Berkshire Community College (BCC) announces the creation of a Water Quality Monitoring Certificate Program, a new offering for the fall 2023 semester.
The program, designed to train the next generation of drinking water and wastewater professionals, requires the completion of three courses totaling 11 credits:
- ENV-205 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (4 credits)
- ENV-182 Environmental Advocacy (3 credits)
- CHEM 150A Essentials of Chemistry (4 credits)
The certificate can be completed in as little as two semesters and is "stackable," meaning credits earned can be applied toward an associate degree in Environmental Sciences. Generally, CHEM 150A would be taken in the fall semester, with the remaining two courses taken in the spring.
"Since 2019, BCC science faculty has been training staff members of Berkshire County environmental organizations to sample area surface waters, including streams, ponds and outfalls, and to analyze those samples for a number of pollutants and indicators," said Bruce Winn, Associate Professor of Environmental and Life Sciences. "We also have been providing ongoing support for these projects, which are undertaken under contracts with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Agency (DEP)."
Winn explained that the DEP encouraged BCC to offer a certificate that would provide the state with assurances that field workers have been trained in the equipment and processes needed for these environmental projects.
A skilled workforce for the water and wastewater industry is critical for public health. Small communities, such as those in Berkshire County, often lack a municipal water system and are instead served by small public water systems or private wells. As a result, there is a need for water quality monitoring in the communities served by BCC. Adding to this need is the fact that a huge wave of retirement in the water and wastewater industries is occurring, leaving many opportunities open for the next generation of trained workers in the field.
The BCC Water Quality Monitoring Certificate can help fill this need, with graduates finding work as wastewater operators or drinking water operators in a municipality or in private industry. Other opportunities include working as a contract operator, providing water quality sampling, certification and other services to small businesses.
For more information on the program, contact Bruce Winn at bwinn@berkshirecc.edu or 413-236-4688.