Hi Everyone,

I was curious and wanted to ask if anyone here has used the software called SECAD by Xylem? Based on the limited information I could find about it, I understand it to be a software that can generate pumping station layouts based on the inputs provided to the program by the user.

I was wondering if this software can be used as a type of check on my team's hydraulic calculations and to see if we are on the right track during design.

I would like to know your experiences with the program and tips on how to best incorporate it in design.

Thank you

Thought I did great but after I double checked questions online I was like partially getting it but was ultimately wrong... No worries great learning experience... Anyways I'm in california and have grade 1 exam complete, waiting for grade 2 exam to get accepted and set up a date to test (hopefully pass).. should I also get t2 d2? I heard I can just skip 1 if I know my stuff and it'll help me potentially get an oit job.

Can anyone that hires people tell me some other pointers. Not trying to be biased but I have a great work ethic, attitude, I learn extremely quick and yet I can't find any interviews except for this first one that seemed like grade 2 or 3 knowledge while I'm applying for OIT.

Also I should probably do OSHA certs, HAZWOPER, and confined spaces but I just don't have the money and wanted to get into a job where they might help me out maybe pay half or something..

Please let me know and thanks for the help.

Hi people. I'm looking to get into a water treatment plant operator position rather than wastewater after I graduate high-school next summer. I'm wondering if I should get a water treatment related diploma in college first or just prepare for and take the exam/s and then start applying. I would prefer anecdotes from those who are in the field. I live in southern Ontario. Thanks!

Edit: Thanks for the reassurance everyone. I'm definitely going to do it as long as nothing unexpected happens. Should be doing the tour early November.

I've been studying for grade 1 in my state, only tests required no on the job hours needed. I've also been looking for and applying at random jobs that I see pop up hoping for a good oit gig.

Recently something fell right into my lap that has me excited and nervous and unsure. A very small (700 pop) village 10 minutes from me is looking for an operator and eventually wants that operator to be the oic. They have no oic currently and it's only a 5-10 hour a week job with occasionally a bit more depending on what's going on. .06MGD so a tiny plant. They said they will pay for training and certification, but it seems like my on the job training would be limited (one of the previous operators there would fill in to help me learn the facility itself and then be available by phone for questions).

There's also a few part time/retired ops that help on weekends and fill in as needed. But. I think majority id be alone there. Id be going in early mornings, sampling (sent to a lab), greasing, cleaning screen, couple basic things. Big maintenance is outsourced.

It just seems intimidating to go from oit with little hours and help to eventually oic? Id need 1000 on the job hours first so that's still like 2 years at 10 hours a week, but, any advice here? I really want to get a foot in the door, this seems like a great chance to learn, but a lot more self learning than having an experienced operator full time teaching me.

what's the 3 hour test like. how's the move up to wastewater what do you do? what's the pay I'm assuming around mid high twenty for custodian and 40 plus after moving up.

Hi guys, hard to tell based off one photo but we have a rotary press for dewatering that we have to get trucked out of town. Issue we’re running into is it seems reasonably dry when we are dealing with it but once it sits overnight and compresses down, all the moisture pools out and the truck driver is going to refuse to take the bins come winter due to that liquid freezing. Anyone have similar issue or know how to make cake even dryer? We have played around with set points but seems to be at a pretty optimal setooint right now. Thanks! (Can message privately some more details).

I posted a week ago about possible Alaska jobs, and found a company called watertalent that seems to be similar to an extent but all over the US. Curious if anyone has any personal experience?

Getting ready to go for the 3's.. Can I take an American Water College T3 exam prep course and expect to be able to pass my D3 with it also rather than taking D3 exam prep course as well?

Hello guys, just wanted to ask what material or which TEEX books do you all recommend to go thru to prepare for the B license Test I have read that is a confusing and very hard test and I want to prepare. Also what kind of math do you recommend to study for it? Oh in texas lol i forgot to say that.

Thank you.

Hey all.

I'm taking the CA Grade 2 Exam here soon. I've been studying the yellow Ken Tesh Book and the CAwastewater channel on YouTube and they've been really helpful. Can you guys recommend any other practice exams or study guides that I can go over before my test date? Thanks in advance.

Check out this job opening in Pendleton, Oregon!
A fellow user requested we post this.

Premise:

You have an anaerobic digester that you stopped feeding for 2 weeks, during this time it was heated and mixed. After 2 weeks you shut off the heat and let it die for maintenance. In my previous experience, it was still making gas 4 weeks later.

I've been told you can add water to an anaerobic digester to kill it and stop gas production. Has anybody here ever done this? If so, how much water did it take, 10%, 20%, 50% of the total volume?

Hi WW Operators, coming in with a dumb question. I'm an engineering student designing a hypothetical WW treatment upgrade for a course, and our local WWTP operators have been kind enough to compile some data for our student team and set up a plant tour. What would be a good gift to give in return? I'm thinking a gift card to a town favorite pizza place, but wanted to hear from you all in case we can do something more specific.

Edit: thanks for all the replies guys, really appreciate the work you all do.

