Water Purification Technology, A.A.S.

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(Code 650)

Suggested GRCC Program:

Associate in Applied Science

This program is offered in cooperation with Bay Community College, Escanaba, Michigan. The Associate in Applied Science Degree is awarded by Bay Community College.

Students in Water Purification Technology take their first year of college classes at GRCC and their second year at Bay Community College (BCC) in Escanaba, Michigan. (The second half of the last semester, however, is spent at a cooperative education work site as close to the student’s home as practical.)

Increasingly stringent regulations on water quality and treatment have increased the need for trained technicians in this field. Water and wastewater treatment operators control processes and equipment for removing solid materials, chemicals, and organisms from the water or for rendering them harmless. By operating and maintaining the pumps, pipes, valves, and processing equipment of the treatment facility, operators move the water through the various treatment processes.

Operators read and interpret meters and gauges to make sure plant equipment and processes are working properly, and they adjust controls as needed. They operate chemical feeding devices, take samples and perform chemical and biological analysis, and test and adjust the level of chlorine in the water.

Graduates of this program have gone to work in municipal and industrial treatment plants, engineering firms, laboratories, hazardous waste treatment facilities, regulatory agencies, and related facilities. Upon completion of this degree, students are eligible for immediate state operator certification in municipal water and wastewater treatment plants; they can then progress to the highest level of certification without any further educational requirements.

Bay Community College can make on-campus apartment housing available for students. Housing is also available in the town of Escanaba. More information on housing can be obtained from BCC’s Housing Director at (906) 786-5802, ext. 179.

Students should file applications for admission with both BCC and GRCC before the start of the freshman year. Application materials and additional information can be obtained from the Student Services Department at BCC, telephone (906) 786-5802, ext. 148.

Upon acceptance by Bay, a place in the Water Purification Technology sophomore class will be reserved for the new student so that he/she is guaranteed a place in the second year of the program. The only entrance requirement is high school graduation (or GED).

This articulated 1+1 program will allow a student to complete an Associate in Applied Science Degree in Water Resource Management. After completing a basic freshman year curriculum in science, students may transfer to Bay Community College for specialized courses in Water Technology. Upon graduation, students are awarded an Associate in Applied Science Degree and are immediately eligible for certification and entrance into the water/wastewater treatment industry.

Students must attain a minimum cumulative grade average of “C” to transfer to Bay Community College.

Graduation requirements include:

Minimum: 69 credits
Minimum: 2.0 cumulative GPA

First Year at GRCC

CHM 130 - General Chemistry 1 (4/4) AND
CHM 131 - General Chemistry 1 Laboratory (1/3)
OR
CHM 150 - Honors Chemistry I (4/4) AND
CHM 151 - Honors Chemistry 1 Laboratory (1/3) (BCC equivalent) CH 105+
CHM 140 - General Chemistry 2 (4/4) AND
CHM 141 - General Chemistry 2 Laboratory (1/3)
OR
CHM 160 - Honors Chemistry II (4/4) AND
CHM 161 - Honors Chemistry II Lab (1/3) (BCC equivalent) CH 106+
MA 110 - College Algebra (4/4) OR
higher level math (4) (BCC equivalent) MA 110, MA 115, or MA 125+
EN 100 - College Writing (3/4) OR
EN 101 - English Composition 1 (3/3) (BCC equivalent) EN 101
COM 135 - Interpersonal Communication (3/3) OR
COM 131 - Fundamentals of Public Speaking (3/3) (BCC equivalent) CHM 103 or 104
PS 200 - State and Local Politics (3/3) (BCC equivalent) PS 262
BI 101 - General Biology (4/5) OR
BI 215 - General Ecology (4/6) (BCC equivalent) BI elective
— — Humanities (4) (BCC equivalent) Humanities

Second Year at Bay Community College

WT 110 Wastewater Operations and Management (4) *
WT 120 Water Operations and Management (4) *
WT 220 Industrial Solutions (3) *
WT 230 Aquatics and Bacteriology (3) *
WT 240 Environmental Analysis (5)
WT 250 Water Analysis and Techniques (5)
WT 255 Mechanics and Instrumentation (4) *
WT 260 Current Issues for Managers (3) *
WT 270 Water in Motion (4) *
WT 272 Professional Field Experience (water) (3) **
WT 273 Professional Field Experience (wastewater) (3) **

Total Credits

Total Credits taken at GRCC 31

Total Credits taken at BCC 41

* Courses offered online.

** Courses taken second eight weeks of the Winter semester.

+ CH 105, CH 106, and MA 125 or GRCC equivalent courses are recommended for the first and second semesters for students transferring into a baccalaureate degree program. Students should check with the transfer institutions.

Transfer Opportunities:

The Transfer Guide for many bachelor’s degree majors offered at Michigan colleges and universities is available at the Counseling and Career Center and online at www.grcc.edu.