Process and ChemicalMunicipal Wastewater Treatment Works Operation
A sewage works is a biological process that must keep working while its incoming load varies through the day, rises without warning during rain and occasionally arrives with something that should never have been discharged to a sewer. This course covers operating it. Delegates work through the treatment sequence and what each stage is for, beginning with screening, grit removal and the primary settlement that protects everything downstream. Activated sludge is covered in operational detail: aeration control, mixed liquor concentration, sludge age and the settlement problems that follow from getting them wrong. Alternative biological processes including trickling filters and ponds are addressed. Nutrient removal is covered where consent requires it. Secondary settlement and effluent quality follow. Sampling, testing and reporting against a discharge consent are addressed. The course closes on wet weather operation, on process recovery after a shock load, and on the offences a works can commit.
Course objectives
- Explain what each stage of the treatment sequence achieves
- Operate screening, grit removal and primary settlement
- Control aeration, mixed liquor concentration and sludge age
- Diagnose bulking, foaming and other settlement problems
- Operate trickling filters, ponds and nutrient removal where used
- Sample, test and report against a discharge consent
- Manage wet weather flow and recover the process after a shock load
Who should attend
- Wastewater treatment works operators and supervisors
- Municipal process controllers
- Environmental and compliance officers at utilities
- Engineers responsible for sewage treatment assets
- Laboratory staff supporting works operation
Course outline
- 01A biological process under a varying load
- 02Screening, grit removal and primary settlement
- 03Activated sludge and aeration control
- 04Mixed liquor, sludge age and settlement problems
- 05Trickling filters and pond systems
- 06Nutrient removal and secondary settlement
- 07Sampling, testing and discharge consent reporting
- 08Wet weather operation, shock loads and offences
Scheduled sessions
| Dates | Venue | Format | Price | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 to 11 December 2026 | Pretoria, South Africa | Classroom | R19,950 per delegate | Register Now |
| 28 December 2026 to 1 January 2027 | Lagos, Nigeria | Classroom | USD 1,325 per delegate | Register Now |
| 25 to 29 January 2027 | Harare, Zimbabwe | Classroom | USD 1,325 per delegate | Register Now |
| 8 to 12 February 2027 | Cape Town, South Africa | Classroom | R19,950 per delegate | Register Now |
| 8 to 12 March 2027 | Online | Online | R8,500 per delegate | Register Now |