Walkerton Clean Water Centre Releases Annual Report
WCWC is pleased to release its 2018–19 annual report, available online at wcwc.ca/en/about/governance-documents/.
The annual report highlights WCWC’s work to strengthen its programs to coordinate and provide education, training and information to drinking water system owners, operators and operating authorities, and the public, across Ontario. WCWC’s CEO, Carl Kuhnke, noted “WCWC trained, once again, a record number of water professionals while still maintaining a healthy bottom line financially. WCWC increases its cost-effectiveness every year.”
For more information about WCWC, please visit wcwc.ca or contact us at 866-515-0550 or inquiry@wcwc.ca.
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Mike Smith Appointed As Chair Of The Walkerton Clean Water Centre Board Of Directors
WCWC is pleased to announce the appointment of Mike Smith as the Chair of the board of directors.
Mr. Smith was formerly employed at Bruce Nuclear Power Development. He spent 23 years in Operations at the Bruce Heavy Water Plant and 16 years as a Senior Chemical Operator. After that position, Mr. Smith spent 10 years on site in the Nuclear Safety Training department developing and delivering safety training to plant personnel.
Mr. Smith served as an elected municipal official for 27 years. He served as Mayor of Saugeen Shores 12 years and Bruce County Warden in 2010 and 2011.
Mr. Smith is involved in the community and has served on a number of boards and committees, including the Bruce Community Development Corporation Board, Grey Bruce Public Health Unit (Chair), Saugeen Shores Police Services Board (Chair), and Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority.
WCWC looks forward to welcoming Mr. Smith and the knowledge and experience he will bring to the board of directors.
For more information about WCWC, please visit wcwc.ca or contact us at 866-515-0550 or inquiry@wcwc.ca.
Read MoreSmall System Fundamentals Course Launched
WCWC is pleased to release a new course designed for owners and operators of small non-municipal drinking water systems as defined under Ontario Regulation 170/03.
The course, Small System Fundamentals, includes a review of the characteristics of source waters, primary and secondary disinfection and challenges associated with treatment equipment commonly used in small drinking water systems. Participants will learn how to conduct monitoring and operational checks and the process for responding to Adverse Water Quality Incidents (AWQIs). Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in hands-on activities related to equipment maintenance, operational checks and AWQI follow-ups.
Small System Fundamentals replaces the course, Practical Training for Small Drinking Water System Owners and Operators, and meets the requirements for maintaining the Trained Person
designation and Continuing Education Units for Limited System Operators. Other WCWC courses that can be used to maintain the Trained Person designation include: Operation of Small Drinking Water Systems; Best Practices for Small Systems; and Small Systems Hands-on Workshop.
To register for any of WCWC’s upcoming training, please visit wcwc.ca/registration or contact us at 866-515-0550 or training@wcwc.ca.
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Small Systems Hands-On Workshop Coming To Huntsville
The Walkerton Clean Water Centre (WCWC) is pleased to be hosting a small systems hands-on workshop geared especially to the owners and operators of small systems defined under Ontario Regulation 170/03 and Ontario Regulation 319/08. The workshop will provide opportunities for training that can be used to maintain the Trained Person designation.
The workshop will consist of a choice of five training modules focusing on the operation and maintenance of small drinking water systems. Participants will choose three modules and rotate through sessions, earning 0.6 Continuing Education Units (CEUs.) Planned modules include:
- Completing Logbook and Logsheet Entries
- Sampling, Testing, Adverse Test Results and Corrective Actions
- Small System Filters
- Ultraviolet Disinfection Theory and Maintenance
- Well Maintenance
Modules are led by industry experts, including WCWC’s Small Systems Specialist, Stephanie Meades. Stephanie supports small drinking water system operators across Ontario, with a focus on Ontario Regulation 319/08 systems.
The workshop will be held on November 5, 2019, 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., in Huntsville. The
Participants at the 2018 Small Systems Hands-On Workshop
cost to register is $203.00 + HST.
For more information, or to register, please visit wcwc.ca/registration or contact us at 866-515-0550 or training@wcwc.ca
Read MoreManaging Legionella Risk In Buildings Through Water Safety Management Planning
The Walkerton Clean Water Centre (WCWC) co-hosted a course, Managing Legionella Risk in Buildings through Water Safety Management Planning. The course was presented by the private sector and federal and provincial partners to provide education on effective water safety management plans to reduce exposure to Legionella.
Course presentations are now available online on the Drinking Water Resource Library (DWRL) and will help building owners, facility managers, drinking water system owners and operators, public health inspectors and healthcare professionals better understand how to write effective water safety management plans based on the ANSI/ASHRAE 188 standard to manage the proliferation of Legionella in buildings.
T
he Drinking Water Resource Library was developed to provide easy access to trusted resources related to drinking water. The library consists of a catalog of documents and features multiple search functions to ease the research of information. This initiative is part of WCWC’s strategy to enhance the transfer of knowledge to owners, operators and operating authorities of Ontario’s drinking water systems. The DWRL can be accessed from wcwc.ca or at www.drinkingwaterresourcelibrary.ca.
Ninth Annual Maintenancefest A Success
The Walkerton Clean Water Centre (WCWC) hosted the ninth annual Maintenancefest in Walkerton on August 27 and 28, 2019.
Maintenancefest is a unique hands-on event that allows participants to cycle through six training modules of their choice, out of a total of 12 modules, earning 1.2 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) over the course of two days. Training modules included:
- Backflow and Cross Connection
- Basics of SCADA Programming
- Basics of Utility Locates
- Completing Logbook and Logsheet Entries
- Concrete Pressure Pipe Tapping Awareness
- Hydrostatic Pressure Testing
- Jar Testing
- Leak Detection
- Pressure Control Valves
- Unidirectional Flushing
- UV Maintenance
- Well and Well Pump Monitoring
Maintenancefest is one of the most popular training events delivered each year by WCWC. This year, more than 100 participants attended. Feedback was extremely positive and 92 per cent of survey respondents indicated they would recommend the event to others.
