Webinar Recording: Cybersecurity for Wastewater Operators

Watch this webinar recording to discover some of the most helpful cybersecurity resources and to learn how to use our search tools at WaterOperator.org to find additional resources and training events. This is the first webinar in our new series for wastewater operators!

The webinar answers questions such as:

• What is WaterOperator.org and how is it a useful tool for wastewater professionals?
• What are the best resources we have relating to cybersecurity in the water and wastewater sector?
• How can you find more cybersecurity resources and other similar resources on WaterOperator.org?

This free series will cover topics relevant to wastewater operators, including funding, asset management, compliance, and water quality. Upcoming events in the series include:

• Source Water Protection for Communities with Decentralized Wastewater (April 23)
• Funding Wastewater Infrastructure Projects (June 25)

Certificates of attendance for each session will be delivered upon request. Check with your certification body for acceptance criteria.

Here is the recording of the first webinar, held in February 2024. We cannot provide certificates of attendance for watching the webinar recording.

Featured Webinar: Regionalization and the Power of Partnership

This hour-long webinar recording from Environmental Finance Center Network discusses various regionalization models and approaches to collaboration like: Informal information sharing, sharing personnel, leveraging shared purchasing power, how to prepare your utility for knowledge or technology transfer, and Regionalization options.

This webinar discusses the process for water systems to acquire and maintain adequate technical, managerial, and financial (TMF) capacity. It provides some questions utilities can consider regarding their capability to consistently provide safe drinking water to the public and whether a partnership may be beneficial.

Technical

• Is your infrastructure inadequate or aging? 
• Do you have an asset management plan, and can you get the funding to follow through?
• Is your treatment, storage, and distribution adequate?
• Do you have a certified operator who has the technical knowledge needed to operate your utility?
• Is your source water of poor quality or quantity?

Managerial

• Do you have appropriate staffing and organization?
• Do you have a history of water rates that are too low?
• Do your decision makers have a limited understanding of financing options?
• Does your staff have a lack of expertise in long-term water system planning?

Financial

• Is your revenue sufficient to cover expenses now and into the future?
• Do you have good credit worthiness?
• Are your water rates adequate?
• What kind of fiscal management and controls are in place?

Featured Case Studies Within this Webinar

• Some examples of information sharing that can be implemented between small community systems.
• Equipment sharing ideas from Great Falls & Helena, Montana, as well as Tremonton, Utah.
• Sometimes utilities have a hard time getting needed equipment and it can be beneficial to buy consortium and work with other systems to buy chemicals and supplies in bulk like the Southern Maine Regional Water Council.
• The Salmonella Outbreak in Alamosa, Colorado which exhibits the benefits of regionalization in action through WARN Operational Plans. The clean-up effort was estimated to take 3-4 weeks but was completed in 13 days due to the sharing of resources.
• An example of interconnection between Aurora, South Dakota and Brookings, South Dakota when one utility was consistently violating MCL for nitrate, the nearby utility was able to split the cost of a transmission pipeline to interconnect the systems.
• Panora & Des Moines, Iowa systems show how operational collaboration can work between a large system and small system.

Groundwater and Well Care | Recorded on March 29, 2022

We recently held a webinar to introduce topics covered in our free online class: Groundwater and Well Care for Public Water Systems. The self-paced class (but not this webinar) is pre-approved for continuing education credits in a number of states. 

For informational purposes only. We are unable to offer certificates for watching a video recording.

Outstanding Webinars: Plan, Promote, and Present

The pandemic changed the game for online learning, with webinars becoming a staple for many organizations. At the end of 2020 we shared a webinar on best practices for planning, presenting, and promoting your webinar event. If you are a seasoned trainer, you might glean something new from this presentation. 

For informational purposes only. We are unable to offer certificates for watching a video recording.

Advanced Social Media Tips and Tricks for Public Water Systems

In 2020, we partnered with the Illinois Section AWWA to deliver two social media webinars. Both were recorded. (See the 101-level webinar.) The advanced-level webinar helps public water systems take their online presence to the next level, enhancing visibility and trust of your organization. Topics will include content planning, scheduling tools, customer service SOPs, proactive strategies, local collaborations, and more! The value of “personal-professional” social media profiles will also be discussed.

The recording is available for free with registration and is pre-approved in Illinois for 1 training credit hour for operators and engineers.

Social Media 101 for Public Water Systems

In 2020, we partnered with the Illinois Section AWWA to deliver two social media webinars. Both were recorded. (See the advanced-level webinar.) The 101 webinar debunks some of the top social media myths and help public water systems understand the importance of maintaining an active presence. The most popular platforms will be introduced, along with content examples, etiquette and expectations, and best practices for starting (or expanding) your social media activity.

The recording is available for free with registration and is pre-approved in Illinois for 1 training credit hour for operators and engineers.