Practical Microbiology for Wastewater Treatment and Operations

Review of Wastewater Treatment Concepts, Terminology, and Processes

Overview of Wastewater Microbiology and Microorganisms

• Physiology, growth and reproduction

• Environmental factors and microbial ecology

• Bacteria: shapes, types, sizes; origin and growth; autotrophs, heterotrophs; aerobic, anaerobic, facultative bacteria

Importance of Higher Life Forms

• Protozoa, Rotifers, etc: populations in wastewater treatment; environmental factors; control strategies

Microscope Basics

Performing Microscope exams

Process Control Testing

Filamentous Organisms

• Viscous bulking, scum formation

• Effects on activated sludge floc and settleability

• Control strategies 

Creating Smears, Staining, etc.

Basic microbiology of Biological Nitrogen and Phosphorus Removal

Troubleshooting, Case Studies, Examples

Microscopic observation (throughout course)

• Throughout the course, class exercises, discussions, and microscope demonstrations will be included, to help attendees learn and retain key points.

Registration Date/Time:
9/8/2026 8:30am Central Time

Event Dates/Times:

• 8/11/2026  9:00am - 5:00pm Central Time
• 8/12/2026  9:00am - 5:00pm Central Time
• 8/13/2026  9:00am - 5:00pm Central Time

This is a HyFlex (in-person and online) taught course. Your registration is for one teaching platform only: in-person or online. Please be prepared to attend all days either in-person or online. Contact us before registering if you have any questions. 

Registration confirmation will guide students through accessing the Canvas course site. Students will create and log in to the Canvas course site with a NetID. Course assets such as participation certificates and course evaluations will be available to all students through the Canvas course site.

Online attendees will access course sessions via the Zoom web conferencing platform.

• Instructors

  Steven Leach

  Principal

  Steve Leach is the owner of Leach Microbial Consulting and his  interests are in the analysis, improvement, and management of wastewater related facilities and systems. He has over 38 years of experience in this field, as a Staff Scientist, educator, and consultant.  Prior to joining Novozymes, Steve’s career included many years of technical service with Polybac (Polyseed BOD Inoculum) and InterBio. Both companies focused on the biology of wastewater treatment and the application of bioaugmentation to improve plant performance or recover from upsets.

  Steve has performed more than 11,500 microscopic exams of both municipal and industrial plants worldwide. He has been involved with fermentation, laboratory testing, field testing, Chlorination and recovery projects, microscopic training, and installation and operation of over 20 CTX (Submerged fixed film reactors) wastewater treatment systems throughout the US.

  Steve is one of the lead instructors of the WEFTEC pre-conference Microbiology workshops and is recognized for his expertise in Protists and filament identification. He is one of the co-authors of WEF’s Activated Sludge and Nutrient Removal 3rd edition and has taught numerous classes worldwide focused on wastewater microbiology.

  Steve has taught classes in North and South America, Asia, Southeast Asia, and throughout Europe. He has presented at Tri-States and numerous State WEA’s as well as RWA associations.

  Steve’s philosophy has always been to see something new every time he looks at a sample.

  Rick Marshall

  Rick specializes in start-up, operation, and troubleshooting of wastewater treatment facilities, along with work in producing O & M manuals, troubleshooting guides, SOPs and other technical documents. He has over 46 years of experience dealing with municipal treatment systems and industrial wastewater treatment systems (pulp & paper, food and beverage, chemical, refinery, meat processing). He has dealt with operating problems ranging from sludge settling problems, floc formation problems, nutrient management, biomass toxicity, effluent toxicity, foaming and floating sludge problems. He has worked with different types of aerobic and anaerobic treatment processes. He has also worked with water reuse systems processing final effluent. He presents general workshops each year covering such topics as: Activated Sludge Operations, Troubleshooting Activated Sludge Operations, Aerated Stabilization Basins Operations and Using the Microscope to Evaluate Process. 

  Adib Amini

  Program Director

  Adib Amini, Ph.D., PE, ENV SP, BCEE serves as Program Director in the College of Engineering’s Office of Interdisciplinary Professional Programs, with a focus on Water, Wastewater, Stormwater, and Sustainability. Dr. Amini also works with cities and industries as an engineering consultant, with experience in both drinking water and wastewater treatment. Dr. Amini has expertise in sustainability, engineering design, technology innovation, and renewable energy. Dr. Amini’s work has included the design of novel technologies, including on-site energy systems at facilities. He spearheaded the designs for the first wastewater treatment facilities in Iowa that are 100% powered by on-site renewable energy systems. Dr. Amini invented a novel system for ventilation of rated spaces, such as wastewater headworks buildings, for which he holds a provisional patent. Dr. Amini also has performed award-winning research in technology innovation and sustainability. Dr. Amini has spoken widely at conferences on topics related to water/wastewater treatment, sustainability, PFAS, on-site energy systems, and resilient infrastructure.