For more information on any WCWC training, please visit wcwc.ca, or contact us at 866-515-0550 or training@wcwc.ca.
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Brian Bates Joins The Walkerton Clean Water Centre as New Manager of Training and Development
The Walkerton Clean Water Centre (WCWC) is pleased to announce that Brian Bates has joined the team as Manager of Training and Development.
Brian has worked in the water treatment industry for more than 20 years, working with a variety of technologies, including membranes, dissolved air flotation
, filtration, sand ballasted floc reactors and conventional sedimentation. Most recently he has worked in product development and product management positions. Brian has a number of innovations, publications and patents to his credit.
Brian also has a passion for education and was Director of Product Development and Institutional Research at Fleming College, where he investigated demographic and labour market trends to support the strategic development of meaningful new college program offerings.
Brian possesses a B.S. degree in Environmental Resource Sciences from Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, holds an MBA from the University of Phoenix and joins WCWC from a large multinational water and wastewater solutions provider based in the United States.
WCWC CEO, Carl Kuhnke, is thrilled to have Brian join the WCWC team, “Brian’s diverse experience in both learning, and the private sector will enhance our capabilities greatly as WCWC moves into new and challenging areas to ensure owners and operators across the province are well-placed to manage their water systems. Our world is more complex every day.”
For more information about WCWC, please visit wcwc.ca or contact us at 866-515-0550 or inquiry@wcwc.ca.
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New Training Modules Added To Ninth Annual Maintenancefest
Due to the overwhelming response from clients, the Walkerton Clean Water Centre (WCWC) has added two new training modules to the lineup for the ninth annual Maintenancefest, August 27–28, 2019 in Walkerton, Ontario.
Maintenancefest is a unique hands-on event that allows participants to cycle through six training modules of their choice, earning 1.2 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) over the course of two days. Planned modules include:
• Backflow and Cross Connection
• Basics of SCADA Programming
Participants work on the Basics of Utility Locates module at the 8th annual Maintenancefest
• Basics of Utility Locates
• Completing Logbook and Logsheet Entries
• Concrete Pressure Pipe Tapping Awareness
• Hydrostatic Pressure Testing
• Jar Testing
• Leak Detection
• Pressure Control Valves
• Unidirectional Flushing
• UV Maintenance
• Well and Well Pump Monitoring
Maintenancefest will run 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. both days, with lunch provided. Register now at wcwc.ca/registration, or contact us at 866-515-0550 or training@wcwc.ca. The cost to register is $455.00 + HST. Space is limited so register today!
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Drinking Water Training Available For First Nations Communities
Walkerton Clean Water Centre delivering two courses, Managing Drinking Water Systems in First Nations Communities, and Entry-Level Course for Drinking Water Operators for First Nations
The Walkerton Clean Water Centre (WCWC), in partnership with Keewaytinook Okimakanak and the Ontario First Nations Technical Services Corporation (OFNTSC), is pleased to announce the launch of a new drinking water training course — Managing Drinking Water Systems in First Nations Communities. The one-day course focuses on components of effective drinking water system management, resources and practical tools. The target audience for this course is individuals in management and supervisory positions in drinking water and those interested in becoming managers and supervisors. Training will be provided at no cost to participants, including all associated expenses.
The first public delivery of the new course was held May 2, 2019 in Dryden with 13 participants attending the course. Feedback on the course was excellent with 100 per cent of the participants rating it as good or excellent.
The new course builds on WCWC’s success delivering the Entry-Level Course for Drinking Water Operators for First Nations, which was tailored to reflect the needs of drinking water system operators in First Nations communities. Each course delivery is a two-week initiative with one week of supervised self-study and one week of practical hands-on training. Since 2017, more than 100 Indigenous participants have successfully completed the course.
WCWC is committed to providing drinking water training and support to help equip First Nations communities to provide safe drinking water.
For more information on any of WCWC’s initiatives to support drinking water improvements in First Nations communities, please visit www.wcwc.ca/en/training/first-nations-zone/ or contact us at 866-515-0550 or training@wcwc.ca.
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Walkerton Clean Water Centre Hosts Students For Unique Training Experience
The Walkerton Clean Water Centre (WCWC) is proud to support postsecondary students across the province by providing practical hands-on training to complement their academic curriculum.
WCWC offers the three-day course, Operation of Conventional Treatment Processes, to students who are enrolled in the 15 Ontario colleges that include the Entry-Level Course for Drinking Water Operators — a mandatory course required by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks — as part of their curriculum. Students have the opportunity to improve their skills in pilot testing by:
- Operating a fully automated dual train conventional treatment pilot plant
- Conducting jar test experiments to determine the optimal dosage of coagulant
- Calculating and setting up a chemical feed system
- Monitoring and interpreting water quality and operating parameters
- Backwashing filters
- Practicing chlorine measurement and chlorine demand tests
This program was developed in 2007 and in 2011 it was refined and offered to all colleges that incorporated the Entry-Level Course for Drinking Water Operators into their curriculum. Training has been provided to more than 900 college students to date. Feedback from participants continues to be very positive. “I enjoyed the quality of the lab practice. The facilities are organized and designed in a way that is beneficial for practical learning,” reported one participant from Centennial College.
Another student, from Mohawk College, said “…very pleased this opportunity was given to the college, it is a priceless experience.”
For more information on WCWC training, please visit wcwc.ca, or contact us at 866-515-0550 or training@wcwc.ca.
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