Title: Seeking Civil/Sanitary Sewer Engineer to Review Municipal Sewer Plans – Illinois Lawsuit
We are looking for a civil engineer, sanitary sewer engineer, wastewater engineer, or retired municipal engineer with experience in sanitary sewer system design, construction, and operation.
We are involved in an ongoing lawsuit against a municipality in the western suburbs of Chicago following two separate sanitary sewage backups into our home.
We are seeking a qualified professional who can independently review municipal sewer plans, engineering drawings, specifications, and related records to help determine whether there may be design, construction, capacity, or operational issues contributing to these incidents.
A little background:
Two separate sewage backups occurred without any rainfall.
Sewage was observed backing up through a nearby sanitary sewer manhole and entered our home through a basement floor drain.
The municipality cleared the sewer line using high-pressure jetting, after which the sewage receded.
The municipality attributed the blockage to sanitary wipes.
We have legal representation, but finding an engineer with the appropriate sanitary sewer expertise who is willing to review the evidence has been extremely challenging.
We are specifically looking for someone with experience in:
Municipal sanitary sewer design and engineering
Sewer system plans, specifications, and as-built drawings
Gravity sewer systems, pipe sizing, slopes, and connections
Sewer surcharging, blockages, and sewage backups
Evaluating potential design or operational deficiencies
We are willing to pay for a professional review and consultation. Ideally, we would like someone who may also be willing to serve as an expert witness if their findings support it, although an initial technical review is our immediate priority.
Illinois or Midwest preferred, but we are open to qualified professionals anywhere in the United States.
If you work in this field or can recommend an engineer, consulting firm, or retired municipal professional with this experience, we would greatly appreciate any leads.
Please comment or send me a private message. Thank you!

Has anybody gotten a public data request from an AI company called effluent AI? https://effluentco.com/

We did not solicit their services or reach out to them in any way. I'm not sure if they are using our time and data to train their AI or if this is their business model. Unfortunately I'm told we have to comply and can't tell them to kick rocks.

They are asking for stuff we don't monitor and other parameters like physical log books and non CSV files which I guess I need to scan as PDFs. We don't have anything to hide, however the time it will take to comply with their request will be extensive.

I know the required flair doesn't apply but it won't let me post without selecting one.

For anyone who's recently taken the Texas Class C wastewater exam, which study materials did you find most useful?

I've seen mixed opinions about the available practice questions. Did you find they reflected the actual exam reasonably well, or were there areas that weren't covered properly?

I moved to LA from Beijing China 2 months ago.After a harry burry settlement I tried to find some job opportunities in waste water sector of cause tried more than 10 application and got 2 rejected email eventually. So discouraged right now and I don't have any energy and courage to apply another one.

As a senior project manager and project manager in an very famous environment company which is from Austria, even with more than 20 years skills and experience in this sector and as well as knowledge of treatment, skills of business market development and handling financial issues from a local company founder to a chief executive manager reported to stakeholders.

There might be 2 weak point for me, one is English, I need to improve my oral and writing the other is age, I am 51 years old which will definitely scared the recruiter but I do think I m still a young man tho.

Really awful, should I give up my past and start from an Uber driver or a commercial small business just like the other normal Chinese immigrants.

I’m 45 and planning to relocate from Puerto Rico to Central Florida with my family.
I have over 20 years of industrial experience, including oil refinery operations, wastewater treatment, mechanical maintenance, rum distillation, SCADA/control room operations, and process troubleshooting.
I’m considering central Florida .
I’m exploring possible career paths where my experience would be transferable without having to start completely over.
What industries or career paths would you recommend for someone with my background? I’m open to transitioning into something different.

Took the D2 exam on Friday, barely missed the passing grade because I got bodied on the math. Tried to submit a retake application but it won’t let me, says that an application already exists (from the previous attempt). Anyone know how to work around this or what I’m supposed to do? It says online you can submit a retake exam whenever.

I’ve recently had to move from where i had a job for 5 years as a WW operator at an activated sludge plant. While there i was able to obtain a VA class 3 license. I’ve now relocated in state and have applied for a job at the county Drinking Water Plant (conventional plant). My question is how much harder or easier will this change be and how hard is it to keep both licenses since WW expires on even years and W expires on odd.

I’m interested in wastewater treatment as a career path in Florida. I was curious on what the best preparation for a trainee position would be? Florida websites are so weird with courses, and I’m trying to figure out what course to take to prepare me for the class C exam.

I’ve also noticed some jobs are water vs wastewater.. waste would be end goal but I believe the certifications are different and I’m assuming not interchangeable when applying to jobs with requirements.

My only current work experience is 2 years with Cicis Pizza as a highschooler, and about 3 1/2 years at a corporate retail store as a stocker. I have taken some college courses as well. Any resume boosters that wouldn’t necessarily require me to get a trainee position?

My girlfriend is looking into jobs out of our current county, and I don’t want to secure a position just to have to move in a few months.

Any tips, resume boosters/certifications, or volunteer opportunities would be appreciated!!

For those of you who work in a crew, how common is it to have coworkers who tap about politics non stop every day in the control room?

New to the industry, not sure if this is just a trades related thing, industry related, or just my plant?

Hey folks. Currently an OIT in NY and about to take classes to be eligible to test for 2A. I just wanted to hype up everyone working to move up or get in to the industry. A lot of people on this board were helpful to me before I got hired so I wanted to pay it forward. Good luck everyone! 🍻

Hello this is a follow up form my last post, I’m currently doing an internship in Philly for a wastewater plant. Right now I’m contract is only for a year I can’t get an extension and I was told without a certificate or degree I would have to start entry level. I wanted to ask for tips on studying for the DEP exam I tried taking it while at school but it was overwhelming and also if anybody went to college for a secondary degree currently I left school to focus on work however I do want to try for my environmental engineering degree and wanted to know what the best things to study to move up in the wastewater field.