Description: Safe drinking water does not stop at the treatment plant; it must travel through miles of pipes, pumps, storage tanks, and valves before it ever reaches a customer’s tap. This two-hour training course is designed to equip Louisiana’s drinking water operators with the knowledge, tools, and practical strategies they need to optimize the performance of their distribution systems from end to end.

Participants will explore the critical connection between treatment operations and distribution performance, learning how decisions made at the plant directly affect water quality as it moves through the system. The course addresses real-world challenges unique to Louisiana’s environment, including the effects of hurricanes, flooding, high groundwater, and warm-climate biofilm growth, while building a strong operational foundation applicable to systems of any size.

Through a combination of instruction, group discussion, and interactive exercises, participants will develop skills in chlorine residual management, hydraulic performance, data-driven decision-making, and preventive maintenance. The course goes beyond regulatory compliance to emphasize the principles of operational excellence and continuous improvement that protect public health every day.

Learning Objectives: 

Upon completion of this training, participants should be able to:

• Explain the core principles of drinking water distribution system optimization
• Identify operational practices that improve water quality throughout the distribution system
• Optimize disinfectant residuals while minimizing water age
• Use operational data and performance indicators to guide better decision-making
• Recognize common causes of water quality degradation in distribution systems
• Apply preventive maintenance strategies that improve reliability and reduce costs
• Respond effectively to Louisiana-specific challenges including hurricanes, flooding, and extreme heat
• Develop an action plan to implement optimization practices within their own utility

• Managers, owners, and operators of small drinking water systems serving less than 10,000 people
• Decision-makers for drinking water utilities, including mayors, finance officers, utility managers, public works directors, city councilors, board members, tribal council members, and clerks
• Consultants and technical assistance providers serving drinking water systems

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