Course

Activated Sludge and Biological Nutrient Reduction

Jun 23, 2025 - Jun 27, 2025

$3,570 Enrol

Full course description

About this course

Meeting the Challenges.

Effluent quality requirements for wastewater treatment are becoming increasingly more stringent. Australia has some of the most challenging conditions for treating wastewater in terms of nutrient reduction. The level of training and understanding for the effective operation of these systems is critical to enable optimal treatment and effluent quality to meet regulatory needs and better. This specialist course has been designed for managers, operators and designers of Activated Sludge (AS) and Biological Nutrient Reduction (BNR) processes.  This course is considered the “must attend” course by many water utilities and has been presented by Assoc Prof Helen Stratton and Peter Griffiths for over 27 years.

Looking for a Group discount? Contact us for early-bird and group discounts if you are looking to sign up 3 or more staff from the one organisation at m.christie@griffith.edu.au

Please note: Early-bird pricing is only available until Thursday 17th April 2025. 

Mon 23 - Fri 27
June 2025
5 Days
Griffith University South Bank Campus
Face-to-Face
With laboratory analysing
3570
Early-bird discounts available

Course Snapshot

What are the course learning outcomes?

This course is aimed at people responsible for AS/BNR systems operation, assessment, control and optimisation. Completion of the course will provide participants with a working knowledge of the process and how to best optimise their system. The course is unique in that it provides fundamental knowledge of the interaction between biochemical, microbiological and engineering design aspects of the process.

What core topics are offered?
  • The Fundamentals of Wastewater Treatment
  • The components of Wastewater; All components of wastewater will be described; The Organisms of Activated Sludge
  • The Components of the BNR process
  • General Microbiology of Activated Sludge
  • Nitrification/Denitrification and Mass Fractions
  • The Microbiology of Nitrification/Denitrification
  • Biological Phosphorous Removal
  • The Microbiology of Phosphorous Removal
  • In Plant Monitoring
  • Interpretation of Analytical Data
  • Operation and Maintenance Requirements of BNR Plants
  • Chemical Polishing for P Removal 
  • Laboratory Sessions
  • Microbiological Examination of activated sludge will be carried out as individual exercise.
  • Common Problems in BNR plants: Bulking and Foaming
  • Sludge Handling 
Who is this course suited to?

This course is relevant to you if you are:

  • Involved with the management or operation of an activated sludge or BNR plant
  • Upgrading your AS plant to BNR
  • A scientist working in a laboratory analysing wastewater or researching the AS/BNR process
  • Studying environmental engineering or wastewater subjects
  • Completing your Certificate III or IV in water operations
What are the course credentials?

Participants will earn a Digital Badge upon completion of the course which can be shared across various online platforms so you can showcase your demonstrated skills and achievements.

What does my course schedule look like?

This is a face to face course composing of:

Monday 8:30am-5:00pm Lectures

Tuesday  8:30am-5:00pm Lectures

Wednesday 8:30am - 12:00 Field trip to full-scale plant; 1:00pm - 5:00pm Workshop

Thursday 8:30am - 4:00pm Laboratory

Friday 8:30am - 10:30am Lectures and Workshop; 1:00pm Quiz

Who are the course facilitators?

Associate Professor Helen Stratton: Course Creator, Lead Facilitator 

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Helen is a microbiologist with over 27 years-experience in activated sludge microbiology.  After completing a PhD studying the microbiology of foaming bacteria in activated sludge she has continued to research biological systems and has published over 90 refereed articles, book chapters and research reports.  With this knowledge and experience Helen has continued to be called on to investigate and troubleshoot microbiological problems encountered in biological wastewater treatment processes.  She is an Associate Professor at Griffith University and has over 30 years-experience in course design, management and teaching to undergraduates, post graduates and industry personnel.

Peter Griffiths: pH Water Consultant 

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Over a career expanding more than 40 years, Peter has gained an extensive and somewhat unique understanding of the microbiology and biochemistry of wastewater treatment systems.  Coupled with his chemical engineering process skills and his extensive construction, commissioning and operations experience, he continues to develop and improve wastewater treatment technology, particularly biological phosphorus and nitrogen removal to provide reliable and sustainable treatment facilities that are simple to operate and maintain.  Peter has been instrumental in the design and delivery of this course and has been training operators, engineers and scientists for over 30 years.

Melody Christie: Course Support Officer

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Melody has worked as a research assistant in the water microbiology laboratory, Griffith University for nearly two decades. She is our filament ID guru, undertaking microbiological assessment of wastewater including examination of wet mounts, staining techniques, identification of filamentous and phosphorous accumulating bacteria and compilation of reports. Her expertise in activated sludge microbiology has been an essential in the successful commissioning and optimisation of several activated sludge plants.  Mel is currently leading our team in building expertise in molecular techniques for community analysis and targeted analysis for understanding the structure and function of activated sludge microbial communities.