Water treatment education and certification for water treatment professionals is a critical part of the mission of the Water Quality Association. The association represents the residential, commercial and industrial water treatment and conditioning industry.

The renewed education focus is driven in large part by the increasing concerns about drinking water quality throughout the United States. Flint, Michigan’s dealings with lead in drinking water generated big headlines just a few years ago, and more recently, Newark, New Jersey, followed suit. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is on track to regulate emerging contaminants such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water, while individual states are taking steps to regulate these man-made chemicals on their own.

All to say that homeowners are looking for real solutions to problems with their drinking water, and the need for skilled professionals has never been greater. That is why the emphasis on education and professional certification among WQA members is so strong.  

In fact, newly introduced legislation in Washington, the Healthy Drinking Water Affordability Act, also known as the Healthy H2O Act, would require that professionally trained and certified personnel install and service the point-of-use and point-of-entry water treatment products that could be purchased through grants to individuals, non-profits and local governments in rural communities. The legislation came from an initiative developed by a WQA task force.

With that in mind, WQA has recently taken its training and education to a new level, offering instructor-led training online, while also offering a rebate to help offset the cost of training to eligible participants. The training sessions began in January of 2022 and the response from the membership has been very positive. More than 300 industry members have participated in the classes.

“We believe our water treatment education will equip all of our members as well as our friends in the industry to appropriately assess the water quality challenges of their customers so that they can offer effective and affordable solutions,” says Tanya Lubner, PhD, WQA’s professional certification and training director.

In fact, newly introduced legislation in Washington, the Healthy Drinking Water Affordability Act, also known as the Healthy H2O Act, would require that professionally trained and certified personnel install and service the point-of-use and point-of-entry water treatment products that could be purchased through grants to individuals, non-profits and local governments in rural communities. The legislation came from an initiative developed by a WQA task force.

Earning a WQA certification demonstrates one’s commitment to high professional standards, growing expertise and improving customer service. To achieve any WQA-certified designation, the candidate must complete the appropriate course work, pass a comprehensive exam and agree to abide by the WQA Code of Ethics for the water treatment industry.

“We started the instructor-led training to address some of the major challenges our members were facing, especially in light of the growing time constraints of their busy work schedule,” Lubner says. “By attending these online courses, learners can ask questions in real-time and interact with other enrollees to more quickly and thoroughly understand the technical coursework on water quality.”

WQA currently offers courses that can help prepare learners for taking the certification exams to become a Certified Installer, Certified Water Treatment Representative or Certified Water Specialist. Certification is valid for three years and can be maintained by meeting continuing education requirements and paying a recertification fee.

Instructor-led training offers two main advantages, Lubner notes. “It helps keep learners on track and progressing through the training, and it especially seems to help those who learn by doing rather than reading.”

The education in the instructor-led training is specific to the field tasks such as installation or problem identification and treatment solution application. For example, upon completing the Water Specialist courses, the learner will be able to explain the characteristics of water sources and potential contaminants they contain, explain which questions to ask when investigating potential water problems or complaints, accurately perform appropriate water tests on-site and collect water samples for laboratory analyses and select and size appropriate treatment equipment.

“One of the keys to our training is the WQA Code of Ethics,” Lubner continues. “Ethics touches everything we say and do, from how we go about assessing the treatment issues in the home, to the appropriate use of marketing guidelines.”

WQA membership is not required to enroll in one of WQA’s new courses or any of their certification programs, though membership does offer additional advantages. Professional certification title-holders are highlighted in WQA’s online “find-a-provider” listings and are singled out in a special online certified professionals directory available to consumers looking for trained specialists.

Other member advantages include discounts for ongoing training programs, the use of WQA’s online knowledge base and member rates for attending WQA’s in-person events, such as the annual WQA Convention & Exposition (coming up April 18-20, 2023, in Las Vegas).

“If your business touches water in any way, you would likely benefit from our certification programs,” Lubner says. “We’ve had plumbers, well drillers and engineers go through our program and emerge with a whole new sense of how to select and install the right treatment or product for the water challenge they encounter.”

The next instructor-led classes for installers and water specialists begin in January. More information is available at the WQA website at wqa.org/profcert.