Fall Water School 2026

MONTANA FALL WATER SCHOOL

For Montana's Water and Wastewater Operators

Tuesday, October 13 -- Thursday, October 15, 2026
Montana State University - Bozeman

 

The Montana Water and Wastewater Operators Initiative (MW²OI) is a collaborative effort between the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Civil Engineering and Academic Technology and Outreach at Montana State University. Our goal is to provide in-depth training on critical issues facing Montana’s operators.  

The 2026 Fall Water School will be held all day (8 am - 5 pm) on Tuesday, October 13 and Wednesday, October 14 at the Student Union Building (SUB) at Montana State University - Bozeman. Additional training and facility tours will be held on Thursday, October 15 (from 8 am- 12 noon) at various sites around Bozeman.  

There will also be a free preconference workshops held on Monday, October 12 from 1 pm-5 pm at the SUB at MSU. Preconference workshops will include a math review provided by the Midwest Assistance Program (MAP). Other introductory preconference workshops are in development.   

Knowledgeable speakers from around Montana and the nation will provide operators with important training on topics critical to water and wastewater system operation. The Fall 2026 Water School is focused on in-depth workshops with practical operational information that can readily be put into practice.

The Fall Water will have 5 concurrent sessions covering a variety of topics, including:

• Regulatory and program updates from the Department of Environmental Quality on water, wastewater and capacity development.
• Hands on training on pressure regulating valves training using a mobile lab where operators will learn how to set and adjust pressure reducing, pressure sustaining, and altitude valves and gain valuable troubleshooting knowledge.
• Advanced training in analyzing and troubleshooting pumps and rotating equipment used in water and wastewater systems. This hands-on workshop will provide operators with information to improve the performance, efficiency, and longevity of critical process equipment.
• In-depth workshops on water distribution including presentations on water system pressure regulating valves, groundwater wells, and water loss management
• Two full days of factory training on Hach Instrumentation used in water and wastewater systems.
• Capacity development (technical, financial, and managerial) training
• Asset management and condition assessment with a focus on small systems (Dual CEC’s)
• Workshops on SCADA, controls and electrical systems.
• Skills required for effective leadership at all levels
• Approaches for implementing performance optimization for treatment systems.  

 

Operators will have the opportunity to attend up to 20 hours training (2.0 CEC’s) applicable to their water or wastewater licenses through a combination of designated water, wastewater or dual credit courses.

 

Check with website regularly for updated course descriptions, conference schedules and logistics. 

 

 

 

Check this website regularly for the conference schedule, updated session descriptions, hotel information, and more.