Water Treatment Technology Training Course
- Duration
- 5 days
- CPD hours
- 15
- Language
- English
- Next date
- 19 Oct 2026
Overview
The Water Treatment Technology Training Course by Institute For Oil & Gas Training equips oil and gas professionals with the practical expertise required to manage industrial water treatment, improve water quality control, and optimise water treatment systems across petroleum operations. Within the Oil & Gas Water Treatment and Management specialisation, this course addresses the technical and operational challenges associated with produced water, process water, injection water, cooling water, boiler feedwater, and wastewater generated throughout the oil and gas value chain.
Water management is a critical operational responsibility for upstream production facilities, refineries, petrochemical plants, gas processing installations, and supporting industrial infrastructure. Water enters production systems through reservoir fluids, process requirements, utility operations, and cleaning activities. Its composition varies according to the source, geological conditions, production chemistry, treatment chemicals, and operating environment. Without appropriate treatment, water introduces operational challenges that include corrosion, scale formation, equipment fouling, microbial activity, oil contamination, and reduced process efficiency.
The Water Treatment Technology Training Course provides a structured understanding of the technologies, treatment processes, monitoring practices, and operational controls used to address these challenges. Participants examine the principles behind physical separation, chemical conditioning, filtration, membrane treatment, biological processes, disinfection, and advanced water purification methods. The programme connects these technologies with the practical demands of oil and gas water treatment, enabling professionals to evaluate treatment performance and identify opportunities for improvement.
Oil and gas facilities manage water under demanding operating conditions. Produced water frequently contains dispersed oil, dissolved hydrocarbons, suspended solids, dissolved salts, treatment chemicals, and other contaminants. Injection water requires appropriate conditioning to protect reservoirs, injection equipment, and associated pipelines. Utility water must meet the quality requirements of its intended application, while wastewater treatment processes must support responsible discharge, reuse, or disposal in accordance with applicable permits and environmental requirements.
Selecting an appropriate treatment process requires more than familiarity with individual technologies. Professionals must understand the relationship between feedwater characteristics, contaminant removal requirements, equipment selection, chemical consumption, operating costs, maintenance demands, and final water quality. A treatment process that performs effectively for one application does not automatically provide suitable results for another. The ability to assess these relationships supports better technical decisions and more reliable plant performance.
This course addresses the skills gap between understanding individual treatment technologies and managing their application within complex industrial operations. It develops the ability to interpret water analysis results, assess treatment requirements, understand process configurations, investigate performance problems, and establish effective monitoring practices. Participants also examine the interactions between water treatment, production chemistry, corrosion management, asset integrity, environmental protection, and operational reliability.
Delivered by Institute For Oil & Gas Training, the programme takes a corporate and operational perspective. It focuses on the decisions that engineers, operations managers, production chemists, maintenance professionals, and environmental specialists make when managing water across oil and gas facilities. The content connects technical principles with practical applications, allowing participants to evaluate existing treatment arrangements and identify improvements relevant to their responsibilities.
The programme also addresses the increasing operational importance of water reuse, resource efficiency, treatment optimisation, and environmental performance. Organisations face pressure to control water consumption, minimise waste, improve process reliability, and demonstrate responsible management of industrial effluents. Effective treatment systems support these objectives by improving the suitability of water for reuse, reducing avoidable process losses, and strengthening control over contaminants.
By the end of the course, participants will have a stronger foundation for evaluating water treatment technologies, interpreting treatment performance, coordinating operational interventions, and contributing to water management strategies. They will be better prepared to support decisions that balance water quality requirements, equipment reliability, environmental obligations, and operating expenditure.
Objectives
Explain the principles of industrial water treatment and its importance across upstream, midstream, downstream, and supporting utility operations.
Identify the principal sources of industrial water and distinguish between produced water, injection water, cooling water, boiler feedwater, process water, and wastewater.
Interpret common water quality parameters and assess their significance for treatment selection and operational performance.
Evaluate physical, chemical, biological, and membrane-based water purification methods for different industrial applications.
Explain the operating principles of oil-water separators, filtration equipment, chemical treatment systems, membrane units, and associated process equipment.
Assess the influence of water composition, temperature, pressure, flow rate, and chemical compatibility on treatment effectiveness.
Identify the causes and operational consequences of corrosion, scaling, fouling, oil carryover, suspended solids, and microbial contamination.
Understand chemical dosing requirements and the importance of controlled chemical handling, compatibility, monitoring, and optimisation.
Review water treatment systems against defined process requirements, equipment limitations, and final water quality targets.
Apply systematic troubleshooting techniques to investigate poor treatment performance and recurring water quality deviations.
Establish appropriate monitoring practices using water analysis, operational indicators, sampling procedures, and performance trends.
Evaluate opportunities to improve water reuse, reduce avoidable water consumption, and strengthen resource efficiency.
