Olaine College of Technology of Riga Technical University (hereinafter – RTU OTK) welcomed students and teachers from the Netherlands, Malta, Estonia and Latvia to give students and educators the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge about the water management industry and its global challenges. It was achieved by relevant lectures and discussions, laboratory work and insite visit to the wastewater treatment facilities of JSC “Olaines ūdens un siltums”.
Prior laboratory work, participants were provided with theoretical and practical knowledge and skills essential to the water management industry. In the laboratory, different wastewater samples were tested water - participants determined the pH level, electrical conductivity and turbidity. Spectrophotometric determination of phosphate and iron concentrations in water was also performed. The concentration of various salts in water was determined by using an electrical conductivity meter. To get a better understanding of microbiology, the participants had the opportunity to take microbiological samples from different surfaces (shoes, hands, phone screens, etc.), learned to use the correct microbiological media and after two days analyzed the morphology of the colonies of the grown microorganisms using a microscope.
Every participant realized that water management industry specialist means more than fixing leaks, cleaning grates, or monitoring indicators on a screen.
JKHK student Ülar appreciated this experience: „I gained a lot of new knowledge about maintaining water quality, including the importance of microbiology and it was more undertandable and interesting as we got to put the knowledge into practice while completing assignments in the laboratory.“
 

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Participation in the training activities was co-funded by the EU Erasmus+ program.