Introduction to Wastewater

Approved for individuals seeking a Level 1 “S” or “C” license, this course covers the skills required for employment as a wastewater treatment or wastewater collection system operator.

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Wastewater operator checks sample by aerated activated sludge tank at a wastewater treatment plant

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Course Details

Course Name: Introduction to Wastewater
Course Code: EO0906WA25
Date of Most Recent Offering: October 21, 2024 to February 3, 2025 (Monday and Wednesday evenings)

Date: October 21, 2024 to February 3, 2025 (Monday and Wednesday evenings) UPDATE THIS FOR NEXT OFFERING
Time: 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm EDT/EST UPDATE THIS FOR NEXT OFFERING

Location: Online with 1 or 2 mandatory in-person facility site visits (site visit schedule will be provided in advance) UPDATE THIS FOR NEXT OFFERING
Format: Live, instructor-led UPDATE THIS FOR NEXT OFFERING

Registration Fee: $1,395.00 per person* UPDATE THIS FOR NEXT OFFERING
Registration Closes: October 17, 2024 at 3:00 pm EDT UPDATE THIS FOR NEXT OFFERING

*Textbooks are not included in your registration fee. See below for textbook ordering information.

Paying with a check, money order, or purchase order?
Payments should be made out to: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Checks and money orders should be mailed to: Office of Continuing Professional Education, Attn: Registration Dept., 102 Ryders Ln, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8519
Purchase Orders can be mailed to the address above or electronically sent to registration@njaes.rutgers.edu.

Course Overview

Per NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) regulations, those seeking a Level 1 “S” (wastewater treatment) or “C” (wastewater collection system) license must successfully complete an approved “Introduction to Wastewater” course. This course is designed to familiarize attendees with the skills required for employment as a wastewater treatment or collection system operator and to introduce them to the various equipment and processes routinely used in these facilities such as pumps, valves, tanks, activated sludge, compressors, blowers, chemical feed systems, etc.

Instructors will discuss the physical, mechanical, chemical, and biological processes involved in collecting and treating municipal wastewater. The course will reinforce required math skills and discuss basic chemistry, physics, microbiology, and hydraulics. Reading assignments for each class date will be taken from the NJDEP required textbooks published by the California State University at Sacramento. Additional handouts, data sheets, PowerPoint presentations and work sheets will be distributed throughout the term of the class; note taking is strongly encouraged. Regularly scheduled tests and quizzes are included in the agenda.

The class will be held online using Zoom. There will also be two in-person site visits to to wastewater treatment and collection facilities.

NOTE: The majority of the class meetings are held online however, there will be one or two mandatory in-person site visits. The scheduling of these visits is dependent on the availability of the facility being visited and may need to be scheduled on a Saturday. Ample advance notice of the dates of these visits will be given and the dates noted on the course agenda. Missing a site visit will count as two (2) absences – no exceptions will be made.

Who Should Attend?

This course is intended for individuals seeking a Level 1 “S” (wastewater treatment) or “C” (wastewater collection system) license.

Meet Your Instructors

Robert M. Genetelli, Northwest Bergen County Utilities Authority

Headshot of instructor Robert Genetelli

With over 30 years of experience, Robert Genetelli has vast knowledge in environmental field studies, laboratory sampling and analysis procedures, water and wastewater treatment, managerial oversight, financial management, and industrial wastewater treatment. He is a New Jersey State Licensed Operator for Water and Wastewater Treatment Facilities and the Superintendent of Northwest Bergen County Utilities Authority.

In addition, Mr. Genetelli serves as a Qualified Purchasing Agent, consultant, and adjunct professor at Rutgers University, certified Sewage Sludge Incinerator operator, Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator, and PACP certified sanitary sewer TV inspector/operator. Eager for students to succeed, Robert is engaging and excellent at simplifying technical concepts.