Understand the relevance of environmental permits, discharge requirements, recognised water quality standards, and applicable industry guidance.
Contribute to water treatment improvement plans that support operational reliability, environmental responsibility, and cost control.
Communicate treatment requirements, operational risks, and corrective actions effectively across technical and operational teams.
Training methodology
Institute For Oil & Gas Training delivers the Water Treatment Technology Training Course through an applied learning methodology designed for professionals working in technically demanding industrial environments. The delivery approach combines technical explanations, operational case studies, process analysis, group exercises, scenario-based discussions, and practical problem-solving activities.
The methodology emphasises the relationship between treatment theory and operating decisions. Participants explore how water characteristics influence process selection, why treatment equipment underperforms, and how monitoring data supports corrective action. Rather than treating each technology as an isolated subject, the programme examines complete treatment arrangements and the interactions between process stages.
Industry-Based Case Studies
Case studies reflect common challenges encountered in upstream production, refineries, gas processing facilities, and industrial utilities. Participants examine scenarios involving produced water contamination, oil-in-water separation difficulties, suspended solids, membrane fouling, scaling, corrosion, and inconsistent treated-water quality.
Each case study encourages participants to identify the underlying problem, distinguish between symptoms and causes, evaluate potential treatment solutions, and consider the operational consequences of each decision. The approach strengthens technical judgement and encourages the application of systematic investigation methods.
Treatment Process Analysis
Participants examine the functions of treatment stages, including screening, separation, coagulation, flocculation, filtration, chemical dosing, membrane processes, and disinfection. They consider how process configuration, equipment condition, chemical compatibility, and operating parameters influence treatment performance.
Process analysis also addresses the importance of understanding feedwater characteristics before selecting a technology. Participants learn to relate water quality data to treatment requirements and identify circumstances in which a single process is insufficient to achieve the required outcome.
Scenario-Based Operational Exercises
Operational scenarios require participants to respond to treatment problems such as deteriorating effluent quality, rising differential pressure, excessive chemical consumption, unstable process conditions, and suspected equipment fouling.
Participants assess available information, prioritise investigative actions, and propose corrective measures. These exercises reinforce the importance of controlled adjustments, systematic troubleshooting, appropriate escalation, and verification of treatment results.
Group Discussions and Collaborative Problem-Solving
Group exercises bring together different operational perspectives. Engineers, operations personnel, production chemists, maintenance specialists, and environmental professionals often approach water treatment challenges from different angles.
Collaborative discussion helps participants understand these differences and develop solutions that consider the complete operating environment. Activities also encourage clearer communication between departments responsible for water quality, equipment reliability, chemical management, and environmental performance.
Water Quality Data Interpretation
Participants work through representative water quality information to understand the significance of parameters such as pH, turbidity, conductivity, total dissolved solids, suspended solids, oil content, hardness, alkalinity, and microbial indicators where relevant.
The exercises focus on interpreting results in relation to the intended water use, applicable acceptance criteria, treatment objectives, and operating conditions. Participants also examine the importance of representative sampling, reliable laboratory procedures, trend analysis, and documented corrective action.
Application to Workplace Improvement
Throughout the programme, participants connect the material with the requirements of their own facilities and responsibilities. They identify opportunities to improve monitoring routines, investigate recurring treatment problems, review operating procedures, and strengthen coordination between relevant departments.
This applied approach helps translate technical knowledge into practical improvements in industrial water treatment, process reliability, resource utilisation, and environmental management.
Organisational impact
Effective water treatment contributes directly to asset reliability, production continuity, process efficiency, and environmental performance. Organisations operating in the oil and gas sector depend on reliable water management to protect equipment, maintain process conditions, and meet the requirements associated with water use, discharge, and reuse.
The Water Treatment Technology Training Course helps sponsoring organisations strengthen these capabilities by developing a more consistent understanding of treatment processes, operational controls, and performance evaluation.
Improved Equipment Reliability
Poorly controlled water chemistry contributes to corrosion, scale deposition, fouling, and equipment deterioration. These conditions affect pipelines, heat exchangers, injection systems, pumps, vessels, cooling circuits, and other equipment exposed to water or water-based fluids.
Trained personnel are better equipped to recognise the relationship between water quality and equipment condition. They can contribute to earlier identification of treatment deficiencies, more informed maintenance planning, and better coordination between water treatment and asset integrity teams.
Better Treatment Performance
Treatment systems require appropriate process selection, operating control, chemical management, and performance monitoring. Inconsistent operation increases the risk of poor separation, inadequate filtration, membrane deterioration, and treated water that fails to meet its intended application requirements.
The programme strengthens the ability of personnel to assess these issues systematically. Organisations benefit from improved problem diagnosis, more consistent operating practices, and better-informed decisions about treatment adjustments and equipment performance.
