Water & Environmental Technology
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About Water & Environmental Technology
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection requires that operators of drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities are certified. Certification is obtained through a combination of exams and operating systems. The completion of an approved associate degree program significantly reduces the number of years of operating experience required for certification. Students in the Water and Environmental Technology program gain the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for successful completion of Department of Environmental Protection examinations.
Courses in the Water and Environmental Technology program are designed to meet the knowledge, skills, and ability requirements tested on the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection certification exams. This will include courses covering topics such as water and wastewater treatment; stormwater and green infrastructure; industrial waste treatment; water distribution and wastewater conveyance systems; geographical information systems (GIS); equipment maintenance; solids handling; basic electricity and plumbing; plant administration; and rules and regulations.
What you’ll learn
- Describe the major processes, equipment, instrumentation, laws, and regulations associated with the collection and treatment of wastewater.
- Describe the major processes, equipment, instrumentation, laws, and regulations associated with the conveyance and treatment of potable water.
- Perform water and wastewater calculations involving flow, volume, surface area, disinfection, solids removal, retention time, and chemical feed rates.
- Analyze and improve operational
- Procedures at water treatment and wastewater treatment facilities.
- Prepare, analyze, interpret, and report results of water and wastewater sample testing.
- Maintain a safe working environment as outlined by federal and state regulations.
- Describe the Safe Water Drinking Act and its implementation.
- Identify and describe the common diseases associated with water supply and sewage.
- Demonstrate the monitoring duties of water treatment operators.
- Describe the areas of safety to be considered in water treatment, storage, and laboratory testing.
- Describe the operation, components, and troubleshooting procedures for motors and electrical circuits.
- Determine and employ optimization strategies for water treatment and wastewater treatment processes and treatment facilities.
Sample Job Titles
Water Treatment Plant Operator, Environmental Specialist, Lab Supervisor, Engineering Designer, Plant Manager, Wastewater Operator, Operator-in-Training, Process Operator, SCADA Operator (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Operator), Environmental Technician, Utility/Water Operator, Maintenance & Relief Operator, Collection System Operator, and Filter Plant Technician
Essential Skills Needed
This program requires a variety of foundational skills for students to thrive. Click the button below to view the full list of essential skills you’ll need before enrolling.
Quick facts
Location
Griscom Education Center, Fourth Floor
Type of program
Associate Degree
Job/Salary Outlook
See industry data
Length of program
2 years, 73 credits
Cost of program
$4,500/semester tuition
$3,105 – $3,623/semester housing
$1,915 – $2,417/semester meal plan
Tool List (PDF)
Program details
Courses
MODEL SCHEDULE FOR WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY TECHNOLOGY
Semester 1
- WET 102 Laboratory Skills (1 credit)
- WET 111 Drinking Water Distribution (3 credits)
- WET 116 Water Resources (4 credits)
- WET 156 Drinking Water I (4 credits)
- MATH 137 Intermediate Algebra (3 credits)
- ENG 106 English Composition (3 credits)
Semester 2
- WET 106 Wastewater Collection (3 credits)
- WET 121 Safety, Health, and Security (2 credits)
- WET 161 Waste Water I (4 credits)
- WET 168 Utility Management and Administration (3 credits)
- MATH ELECTIVE MATH 132 or MATH 150 (3 credits)
- CHEM 100 Conceptual Chemistry (or higher) (3 credits)
Semester 3
- WET 203 Stormwater Management (1 credit)
- WET 206 Wastewater II (5 credits)
- WET 211 Print Reading/GIS (3 credits)
- WET 216 Industrial Waste (3 credits)
- SCI 107 Environmental Science (3 Credits) (or BIO 210 General Biology I or PHYS 106 Physics for Everyday Life)
- CIS 111 Intro to Computer Applications (3)
Semester 4
- WET 256 Drinking Water II (4 credits)
- WET 261 Advanced Waste Water and Solids Handling (4 credits)
- WET 268 Equipment and Systems Operations and Management (4 credits)
- ENG 216 Technical Writing (3 credits) OR ENG 221 Public Speaking (3 credits)
- Humanities Elective (3 credits)
Any Semester
- Health/PE Elective (1 credit)
Total Credits 73
Faculty
Heath Edelman
Assistant Professor, Water and Environmental Technology, Second-Year Students edelman@stevenscollege.edu
Shannon Butler
Instructor, Water & Environmental Technology First-Year Students butler@stevenscollege.eduOccupational Advisory Committee
The Occupational Advisory Committee (OAC) serves as a vital link between the Program of study and industry, ensuring that the program remains aligned with current workforce needs, technological advancements, and best practices in the field. Composed of employers, educators, and other community members, the committee provides guidance, feedback, and recommendations to enhance the curriculum, instructional methods, and student learning experiences.
Purpose and Responsibilities:
- Curriculum & Industry Alignment
- Workforce Readiness
- Student & Faculty Support
- Internship & Employment Connections
- Accreditation & Program Evaluation
- Facilities & Equipment Recommendations
By fostering a strong relationship between academia and industry, the OAC helps ensure that Thaddeus Stevens College programs maintain the highest standards in CTE (career and technical education).
The outcomes speak for themselves
91%
employment
$62.5K
median first-years
salary
100%
satisfaction
People of TSCT
Success stories
Performance Measures
Internal Key Performance Indicators (Sources: Internal data collections, and Post-Graduate Surveys)
Retention Rate
This rate reflects the continuous term-to-term persistence rate for certificate programs and the fall-to-fall retention rate for associate degree programs.
Graduation Rate
This rate reflects the number of freshmen who were officially enrolled in the fall semester and earned a certificate or degree within the expected timeframe.
Post Graduate Survey Response Rate
The post graduate survey is an annual on-line post graduate survey utilized by the college to gather vital information regarding career placement, starting salary, and level of satisfaction.
Employed Full Time Outside of Major
Percentage of graduates who reported being employed full-time outside their field of study.
Graduate Satisfaction
This is the median graduate survey response evaluating the level of preparation for workforce entry (based on a 5-Item Likert Scale).
Placement Rate
This is the percent of graduate survey respondents who reported being employed or continued their education on a full-time basis.
Employed Full Time Within Major
Percentage of graduates who reported being employed full-time within their field of study.
Annual Median Starting Salary
This number is based on the graduate survey response to the request to identify a starting salary from a range of options. This graph shows the median first-year annual salary. All calculations are based on the respondent’s self-reported first-year annual income.
Reported Hourly Rate
This number is determined by dividing the reported median salary by the number of hours in a traditional full-time work week (40), then the number of weeks in a year (52).
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