Activated Sludge Microscopy Course
June 18, 2025 – University Research Park, 505 S. Rosa Road, Madison, WI 53719
(6 Wastewater Credits)
The class will start promptly at 9:30 am. The class will end at 3:30 pm.

9:30 am – 9:45 am: Microscopy introduction – Advantages of using microscopy in the activated sludge process, specific areas to focus on, and course overview.

9:45 am – 10:00 am: How to handle your microscope – How to prevent damage to microscopes, preventative maintenance and other important notes.

10:00 am – 10:20 am: Microscopy options – Looking at different types, lenses and their purposes.

10:20 am – 10:45 am: Performing microscopic analysis on wastewater samples – Preparing wet mounts and smears, what to what to look for in floc, filaments, higher life forms, bulk liquid, sludge age, problem solving.

10:45 am – 11:15 am: Introduction to filaments – Common filament types and how to ID (M. parvicella, NALO, S. natant, Thiothrix spp, Low F:M, 021N), filamentous organisms impact on mixed liquor, filament environments and viability, control options to prevent filamentous growth.

11:15 am – 11:30 am: Common microscopy staining procedures – Gram stains, what they are and how to perform them as well as other useful stains like Neisser stain, sulfur accumulation, PHB, fungi stains.

11:30 am – 12:15 pm: Working lunch – We will take a look at different microbes in wastewater.

12:15 pm – 3:15 pm: Hands on Microscopy – Tutorials, slide preparation, gram staining, microscopy hands-on use, process assessment by looking at attendees’ samples, talk about optimizations or problem solving based on observations, what to look for when talking with consultants, open discussion.

3:15 pm – 3:30 pm: Conclusions and frequently asked questions

Course Instructor: Saylor Gilbert – AquaFix, Inc. (WRWA Associate Member)

Pre-Registration is required for this class

Click below for a printable class agenda:

Activated Sludge Microscopy Course (6-18-2025) – Madison