We are excited to announce that the Bimose Internship has been extended to continue through to the end of September. This extension offers interns opportunities for more training, more preparation time to challenge exams, including Wastewater Management and Level 1 Operator, and more hands-on work experience in the treatment plants. Group training sessions, tutorials, and one on one individualized sessions will continue in full to support the interns reach their professional goals.
Through the winter months and COVID restrictions, the interns have continued working on remote learning modules related to the Water Quality Analyst (WQA) training and upcoming certification exam taking place April/May.
Most First Nation communities have smaller water treatment systems than urban cities. Depending on the source of their water (lake, wells, pump house) the community has to use one, or a combination of, treatment testing protocols to achieve potable water for their community. Without a WQA certification, tests have to be sent away to a licensed lab causing delays that could affect access to safe drinking water for the community.
A WQA certificate allows interns and operators to take a leadership role in source water protection and expand on their water sampling skills. The WQA certification is especially useful in combination with their Operator in Training (OIT) certification, as operators are often faced with unique challenges that present with the types of drinking water systems that are in their communities.
