Water School Schedule
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Workshop & Session Summaries
Preliminary schedule. Please check back often for additions and changes.
Tuesday, May 26
Pre-Conference Workshop: Operator Math Training
Provided Free of Charge by the Midwest Assistance Program (MAP)
This optional free pre-conference workshop is open to all operators.
Wednesday, May 27
Opening General Session – Montana’s SNOTEL System: What Water Systems Need to Know
8:00 – 9:00 am
Room AT-139
This presentation will provide an overview of the Snow Survey Program, including:
- The role of mountain snowpack in Montana
- History of the USDA–NRCS Snow Survey Program
- How snow courses and SNOTEL sites operate
- Background on NRCS Water Supply Forecasts
- How to access and use the data
- SNOTEL modernization and expanded sensors (soil moisture, solar radiation, etc.)
Lab Certification Review Session
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Room AT-203
MDEQ Staff
No CECs
This session prepares operators to take the certification exam on the last day of the conference. Note: Operators participating in the review session must (a) register for the Fall Water School and (b) register to take the exam directly through MDEQ before attending the review session.
Things Operators Should Know: Enforcement
9:00 – 10:00 am
Room AT-139
Scot Patterson, et al.
0.1 Dual CEC
Description pending.
Wastewater Certification Review Session
9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Room AT-206
Josh and Eric
No CECs
This session prepares operators to take the certification exam on the last day of the conference. Note: Operators participating in the review session must (a) register for the Fall Water School and (b) register to take the exam directly through MDEQ before attending the review session.
All Kinds of Samples
10:00 – 11:00 am
Room AT-139
Greg Montgomery
0.1 Dual CEC
Description pending.
DEQ How to Handle HABS
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Room AT-205
Tiffany Lyden, Josh Seekins, and Hannah Riedl
0.1 Water CEC
Description pending.
NETDMR
10:00 – 11:00 am
Room AT-208
Gina Self and Wendy Simons
0.1 Wastewater CEC
Description pending.
Chlorinator Setup and Troubleshooting
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Room AT-208
Greg Sandberg and Juelles Brenner
0.1 Water CEC
Description pending.
PFAS/Sampling Kits
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Room AT-139
Neal Murray
0.1 Water CEC
Description pending.
Biological Treatment Processes – An Interactive Overview
1:00 – 3:00 pm
Room AT-208
Rika Lashley, Morrison and Maierle
0.2 Wastewater CEC
The first part of this presentation will cover the primary biological treatment processes occurring in a wastewater treatment lagoon system, including BOD removal, nitrification, denitrification, and sludge processes. The speakers will describe primary tools for assessing lagoon and other treatment process health and responding to upsets.
O and M Certification Review Session
1:00 – 4:00 pm
Room AT-203
MDEQ Staff
No CECs
This session prepares operators to take the certification exam on the last day of the conference. Note: Operators participating in the review session must (a) register for the Fall Water School and (b) register to take the exam directly through MDEQ before attending the review session.
Skills Required for Effective Leadership: Leadership Challenges
1:00 – 3:00 pm
Room AT-205
Nilaksh Kothari, Preferred Consulting LLC, and Craig Woolard, Montana State University
0.2 Dual CEC
- Understanding leadership roles and responsibilities
- Navigating leadership challenges and decision-making
- Building trust and credibility with teams
- Ability to influence and innovate
- Interactive real-world scenarios
- Leadership challenge model
Unidirectional Flushing of Water Systems
1:00 – 3:00 pm
Room AT-139
Dave Weihrauch
0.2 Water CEC
Unidirectional flushing is an operations-focused training session designed to help water system personnel understand how distribution system flushing improves water quality, protects infrastructure, and supports regulatory compliance. The session explains why conventional hydrant flushing is often ineffective and demonstrates how controlled, high-velocity unidirectional flushing removes sediment, corrosion products, and chemical buildup within water mains.
