Private  Training

The 3-day "Water & Wastewater Foundations" and the "5-Day Math for Operators" courses are designed to improve math and science skills prior to a Certification course. They focus on those skills/concepts required in the water/wastewater industry. Math topics include: arithmetic operations; order of operations and calculator use; fractions; percentages and ratios; area and volume calculations; word problem strategies; dimensional analysis; metric conversion; dosages, flow rates and other industry calculations. Science topics: hydraulics, water chemistry, electricity and microbiology. The 5-day course allows more practice and hands-on experiments.

ATAP can bring our water and wastewater certification exam preparatory courses to your community, organization or industrial site. We offer Class 1-4 water and wastewater operator training with exam sessions. This training is fully accredited by the Saskatchewan Operator Certification Board. We also offer accredited entry-level and Class 2 courses in Manitoba and Alberta. Classes are available live online and in-person. ATAP has a large inventory of course materials and practice quizzes/practice exams to prepare students for challenging certification exams. Course lengths from one week to six weeks are available. ATAP can bring instructors to remote sites such as mines and other fly-in locations. Tutoring of small groups is also available.

This workshop is designed to review the use of bacteria in the treatment of brackish groundwaters that may not be easily treated using conventional treatment systems.  Biofiltration followed by RO membranes is fast becoming a common treatment option in the province.  The care and operation of the bio-filters is discussed as well as a half day discussion on membrane processes and maintenance.  This workshop is ideal for anyone interested in emerging technologies or working with a biofiltration plant. A two-day version of the workshop is available for clients who wish to have principles learned on first day demonstrated in a biofiltration plant on the second day.

This seminar/workshop is aimed at the water professional using chloraminated water in a rural water distribution pipeline as their source of potable water. Depletion and adjustment of chlorine residuals in rural pipeline distribution systems will be covered in detail. The training will outline the newest technologies being employed in residual adjustment and testing procedures. Examples of real situations and processes will be discussed. Topics include: chlorine curve, chloramination, chlorine residuals testing, BART test, and adjusting chlorine residuals.

The workshop includes definition; work standards and procedures required to comply with OH&S regulations; responsibilities; precautions; planned entry; emergency preparedness; safety equipment; standby workers; isolating; cleaning; adequate ventilation; gas testing and calibration; and job completion. This may be required for both water and wastewater workers.

This one-day workshop provides water and wastewater operators with the essential information for basic troubleshooting of their control systems. ATAP’s Electrical, Instrumentation and Programming technicians have extensive experience in the design of municipal infrastructure control and electrical systems, and have been directly involved from start to finish in engineering and construction projects. Workshop instructors are experienced with multiple programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and have worked with most of the popular Human Machine Interface (HMI) and Supervisor Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) packages. Workshop topics include: control system hardware, common terminology, PLC status indicators, metering a circuit, rationale for automation, communications and common SCADA screen navigation.

The workshop outlines: filtration, theory, filter media, backwash management, filter maintenance and diagnostic techniques as well as operational problems and maintenance solutions. It also provides an introduction to filters; purpose, construction, operational problems, corrective measures, improvements and repairs. Course consists of information so that operational staff will be able to provide effective filter maintenance and operational optimization. It will give the operators the required understanding and awareness to effectively operate and maintain their filters. They will be presented with material relevant to effectively operate the filters, explanation and examples of optimization and surveillance methods useful in operation and maintenance of filters.

The Gas Chlorinaton workshop provides attendees with a detailed explanation of why chlorine is used and with the skills required to have an understanding of chlorine gas chemistry, reactions, dosage and demand calculations, contact time, measurements, application, collect samples, handling and safety. This includes maintenance of gas chlorine feed equipment, chlorine tests, and facility requirements. Attendees will gain an understanding of chlorine equipment and proper operations, maintenance requirements, and proper safety practices. The workshop includes a practical session on container/cylinder changing, safety equipment usage, the hazards associated with working with chlorine gas, and startup and shutdown procedures.

Information resulting from fire hydrant flow tests is used to evaluate the general condition of the water distribution system and to determine maximum available flows in emergency situations, such as fires. This one-day workshop, will train water operators on the procedures and guidelines as established by the AWWA for field testing of fire hydrant flows.

