For most waste management students, getting experience at an operational treatment facility means a field trip to a local municipal plant. But for students at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, all it requires is a short walk across campus.
UWSP is home to a scaled-down, fully functional wastewater treatment plant. The facility allows students to monitor the process in real time, reacting to changes the way they will once they've entered the field.
The treatment plant is located in UWSP's Waste Education Center a $4.55 million facility that also houses the university's recycling operations and has room for a full-scale composting facility.
"Students are better prepared than before," said Aga Razvi, a professor of soil and waste resources who runs the facility. "They can pass the Department of Natural Resources certification tests without problems, which is a testament to our program."
