The USDA Water System Operators Guide is a basic course in the operation of small seasonal drinking water systems.  The Water System Operators Guide written by Brenda Land (2006) and published by the United States Department of Agriculture is the primary content of the course. A print copy of the book can also be purchased at Amazon.com.  The course provides information and checklists to help operators of small seasonal drinking water systems with a focus on U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service drinking water systems.  The course includes useful concepts for every small system operator and especially operators that need to startup and shutdown their system seasonally.  The simple goal is to help operators keep their drinking water in compliance. Water system operators are the first line of defense against waterborne health risks.  

Please note that the Revised Total Coliform Rule (RTCR), Groundwater Rule, Public Notification updates and other regulations have updated the requirements for sampling, testing, reporting, and recordkeeping.  And so Brenda Land's chapter titled "Sampling and Testing" and the chapter titled "Reporting, Public Notification, and Recordkeeping" are now outdated.  The electronic copies of her book included with this course have those sections deleted. Her book is still valuable and worth purchasing, however, this course has replaced her outdated regulatory information with up-to-date requirements from the RTCR and other relevant regulations.  Revised Total Coliform Rule (RTCR) video explanations are available here in this course and provided compliments of PA DEP and can also be accessed directly for free at www.youtube.com/user/PennsylvaniaDEP.