Hydrants are a critical part of a community's distribution system and firefighting system. An operational understanding is required for fire fighters, street cleaners and water distribution operators. Safe operation of hydrants is emphasized with special consideration to preventing water hammer. This workshop provides an understanding of the impact of hydrant operation on the distribution system. A community may have a collection of various hydrants from many different eras and a detailed understanding of maintenance is required for extending hydrant lifetime. Both the half-day and the full-day workshops provide practical sessions . The half-day workshop is ideal for street-cleaning and firefighting staff, and the full-day workshop, which includes an extensive maintenance session, is suitable for water distribution operators.

This workshop covers proper hypochlorinator operation and maintenance, chlorine terms and definitions, chlorine dosage calculations, sample collection procedures and interpretation of analysis results, as well as responding to test results. The course will also provide detailed information on chlorine chemistry. The relevance of this training is to provide operational staff with the ability to monitor, prepare solutions and complete records for hypochlorite disinfection systems with the aim of staying in compliance with drinking water regulations Proper chlorine calculations, analysis and coliform monitoring procedures to maintain water quality monitoring requirements are taught. Maintenance of the feed system will be covered. Equipment section presents operation and maintenance of pumps, injectors, solution tanks and tubing.

The workshop is presented to provide operators with the skills required to identify the causes and sources of iron and manganese in the water system; the problems caused by their presence; removal processes; manganese greensand system operation, maintenance and safety; and methods of optimizing filter performance. Many water systems have problems due to iron and manganese in the water supply which causes colour, odours, and staining problems. Manganese greensand system operation and maintenance will be reviewed and methods of optimizing filter performance taught. Operators will also be taught safe handling of potassium permanganate.

The jar test is a means of modeling a plant's flash mix, flocculation, and sedimentation processes in a one- or two-litre sample of raw water. Seeing the results of adding a range of concentrations of chemicals to a bench scale model allows the operator to select the best concentration within the range tested. He or she can then calculate the plant scale feed rate and set the plant up to operate at that best rate dosage. This one-day workshop includes theory in the morning session (coagulation, flocculation, and sedimentation; calculations; lab instrumentation and methods; water chemistry; determination of optimum dosages; and alternatives to jar testing for coagulation control). During the afternoon, each attendee will conduct a complete jar test.

This workshop covers in detail the aquatic environment of a wastewater lagoon and the respective characteristics of aerobic, anaerobic and facultative ponds. Also covered are the theory and function of lagoon operation, lagoon design, development of proper lagoon O&M programs, as well as review of the Provincial Environmental Regulations. Calculations related to loading and discharge are demonstrated.

This workshop covers the important aspects of preventative maintenance which will assist the operator in keeping their facility in top condition and minimizing emergency repairs. Topics that will be covered will be inspection schedules, completing drawdowns to determine pump capacities, inspecting electrical components and stocking of critical spare parts. Other areas that will be discussed include maintenance, valve and pump maintenance, work order systems, and documentation and regulations pertaining to wastewater collection systems.

Understanding the function of the equipment and process is vital to the proper operation and maintenance of a water treatment plant. This workshop will review the basic principles of membrane filtration and the parameters that affect its operation. The workshop will review the fundamentals and practical aspects of membranes. Topics included: raw water quality and its impact on pre-treatment and on membrane selection, pre-treatment, membrane operation, water quality analysis, system operation including backwash/flushing and clean-in-place procedures, system maintenance, instrumentation/controls, record keeping and review of SDS sheets. A two-day version of this workshop is also available which provides added "hands-on" training onsite in a water treatment plant.

This one-day workshop will provide water operators with information on potable water reservoir design, water quality regulations & monitoring techniques, problems associated with water storage, preventative operations & maintenance, methods of reservoir disinfection & cleaning, and daily reservoir operations, including seasonal changes.

