Steve Wilson is a groundwater hydrologist who has been with the Illinois State Water Survey at the University of Illinois since 1983. He developed and manages WaterOperator.org, an online nationwide resource for water and wastewater operators geared toward supporting small systems. Steve has a B. S. in Agricultural Engineering and a M. S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Steve is active in both WEF and AWWA, currently serving on the WEF Operator Advisory Panel, and past Chair and member of the AWWA Small Systems Division.

What if you could go to one website to find free information from more than 800 state, regional, and national organizations/agencies that provide resources related to water and wastewater operations? How beneficial would it be as an operator if there were one calendar that listed all of the water and wastewater training opportunities in your state? Searching the internet for useful information can be frustrating and time consuming, especially if links don’t work or websites are outdated. WaterOperator.org continually updates information and catalogs operator resources and events in an easy-to-use interface, providing relevant information direct to water and wastewater operators nationwide.

Funded by USEPA through a grant to RCAP, WaterOperator.org is a database of information from more than 800 organizations that support water and wastewater operators, launched in October of 2009. It links to over 15,000 publicly available resources (handbooks, videos, manuals, guides, and websites) that cover every aspect of water and wastewater operations, compliance, certification, standards, treatment, contaminants, maintenance, emerging technologies, and other relevant topics. Information is easy to find by topic, type, state, and/or sponsoring organization. WaterOperator.org supports over 800 state operator associations, technical assistance providers, and state and federal agencies by providing direct links to their valuable resources and detailed information about training through our easy to use website. A national database of operator schools and a page devoted to careers in the water/wastewater industry provide potential new operators with guidance on certification. Our online groundwater and wells class is free and available for 2 hours of credit in Alabama and Mississippi. Anyone who needs help, whether in finding a resource, technical assistance, or, training, can call or email our staff, all for free.

WaterOperator.org takes an innovative approach that fills a gap in meeting operator needs. It allows operators to find information on given topics by searching through 800 organizations websites, all at once, leveraging the strengths of all of the agencies and organizations around the country that provide resources for water and wastewater operators. It’s very easy to navigate and it’s free to use.