Voluntary Certification- Working in Missouri

In 1993, the Laboratory Practices Committee (LPC) of the Missouri Water Environment Association was established. The Committee's mission is to assess the needs and develop and foster a network of resources for wastewater laboratory professionals in the State of Missouri. They strive to elevate the professional status of wastewater laboratory personnel through education, training and voluntary certification.Volunteers are the core of the Voluntary Wastewater Analyst Certification program in Missouri. The LPC is a totally voluntary committee with a chairperson and vice-chairperson. All other members are recruited by sign-up sheets at the annual conference, referrals, and informative articles. There are several sub-committees and each of those has a chairperson thus involving even more members in the work of the LPC.One of the first decisions made by the Missouri LPC was to develop a comprehensive four-level program for wastewater analysts and to write and Manual of Laboratory Practices For Wastewater Treatment Plants. This manual serves as a reference for all questions included in the voluntary wastewater analyst exam. After each section of the manual is written, the LPC develops a detailed Need-to- Know for the procedures in that section. From that Need-to-Know, exam questions are developed and referenced to the manual. All exam questions are validated by the LPC and the entire program is reviewed annually.There is much yet to accomplish in the Missouri Voluntary Wastewater Analyst Certification Program. The Level B exam, the Level A Manual, and the Level A exam remain to be written before the program is complete. With enthusiastic volunteers, it is hoped the whole program will be in place within the next four years.