This one-day workshop will provide practical information on the operation and maintenance of pumps and valves utilized in municipal water and wastewater systems including: types of pumps; starting, stopping and priming pumps; maintenance of pumps; troubleshooting pumps; critical pump parts; types of valves; applications of valves; records; common issues; valve exercise programs; tools, and stem maintenance; and types of maintenance programs. Video on valves, pumps and lock out/tag out will be included.

This workshop provides an overview of testing parameters in water and wastewater systems. There will be discussion of who and what is being protected and why, detailed instructions on good sampling techniques and the importance of timing and on the use of certified laboratories, overview of lab methods, discussion of each of the major parameters in the Canadian Guidelines, discussion of Cryptosporidium & Giardia and their lifecycles, choice of sample sites and pipe break scenarios, and chain of custody.

This workshop provides an overview of testing parameters in water and wastewater systems. There will be discussion of who and what is being protected and why, detailed instructions on good sampling techniques and the importance of timing and on the use of certified laboratories, overview of lab methods, discussion of each of the major parameters in the Canadian Guidelines, discussion of Cryptosporidium & Giardia and their lifecycles, choice of sample sites and pipe break scenarios, and chain of custody. The full day course will provide an opportunity for participants to try the analytical equipment and learn best practices for taking water and wastewater samples.

This workshop is designed to assist plant operators in developing their own standard operating procedures for routine maintenance and operation of water and wastewater treatment plant equipment. The importance of developing a preventative maintenance schedule and documentation for succession planning will be highlighted. The difference between Standard Operating Procedures, Contingency Plans and Emergency Planning will be explored and templates for basic plans will be provided. Contingency Planning for critical events such as electrical outages, process upsets and source water upsets are discussed in detail.

Workshop includes collection system overview; component descriptions, normal operations; problems and preventative measures/corrective actions; inspections; maintenance and safety considerations. Instruction includes mechanical treatment plants, lagoons, controls, pumps, equipment and building maintenance. The course will provide information so that operators should be able to monitor, observe and respond to changes in conditions within the collection systems and lagoon treatment facility.

This workshop surveys the pathogenic organisms that are potentially present in water sources and covers a variety of water disinfection methods, both for primary and secondary disinfection. Operators will learn to understand the rationale behind various sampling requirements and protocols, and the disinfection options available, along with an appreciation of the multi-barrier approach to water treatment.

The workshop will look at water quality requirements for water entering storage reservoirs and distribution systems as well as the requirements at the furthest part away from the source. The effects of the system on water quality degradation and customer response will be discussed. Descriptions and maintenance of major system components will be presented. These will include pumps, motors, controls, storage reservoirs and water mains. The options regarding pipeline preventative maintenance will also be presented. Time for discussions and question/answer will be allowed at the end of the session.

This workshop is presented to provide the operational staff an opportunity to learn procedures, materials and equipment necessary for swabbing, environmental issues in discharging effluent, quality control and monitoring, and swabbing safety issues. The workshop will also include instruction on the potential health risk from distribution systems that harbour bacteria. A two-day version of the workshop is available and can be cordinated with swabbing work in your community.

The workshop will provide water operators, administrators, and supervisors with information on continuing operations of a potable water system or wastewater system during necessary upgrades. The workshop will cover safety, including lock-out tag-out site security, emergency and contingency planning, as well as traffic control while projects are underway. The roles and responsibilities of the community, staff, and contractors will be explored, and a deeper understanding of project management will be discussed. This course is to assist municipal staff in effectively communicating with contractors, to aid in planning required training for personnel, and to adequately document changes as they occur in the system.

Municipal councils/staff are often faced with difficult problems related to public works in their communities. These challenges involve juggling diverse factors such as fiscal restraints, liabilities related to provincial regulations and municipal bylaws, public relations, operations and maintenance schedules/budgets, and asset management. Indeed, public works is a major portion of any municipal budget. Furthermore, these issues often require specialized, technical knowledge. In times of crisis, such as during a Boil Water Order, these issues can prove very demanding and stressful to the decision makers of a community. Among the topics included are: roadway maintenance and signage; water and sewer systems including overview of responsibilities of Municipalities as outlined under the Provincial Acts, Regulations and Guidelines; landfills; public transportation; shops, equipment, and maintenance; and airports.