Lab and Testing
Course Pack: Microscopy: Sampling, Features & Organism
Organism Class ID
Course Description
This advanced wastewater organism id module focuses on identifying biological organisms commonly observed in water and wastewater microscopy, while exploring how their presence, behavior, and population trends can be used to evaluate treatment performance and support effective process control.
Learning Objectives
1) Identify major organism classes used for operational interpretation
2) Relate organism presence/absence and mobility to treatment performance
3) Use observation counts to support process control adjustments
4) Recognize when observations suggest toxicity or operational upset
5) Communicate findings using standard terminology and trends
Agenda
1) Process control linkage: why organism ID matters
2) Organism classes: defining traits and recognition cues
3) Interpreting presence/absence/mobility and trending
4) From microscope to action: translating observations to adjustments
5) Advanced cases: toxicity and unusual populations
6) Skill check: ID scenarios + quiz
Target audience
Water and Wastewater operators and OITs
Level
III, IV
Learning material and method
Online on-demand
Assessment
Knowledge check and quiz (80% correct and above)
Instructor
Mike Harrington