Participants learn the hydraulic principles behind flushing velocity requirements, including flow calculations, detention time concepts, and system pressure limitations. The course walks through planning procedures such as isolating distribution loops, sequencing valve operations, and mapping flushing zones to ensure water moves through mains in a single controlled direction.
Operational topics include flow measurement using pitot devices, estimating discharge rates, interpreting AWWA guidance, and understanding the relationship between flushing practices and corrosion-control programs such as phosphate treatment. Safety practices, crew training, and public communication strategies are also emphasized to support successful field implementation.
By the end of the session, participants understand how a structured flushing program functions as a preventive maintenance tool that improves water quality, reduces customer complaints, and protects distribution system assets.
An Overview of Membrane Bioreactor Systems
3:00 – 4:00 pm
Room AT-208
Scott Buecher, AE2S
0.2 Wastewater CEC
The workshop will cover the primary types of biological treatment processes using membranes. Elements of design, operation, and troubleshooting will be covered.
Skills Required for Effective Leadership: Leading Change
3:00 – 5:00 pm
Room AT-205
Nilaksh Kothari, Preferred Consulting LLC, and Craig Woolard, Montana State University
0.2 Dual CEC
This workshop will provide utility leaders with practical tools to lead change by.
- Understanding the psychology of change and resistance
- Leading with vision and clarity
- Providing a framework for leading change
- Change management models (e.g., Kotter’s 8 Steps)
- Engaging stakeholders and sustaining momentum
- Group reflection and interactive scenarios
Understanding and Troubleshooting Chlorination Systems
3:00 – 5:00 pm
Room AT-139
Chad Morgan, Peak Water Services
0.2 Water CEC
The workshop will provide advanced training in analyzing and troubleshooting the pumps and dosing equipment used to provide chlorination in water and wastewater systems.
Process Intensification Options for Wastewater Treatment
4:00 – 5:00 pm
Room AT-208
Kelsey Wagner, AE2S
0.2 Wastewater CEC
The workshop will cover the primary types of processes being used to increase wastewater treatment system capacity by increasing biomass concentration and/or recovery. Elements of design, operation, and troubleshooting will be covered.
Water Certification Review Session
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Room AT-203
MDEQ Staff
No CECs
This session prepares operators to take the certification exam on the last day of the conference. Note: Operators participating in the review session must (a) register for the Fall Water School and (b) register to take the exam directly through MDEQ before attending the review session.
Thursday, May 28
Advancing Maintenance Management in Utilities – Inventory Documentation
8:00 – 10:00 am
Room AT-205
Kurt Vause and Todd Helgeson
0.2 Dual CEC
This session will discuss what is normally included in an asset inventory and why. It will include time for attendees to develop an inventory using free online tools. This effort will either use prepared materials or real information from the attendee.
Groundwater Wells – Groundwater Fundamentals and Well Construction
8:00 – 10:00 am
Room AT-202
Dave Weihrauch and Doug Hunter
0.2 Water CEC
This session introduces the fundamentals of groundwater systems and production well design. Participants learn how aquifer geology, grain-size distribution, and hydrogeologic conditions control groundwater movement and well performance. The session explains key components of water wells, including casing, screens, gravel packs, and radial collector wells, and demonstrates how construction decisions influence long-term efficiency.
Real-world examples from Montana wellfields are used to illustrate how site geology and design choices affect yield, reliability, and operational lifespan. Emphasis is placed on understanding wells as engineered systems interacting with natural aquifers.
Key Topics:
- Aquifer characteristics and groundwater flow
- Grain-size analysis and formation properties
- Well construction components and design principles
- Screen selection and installation considerations
- Introduction to well efficiency concepts
Rotating Equipment Maintenance and Troubleshooting
8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Room AT-207
Chad Morgan, Peak Water Services
0.4 Dual CEC
The workshop will provide 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.
Treatment Certification Review Session
8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Room AT-203
Josh Seekins
No CECs
This session prepares operators to take the certification exam on the last day of the conference. Note: Operators participating in the review session must (a) register for the Fall Water School and (b) register to take the exam directly through MDEQ before attending the review session.