Nicholas J. Fabbricatore, Sr., Northwest Bergen County Utilities Authority

Headshot of instructor Nicholas Fabbricatore

Nicholas Fabbricatore is the Operations Supervisor for the Northwest Bergen County Utilities Authority and has more than 27 years of operational experience in the water and wastewater field. His early experience in traveling the United States on the private side of the water/wastewater industry starting up new water and wastewater projects ranging from standard municipal plants to miles of well fields to industrial plants such as Ocean Spray is the corner stone of his experience. This rare experience is something he wants to give new operators to build on. Starting from the bottom of the proverbial ladder, he understands the challenges inexperienced operators face. His operational background along with his unique experiences allow him to train upcoming operators with a viewpoint only an operator can give.

Student Reviews

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Continuing Education Credits

The most recent offering of Introduction to Wastewater was approved for 9.0 Rutgers CEUs (90 contact hours). We will reapply for similar credits the next time the course runs, but we cannot guarantee credit approval for future offerings.

The Introduction to Wastewater course (90 contact hours) is approved for 9.0 Rutgers CEUs.

Course Requirements and Policies

stack of books iconRequired Textbooks

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection requires all course registrants to have access to the current versions of the following textbooks published by the Water Program Division of the California State University at Sacramento (https://www.owp.csus.edu/courses/catalog.php):

  1. Operation of Wastewater Treatment Plants Volume 1; 8th edition
  2. Operation of Wastewater Treatment Plants Volume 2; 8th edition
  3. Operation and Maintenance of Wastewater Collection Systems Volume 1; 8th edition

The textbooks are NOT included in the registration fee for the course.
NOTE: Book editions are subject to change.

Instructions to order books:

  1. Go to https://www.owp.csus.edu/
  2. Click on “Operator Training”
  3. Scroll down to “Correspondence Courses and Manuals”
  4. Click on “Wastewater Course”
  5. Select your books (always pick “Manual” when purchasing your books)
  6. Hit “Continue”
  7. Once you have selected all your books, go to your “Shopping Cart”
  8. Hit “Next”
  9. Follow the instructions from there to complete your purchase (you may have to create a new account)

electronic devices iconTechnology Requirements

This online course will be delivered via Rutgers Canvas learning management system and Zoom.

Equipment you will need to access this training:

  • Laptop or desktop computers are required for this class.
  • Speakers and microphone are not necessary as a call-in option is available.
  • We HIGHLY recommend you have webcam and microphone for the Introduction to Wastewater class.

Once you register with OCPE, you will receive an email from “Rutgers University Canvas” saying, “Click here to finish the registration process,” to create your new account in the Canvas Virtual Platform. If you do not see this message in your inbox, please check your junk/spam folder. The course shell will not open until a week before the start date of class. You will receive an email from Claudine Oleskin with directions and more details for the class.

email iconEmail Requirement

A unique email address is required for each registrant to register and access our courses.

  • If this is your first time registering with us, please provide your own unique email address when registering; do not provide an email address that you share with co-workers.
  • If you have previously taken classes with us and have used an email address that you share with your co-workers or supervisor, your account must be updated with a unique email address. To do this, please send an email to us at registration@njaes.rutgers.edu stating that your email address needs to be changed and include:
    • Your full name
    • The shared email address that needs to be changed
    • Your unique email address
    • A phone number where you can be reached if we have any questions

x icon with circle around itCancellations and Substitutions

A $150 cancellation fee applies for this course. Substitutions are permitted. View our cancellation policy.

Program Questions? We’re Here to Help!

If you have any questions about Introduction to Wastewater, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Headshot of Rutgers Assistant Director Carol Broccoli

Assistant Director: Carol Broccoli
848-932-7207
carolbr@njaes.rutgers.edu

Headshot of Judith Joshua, administrative assistant

Administrative Assistant: Judith Joshua
848-932-7483 
judith.joshua@rutgers.edu

For registration assistance, please contact our Registration Department at 848-932-9271, option 2 or email registration@njaes.rutgers.edu.

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