Protecting Our Water Supply

Posted on Monday, January 8th, 2024

There are few things more precious in the world than clean water. Canada has been blessed with an abundance of fresh water, including the Great Lakes, but to ensure the water that Canadians drink and use on a daily basis is safe, technicians are needed to effectively manage water and wastewater.

Algonquin College’s Pembroke campus will be offering a Water and Wastewater Technician diploma program for the first time in the fall of 2024. Many of the graduates will find work within municipalities, wherever there are water treatment plants.

Two Algonquin College students take water samples as part of a research project.

Algonquin College students take water samples as part of an applied research project.

The field of water and wastewater management emerged after the Walkerton water tragedy of early 2000. An e-coli outbreak at the Walkerton water plant resulted in the deaths of seven people and many more people became critically ill. The Ontario government ordered an inquiry, leading to much more rigid safety standards. Today, the small community that become the focal point of the inquiry is home to the Walkerton Clean Water Centre which offers research, training and testing services.

Since the centre opened in 2004, it has trained more than 80,000 people in clean water management, serving both urban and rural areas of the province. The tragedy and the creation of the centre has shone a spotlight on career opportunities within this important public safety field. Students in the Water and Wastewater program will learn about preventing waterborne illnesses, how to manage industrial waste and the operation of off-site wastewater treatment units.

In addition to their theory courses, students will have plenty of labs and field work, where they will be exposed to industry standard equipment and subject matter experts who will help understand the operation of mechanical systems. These applied learning experiences will prepare graduates to work as water and wastewater treatment operators, compliance officers, water analysts within municipalities or government operations and lab assistants in private and public research and monitoring laboratories.

Two Algonquin College students working in a pond as part of an applied research project.

Students in the Water and Wastewater program will find employment working in both public and private sector industries where water sampling is need to protect the public.

The role is detail oriented and involves plenty of team work. It requires individuals who are conscientious and committed to public safety and because the program is a compressed diploma, offered over 12 months instead of a traditional two year delivery format, the student timetable will be full. The program will have a lot of instructional time each week.

The primary admission requirement for the program is a high school diploma with successful completion of grade 12 English. However, having a strong foundation in math and sciences will help students succeed. The college offers free academic upgrading classes in Math, Chemistry and Biology to eligible Ontario residents, for anyone interested in the program but who feels they could use some additional preparatory courses to be better prepared.

Applications for the Water and Wastewater Technician program are available now at www.ontariocolleges.ca. More information can be found on the Pembroke Campus website at www.algonquincollege.com/pembroke.

(Post by Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs at Algonquin College’s Pembroke Campus)

 

 

 


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