Wastewater Certification Review Session
8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Room AT-206
Josh and Eric
No CECs
This session prepares operators to take the certification exam on the last day of the conference. Note: Operators participating in the review session must (a) register for the Fall Water School and (b) register to take the exam directly through MDEQ before attending the review session.
Advancing Maintenance Management in Utilities – Condition Assessment
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Room AT-205
Kurt Vause and Todd Helgeson
0.2 Dual CEC
This session will review the different types of condition assessment, from data analytics to base physical condition to advanced tools that are used to assess the condition of both vertical (facility assets) and horizontal assets (pipe, valves, etc.) We will discuss why it is important to track the data over time. We will also do an exercise doing an assessment of assets, either from prepared materials or from real attendee information.
Groundwater Wells – Well Hydraulics, Testing, and Performance Evaluation
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Room AT-202
Dave Weihrauch and Doug Hunter
0.2 Water CEC
This session focuses on how wells behave during pumping and how performance is measured and evaluated. Participants learn how drawdown, specific capacity, and aquifer response reflect both design quality and operational conditions. Regulatory testing requirements and field data interpretation are reviewed using actual well logs, aquifer test records, and pumping test examples.
The session demonstrates how operational data can diagnose developing problems before major capacity loss occurs.
Key Topics:
- Static vs. pumping water levels
- Drawdown and specific capacity concepts
- Yield and drawdown testing requirements
- Interpretation of aquifer test data
- Using performance history to evaluate well condition
Advancing Asset Management in Utilities – Level of Service and Operations
1:00 – 3:00 pm
Room AT-205
Kurt Vause and Todd Helgeson
0.2 Dual CEC
This session will review the fundamentals of utility level of service concepts and how they relate to operation and maintenance practices. We will discuss how these concepts create improved communication with stakeholders throughout the utility and community. This will also include an exercise to develop a basic level of service framework based on prepared materials but targeted toward the attendee’s own community.
Groundwater Wells – Causes of Well Performance Decline
1:00 – 3:00 pm
Room AT-202
Dave Weihrauch and Doug Hunter
0.2 Water CEC
This session examines the physical, chemical, and biological mechanisms that reduce groundwater well performance over time. Participants explore how pumping conditions alter groundwater chemistry, including carbon dioxide degassing and carbonate precipitation at the well screen. The role of mineral scaling, sediment intrusion, corrosion, and microbial biofouling is explained using field examples and water chemistry data.
The session emphasizes diagnostic thinking — identifying the root cause of decline rather than treating symptoms.
Key Topics:
- Carbon dioxide release and carbonate scaling
- Mineral deposition and clogging processes
- Biofouling and microbial activity in wells
- Iron and manganese oxidation mechanisms
- Indicators of declining performance and increasing energy costs
Pretreatment
1:00 – 3:00 pm
Room AT-207
AWWA
0.2 Dual CEC
This course provides an overview of wastewater pretreatment programs and their essential role in protecting treatment infrastructure, worker safety, and water quality. It covers the purpose and structure of industrial pretreatment, including identification and control of significant industrial users, permitting, monitoring requirements, and enforcement actions. Attendees will learn how pretreatment supports compliance with regulatory standards, prevents pass‑through and interference, and safeguards downstream biological processes in municipal wastewater treatment facilities.
Safety and Security Certification Review Session
1:00 – 3:00 pm
Room AT-203
Diane Jordan
No CECs
This session prepares operators to take the certification exam on the last day of the conference. Note: Operators participating in the review session must (a) register for the Fall Water School and (b) register to take the exam directly through MDEQ before attending the review session.
Advancing Asset Management in Utilities – Rehabilitation and Replacement
3:00 – 5:00 pm
Room AT-205
Kurt Vause and Todd Helgeson
0.2 Dual CEC
This session will combine the information developed and reviewed in the previous three sessions to develop a rehab/replacement plan. We will discuss the “what/why/when” questions related to replacement planning as well as methods for developing a logical framework. The goal of this session is to create a connection between the boots on the ground and the funding approval and allocation process. If the attendees have their information, then this will use that information. If not, it will be done using prepared materials.
