Northern Virginia Wastewater Institute
Winter 2026
OPERATIONS WORKSHOP
February 3-6, 2026
1800 Limerick Street,
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Build your advanced wastewater operations knowledge and network with industry peers at the NOVA Regional Institute. Continuing professional education (CPE) credits will be provided for Virginia Professional Engineers and Operators.
In collaboration with the Northern Virginia regional water and wastewater authorities, AlexRenew is hosting a workshop for wastewater operations — geared towards wastewater operators pursuing certification and wastewater professionals interested in a career in operations. Courses and topics are designed to help operators better understand wastewater treatment processes, monitoring, and controls, so they can pass future certification exams. The goal of these workshops is to build a regional knowledge base to support our collective mission to protect the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay.
The workshops are being developed in conjunction with Hazen, led by and will include subject matter experts/guest lecturers from across the industry. Registration is available here. Please note that class size is limited to 50 total participants and there will be a fee of around $100 for each participant to help cover some of the costs of the workshop
ENROLL TODAY IN THIS EXCITING COURSE AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY
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Course Syllabus
Tuesday, February 3
8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Subject Area | Topic |
Wastewater Math | Mass Calculations |
SRT | |
F/M | |
Regulations and Permits | Monitoring Requirements |
Advanced Treatment (N and P removal) | |
Solids Handling and Disposal | |
Laboratory | Sampling |
| Preservation and Hold Times |
| BOD, Solids, and Microscopy |
Sample Test |
|
Primary Treatment | Overview |
Primary Effluent Concentrations, HRT | |
Activated Sludge/Nutrient Removal | Process Control |
Nitrogen Removal Process | |
Phosphorus Removal Process | |
Sample Test |
|
Wednesday, February 4
8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Subject Area | Topic |
Advanced Treatment | Membranes |
Solids Processing | Conditioning |
Thickening and Dewatering | |
Solids Stabilization | Aerobic Digestion |
Anaerobic Digestion | |
Composting | |
Sample Test |
|
Hydraulics | Hydraulic Profile |
| Head Calculations |
Equipment and Maintenance | Pumps |
| Blowers |
| Heat Exchangers |
Safety | Health |
Emergency Preparedness | |
PPE | |
Lock out/Tag out | |
Sample Test |
|
Thursday, February 5
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Subject Area | Topic |
Wastewater Math | Review (F/M, SOUR, SRT, VSR) |
Statistical Analysis | |
Mass Balance | |
Regulations and Permits | Negotiating Permits |
Notice of Violation | |
Reporting and Documentation | |
Laboratory | Bacteriology |
| Preservation and Hold Times |
| Nutrients, SOUR testing, QA/QC |
Sample Test |
|
Advances in Primary Treatment | Fine Screens, Cloth, and Media Filters |
CEPT | |
Activated Sludge/Nutrient Removal | Process Control |
Aeration Theory | |
Annamox | |
Advanced Treatment | Membranes |
RO | |
Ion Exchange | |
Sample Test |
|
Friday, February 6
8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Subject Area | Topic |
Disinfection | Chlorine |
UV | |
Solids Processing | Stabilization |
Aerobic Digestion | |
Thermal Hydrolysis | |
| |
Solids Disposal | Impact of PFAS |
Thermal Treatment Technologies | |
Class A vs Class B Disposal (note option for lime stabilization as backup on Class B) | |
Hydraulics Overview | Head Calculations |
Hydraulic Profiles | |
Asset Management |
|
Safety | OSHA |
Reporting Requirements | |
| |
Emergency Preparedness | Storms |
Cyber Attacks | |
| Power Outages |
Human Resources | Dealing with Unions |
| Personnel Issues |
| Scheduling |
| Interacting with the Public |
Sample Test |
|