:
- Track the water you supply from source to customer using the Water Balance diagram.
- Download the AWWA Free Water Audit Software and the AWWA Compiler Software Tool
- Compile your annual water audit using the AWWA Free Water Audit Software
- Analyze your year-by-year water audit data using the AWWA Compiler Software Tool
This course is part of an eLearning program made possible through the collaboration of the American Water Works Association (AWWA), the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Partnership for Safe Water.
Course participants will learn about the Non-revenue Water performance indicators calculated by the AWWA Free Water Audit Software. The use and interpretation of these important performance indicators is explained, and reliable comparisons of utility performance are illustrated. AWWA’s performance indicators provide an improved way to target your water loss control efforts and track your performance in controlling Non-revenue Water.
Course Learning Objectives:
- Explain what performance indicators are and how they are used.
- Distinguish between the different types of performance indicators.
- Recognize that traditional percentage indicators are misleading.
- Define the AWWA Non-revenue Water performance indicators and their benefits.
- Assess the volumes and costs of Non-revenue Water in your water system reliably.
- Compare the performance indicators of your water system with other systems that compile an AWWA Water Audit
- Formulate the actions to take to address the greatest sources of Non-revenue Water in your system.
This course is part of an eLearning program made possible through the collaboration of the American Water Works Association (AWWA), the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Partnership for Safe Water.
Course participants will learn that accurate metering of production flows is highly important, in terms of managing water supplies, but also in providing accurate data to the annual water audit. Production flows are the largest annual volumes of water measured in the water utility, and they are measured by the largest flowmeters in the water system. It is critical that water utilities manage these assets reliably to produce accurate data, and this course provides detailed guidance on this activity.
Course Learning Objectives:
- Identify those water flows that are classified as production flows
- Recognize the critical importance of accurate production flow data to water accountability
- Distinguish the primary types of production flowmeters used in drinking water supplies
- Recall the basic ways to test production flowmeter performance and calculate the accuracy rating from typical testing data
- Recognize that production flowmeters are important assets that must be maintained, repaired, and replaced on a regular basis as part of good asset management
- Tabulate and Analyze production flowmeter data to observe flow trends and identify data errors and data gaps
This course is part of an eLearning program made possible through the collaboration of the American Water Works Association (AWWA), the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Partnership for Safe Water.
Course participants will learn about the harmful impacts of leakage on system operations and the excessive costs it creates. The rapidly advancing technologies of proactive leakage control and pressure management are giving water utilities the tools they need to keep leakage contained. It is critical that water utilities control leakage in their water distribution systems and this course provides detailed guidance on this activity.
Course Learning Objectives:
- Explain how leakage occurs in water distribution systems and the problems leakage causes
- Describe how leakage imparts direct and indirect costs on water utility operations
- Define proactive leakage management and its key activities
- Identify the ways to detect leaks and pinpoint them
- Assess your system’s pressure levels and potential for improved pressure management
- Determine the best actions to monitor and control leakage in your system
This course is part of an eLearning program made possible through the collaboration of the American Water Works Association (AWWA), the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Partnership for Safe Water.
Course participants will learn about the necessity of accurate customer metering, meter reading, and billing operations to ensure a reliable revenue stream. Utility policy on meter and billing can result in Apparent Losses just as inaccurate water meters and billing system errors can. It is important for water utilities to stay current with metering and meter reading technology and employ rational policies to optimize their revenue capture.
Course Learning Objectives:
- Explain the value of water and need for revenue
- Describe how utility policies can affect financial stability
- Explain how utilities meter customer water consumption and bill for this service
- List common water meters in use and types of meter reading systems
- Detail good meter management practices – accuracy testing and meter replacement
- Identify potential for billing errors and unauthorized consumption that siphon away revenue
- Tabulate consumption and billing data reliably to track revenue capture and flag errors
- Determine ways to improve metering & billing operations in your system
This course is part of an eLearning program made possible through the collaboration of the American Water Works Association (AWWA), the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Partnership for Safe Water.
Course participants will learn the ways to launch and keep their Non-revenue Water management program going for the long haul. This final course in the series brings together concepts from the first six courses and provides program management guidance including compiling the water audit every year and using its results to assist the planning, budgeting, implementation, and sustainability of the program. Creating a vision for the next five, ten, or more years is important to keep the program going and keeping Non-revenue Water controlled.
Course Learning Objectives:
- Demonstrate how Non-revenue Water will rise unless action is taken to contain it.
- Recall that the water audit allows you to track your loss volumes and costs each year.
- Assess Non-revenue Water levels and system conditions each year to set priorities.
- Identify technologies and methods that are effective in addressing losses in your system.
- Envision their system 5-10 years from now, and how they would like to see them operate then.
- Execute their planned loss control activities, monitor their progress, and adjust their actions as needed if losses are still excessive.
Additional Free eLearning Courses
This course is made possible through an USEPA grant for small systems training in conjunction with AWWA's training partner, the Environmental Finance Center.
This eLearning course consists of three modules to help you set the right rates for your water system. It is intended for people who make finance and management decisions on behalf of water systems, including board members and top managers.
2-hour, self-paced
Considering using a granular activated carbon system? Take this course to learn more about adsorption fundamentals and models you can use to optimize performance. You will find out how to download freely available models and how to begin basic operations. This course also covers advanced modeling with the pore-surface diffusion model (PSDM). Advanced modeling with variable influent and natural organic matter fouling will also be demonstrated.
Learning Objectives:
- Explain the fundamentals of activated carbon adsorption
- Identify how different parameters affect adsorption
- Describe how databases, performance modeling, and cost modeling can work together
- Determine whether modeling may be helpful for your system
- Perform a simple pore-surface diffusion model for an adsorption study
- Apply variable influents and model fouling with PSDM
- Run model with fouling and variable influent
EPANET is a software application used throughout the world to model water distribution systems. This course, adapted from EPA training, provides a comprehensive overview of the use of the application, it’s tools, features and benefits.
This course’s six (6) modules fall into two (2) topic areas: overview/background and applications.
The first module provides an overview and introduction to EPANET, which includes an (1) introduction to drinking water distribution systems, (2) background and history of EPANET, and (3) introduction to key terms and definitions in EPANET.
The second module goes more in-depth to cover EPANET’s modeling capabilities, which includes an (1) introduction to using EPANET to model a drinking water distribution system and (2) overview of the uses and applications of modeling.
The remaining four modules are exercises which explain basic example EPANET applications with step-by-step instructions to get users familiar with EPANET.
The four application exercises include (1) building an EPANET model, (2) performing a hydraulic simulation using demand driven and pressure driven analysis, (3) performing a water age analysis, and (4) performing a water quality chlorine analysis.
Course Learning Objectives:
- Recall key terms and definitions related to EPANET
- Discuss how EPANET runs simulations and calculates results
- Review EPANET’s history and how it can be practically applied
- Recognize why distribution system modeling is useful
- Describe different example EPANET applications
- Identify when EPANET can be applied to solve new problems
This course is made possible through an USEPA grant for small systems training in conjunction with AWWA's training partner, the Environmental Finance Center.
This eLearning course focuses on 3 major areas needed by small systems to achieve financial sustainability, including understanding enterprise funds and their revenues, and an overview of what is needed to protect public health through safe water.
2-hour, self-paced