Biosolids Handling
3:00 – 5:00 pm
Room AT-207
AWWA
0.2 Wastewater CEC
This course introduces the principles and practices involved in the handling, stabilization, and beneficial use or disposal of biosolids produced during wastewater treatment. It covers the characteristics of sludge, thickening and dewatering technologies, pathogen and vector attraction reduction methods, and operational considerations for producing safe and compliant biosolids. Participants will learn how biosolids management fits into the broader one‑water framework, along with the regulatory requirements that guide treatment processes and land application programs.
Groundwater Wells – Well Development, Rehabilitation, and Preventive Maintenance
3:00 – 5:00 pm
Room AT-202
Dave Weihrauch and Doug Hunter
0.2 Water CEC
The final session presents practical strategies for restoring and maintaining well performance. Mechanical redevelopment methods, chemical treatment approaches, and advanced rehabilitation technologies are reviewed, with emphasis on matching treatment methods to specific clogging mechanisms. Participants learn how chemistry and mechanical energy work together to remove mineral and biological deposits effectively.
The session concludes with guidance on preventive maintenance planning, monitoring practices, and long-term asset management strategies to extend well life and reduce operational costs.
Key Topics:
- Principles of well development and redevelopment
- Mechanical cleaning methods (surging, airlift, force application)
- Chemical rehabilitation and bio dispersant use
- Advanced rehabilitation technologies
- Preventive maintenance and performance monitoring
- Specific capacity tracking and maintenance planning
Water Certification Review Session
3:00 – 5:00 pm
Room AT-203
MDEQ Staff
No CECs
This session prepares operators to take the certification exam on the last day of the conference. Note: Operators participating in the review session must (a) register for the Fall Water School and (b) register to take the exam directly through MDEQ before attending the review session.
Friday, May 29
Certification Testing
8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Room AT-203 & Room AT-206
No CECs
Description pending.
Kalispell Area Wastewater Plant Tour and Discussion
8:00 am – 12:00 pm
On-Site (TBD)
0.2 Wastewater CEC
Description pending.
Water and Wastewater System Safety
8:00 – 10:00 am
Room AT-207
AWWA
0.2 Dual CEC
This course prepares water and wastewater operators to recognize and mitigate workplace hazards commonly encountered in utility operations. Topics include confined space entry, lockout/tagout, chemical handling, personal protective equipment, electrical and mechanical safety, and ergonomic best practices. The session emphasizes developing a strong safety culture, understanding regulatory requirements, and applying risk‑reduction strategies that promote a safe and compliant work environment for all personnel.
Water Distribution System Operations – Valves, Pipes and Equipment
8:00 – 10:00 am
Room AT-202
Richard Steckel
0.2 Water CEC
This workshop will cover the critical elements in the operation of water distribution systems.
Topics include:
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Pumps and Lift Stations
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Room AT-207
AWWA
0.2 Wastewater CEC
Designed for both water and wastewater operators, this course provides foundational knowledge of pump types, operating principles, and the role of lift stations in collection and distribution systems. It covers centrifugal and positive displacement pumps, pump curves, wet‑well design, instrumentation, and controls. Attendees will learn how to identify common operational issues, perform routine inspections, and apply preventative maintenance practices that enhance reliability and extend asset life in both water supply and wastewater conveyance systems.
Water Distribution System Operations – System Management and Maintenance
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Room AT-202
Richard Steckel
0.2 Water CEC
For distribution system operators performing various duties, operating and maintaining a drinking water distribution system and appurtenances requires knowledge of a broad range of processes, procedures, and equipment. The primary goal is simple: deliver high-quality water in sufficient quantities to meet user needs. Achieving this goal can be complex. This session will provide distribution system O&M best practices to help you achieve your systems’ goals.