The eLearning Center for Gatlin Education Services

Overview

The National Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) specifies maximum permissible levels of contamination and minimum monitoring frequencies for public water systems. Mandatory adherence to the specified maximum contaminant level (MCL) is dependent on whether the water system serves a community (year-round residents) or a transient population (such as parks, campgrounds and restaurants). The MCLs are designed to protect the public from potential health effects of long-term exposure to contaminants, so they are generally not applicable to transient populations. Additionally, the EPA has developed National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations that are intended to serve as guidelines for the states and are not enforceable at the Federal level. These guidelines address contaminants that primarily affect the aesthetic qualities relating to public acceptance of drinking water.

In this course the student will review Chapter 3, "Water Quality Requirements" of EM 1110-2-503, "Design of Small Water Systems" published by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This course is particularly relevant to engineers involved in designing both public and private water systems. Although the publication's title suggests coverage of only small water systems, the discussion applies to large systems as well.

The student must take a multiple-choice quiz consisting of ten questions at the end of this course to obtain PDH credits.

Specific Knowledge or Skill Attained

This course teaches the following specific knowledge and skills:

  · The National Safe Drinking Water Act's purpose and its applicability to water systems serving different populations
  · Maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) and maximum contaminant level goals (MCLGs) for microbials, organics, inorganics and radionuclides
  · Secondary maximum contaminant levels (SMCL's) that affect the aesthetic qualities of drinking water
  · Waterborne diseases and methods for detection and treatment of the water supply
  · The prevalence of the most common contaminants in different water sources (surface vs. ground water), their impact on public health and aesthetic water quality and typical removal methods

State Board Acceptance

This course can be used by professional engineers to fulfill PDH requirements mandated by state and provincial licensing boards. Decatur Professional Development is an approved provider of continuing education in all states that pre-approve course providers. In all other states that mandate continuing education for engineers, it is the individual engineer's responsibility to determine the suitability of activities for PDH credit. The state boards typically accept online* courses that cover technical, managerial** or ethical content and which are relevant to the practice of engineering. The course must have a clear purpose or objective with a content that will maintain, improve or expand the skills and knowledge of the licensee's field of practice. For questions about your mandatory PDH requirements, visit the website of your state licensing board.

*Online courses are accepted by all state licensing boards that mandate continuing education. Other than New York (which limits online courses to 18 PDH) and Iowa (which limits online courses to 6 PDH), there are no limits placed by other states on the number of hours that can be earned through online continuing education. Consult with your state licensing board if you have any questions about the acceptability of online courses.

**The New York State Board of Engineers does not accept general office management courses, but will accept project management courses that are offered by an approved provider and that are technical in nature and contribute to the engineer's professional practice.