  Toni Glymph-Martin

  Water & Wastewater Microbiologist and Consultant

  Toni is a Water & Wastewater Microbiologist and Consultant with Wastewater Microbiology Solutions providing technical assistance, consulting, and microscopic evaluations for more than 30 Industries and 80 municipalities.  She advises facility planning and plan review engineers in operational trends and problems to ensure that treatment plant design approvals are consistent with policy and include necessary process control components for optimizing conditions for microbiological treatment. 

  Toni served as a senior level supervisor in the Monitoring and Research Division of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (District). For more than 10 years her responsibilities included, the development of wastewater microbiology related protocols and procedures, including bacteriology, virology, parasitology, and molecular microbiology. Prior to that Toni served as Department expert in Wastewater Treatment Microbiology at the Department of Natural Resources in Wisconsin which included developing written technical guidance documents and providing technical assistance and on-site assistance to treatment plant operators and consultants. 

  She has conducted over 500 technical workshops, and has made numerous presentations at conferences, public meetings, at the Great Lakes Commission meetings, and for State Governments. Toni is also a certified operator and has considerable knowledge of the principles, practices and procedures of environmental science as it relates to water quality monitoring and regulations; water and wastewater treatment; and environmental research. She has more than 45 years of water quality related experience.

• Program Director

  Adib Amini

In-person attendees will be able to practice using microscopes during the course while online attendees will be guided through microscope use and sample identification.

This course is part of the Wastewater Systems Certificate. Course may be taken individually as well.

This course has two attendance options, face-to-face or online.

Face-to-face attendance fee includes morning and afternoon breaks, scheduled lunches, and course materials.

Online attendance fee includes online instruction and course materials.  Online attendees will access course sessions via the Zoom web conferencing platform.

Team 2 Discount. Receive $100 off the registration fee, per person when 2 or more people from the same organization enroll. Team affiliation will be confirmed as part of the registration process. 

Team 3 Discount. Receive $150 off the registration fee, per person when 3 or more people from the same organization enroll. Team affiliation will be confirmed as part of the registration process. 

10% discount per person for participants registered in the Wastewater Systems certificate series. Promo code needed during registration.     

A 10% discount per person is available to City of Madison Water Utility and Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District employees. Employment status will be verified.

If you are planning to attend an Interdisciplinary Professional Programs course, payment is required at the time of registration. Below are the payment options:

Pay by Credit Card

Enroll online and pay by credit card.

• Search for the course on the website and then click on the Enroll Now button from the course webpage.
• Enter all necessary course attendee information and payment information on the course enrollment page.
• You will receive an email to confirm successful enrollment and payment.

Enroll over the phone and pay by credit card.

• Call CERC Registrations at 608-262-2451.
• Provide the registrations representative with:
  • the course name, dates, and/or course number.
  • the necessary course attendee information and payment information.
• You will receive either a mailed document or an email to confirm successful enrollment payment.

Pay by Check

Mail in a completed registration form and check payable to UW Madison.

• Fill out a registration form (found either in the back of the course brochure you received in the mail or here).
• Prepare a check, made payable to UW Madison.
• Mail the registration form and check to: CERC Registrations 21 N Park St, Ste 7101 Madison, WI 53715
• You will receive either a mailed document or an email to confirm successful enrollment and payment.

Pay by Purchase Order

• Request Purchase Order information from interpro@union.wisc.edu
  • If a fee quote is needed, contact custserv@interpro.wisc.edu first
• You will receive an invoice from UW–Madison Business Services for payment, usually within 3–5 business days

Military

If using SF-182 form, please call our registration number at 608-262-2451 or email interpro@union.wisc.edu for details and instructions.

Event Cancellation

We reserve the right to cancel a course due to insufficient enrollment or unforeseen events. If we cancel a course, participants will be notified via email or phone and will be given the option for a full refund or to transfer their registration and any fees paid to another course. We are not responsible for non-refundable plane tickets, hotel reservations, and other travel related expenses. For enrollee Course Cancellation, refer to notes on course page.

If you cannot attend, please notify us no later than one week before your course begins, and we will refund your fee. Cancellations received after this date and no-shows are subject to a $150 administrative fee. You may enroll a substitute at any time before the course starts.