More Effective Operating Cost Control
Water treatment expenditure includes chemical consumption, energy, equipment maintenance, membrane replacement, waste handling, laboratory analysis, and the management of treatment residuals. Inefficient operation increases these costs without necessarily improving water quality.
Participants develop a clearer understanding of the factors that influence treatment costs. This supports more disciplined chemical use, identification of avoidable process losses, improved maintenance decisions, and evaluation of the operational value of treatment upgrades.
Stronger Environmental Management
Oil and gas water streams require careful management because contaminants can affect receiving environments, reuse applications, and waste handling arrangements. Appropriate treatment supports compliance with applicable discharge permits and environmental requirements.
The course helps personnel understand how treatment performance, sampling, documentation, and corrective action contribute to environmental management. It also encourages consideration of water reuse and waste minimisation where technically and operationally appropriate.
Improved Water Reuse and Resource Efficiency
Water reuse can reduce demand for freshwater and improve resource efficiency when the quality of treated water matches the intended application. Successful reuse requires a clear understanding of contaminant characteristics, treatment limitations, process compatibility, and monitoring requirements.
Trained employees can contribute to assessments of reuse opportunities, evaluate treatment requirements, and identify the controls necessary to maintain consistent water quality.
Better Operational Decision-Making
Water treatment decisions often involve competing considerations, including production requirements, equipment protection, chemical expenditure, environmental limits, and maintenance constraints.
The programme develops a common technical foundation that supports better coordination between departments. This helps organisations assess alternatives more consistently, document decisions, and prioritise interventions according to operational risk and treatment performance.
Stronger Compliance and Documentation
Reliable records support the demonstration of treatment performance and the investigation of deviations. Organisations need appropriate sampling records, laboratory results, process monitoring data, maintenance documentation, chemical management procedures, and corrective action records.
The course reinforces the importance of traceable information and documented operating controls. Participants gain a clearer understanding of how these practices support internal assurance, environmental oversight, and the management of applicable legal and permit obligations.
Measurable Performance Improvement
Organisations can evaluate the practical impact of the training by monitoring relevant performance indicators before and after implementation of workplace improvements. Depending on the facility and application, these indicators include:
Treated-water quality results against defined acceptance criteria.
Frequency and duration of treatment-related process interruptions.
Chemical consumption per unit of water treated.
Membrane fouling frequency and filtration performance.
Maintenance expenditure associated with water-related corrosion, scaling, and fouling.
Freshwater consumption and the volume of water successfully reused.
Number and recurrence of water quality deviations.
Completion and effectiveness of corrective actions.
Compliance with applicable discharge limits and permit conditions.
These measures allow organisations to connect employee development with operational performance and continuous improvement.
Personal impact
The Water Treatment Technology Training Course develops the technical confidence and practical judgement required to manage industrial water challenges within oil and gas operations. Participants strengthen their ability to understand treatment processes, assess water quality, and contribute to decisions affecting reliability, efficiency, and environmental performance.
Enhanced Technical Understanding
Participants develop a structured understanding of water characteristics, contamination mechanisms, treatment technologies, and process performance. This knowledge helps them interpret technical discussions more effectively and understand the relationship between individual treatment stages and overall system results.
Improved Troubleshooting Capability
The course develops a systematic approach to diagnosing treatment problems. Participants learn to examine water analysis results, operating conditions, equipment performance, chemical dosing, and process trends before recommending corrective measures.
This approach supports more effective investigation of recurring problems and reduces dependence on trial-and-error adjustments.
Greater Confidence in Water Quality Control
Participants improve their ability to understand laboratory results, recognise unusual operating trends, and relate measured parameters to treatment objectives. They become better equipped to communicate water quality concerns and contribute to appropriate corrective action.
Stronger Cross-Functional Collaboration
Water treatment requires coordination between production, process engineering, operations, maintenance, laboratory services, chemical suppliers, and environmental teams. Participants develop a clearer understanding of these interdependencies and the information each function requires to make sound decisions.
Better Commercial and Operational Judgement
Understanding the cost and operational implications of treatment technologies enables participants to contribute more effectively to equipment reviews, chemical optimisation, maintenance planning, and improvement proposals. They gain a stronger basis for comparing technical options against operational requirements and whole-life costs.
Professional Development
The programme supports professionals seeking greater responsibility in production operations, process engineering, industrial utilities, water management, environmental performance, and asset integrity. Its practical focus helps participants strengthen their contribution to operational reviews, troubleshooting activities, and improvement projects.
The course also provides a foundation for continued professional development in specialised areas such as produced water management, membrane technology, injection water conditioning, industrial wastewater treatment, and water reuse.
Who should attend
Process Engineers: To assess treatment configurations, process conditions, and the relationship between water quality and plant performance.
Production Engineers: To understand produced water characteristics, separation performance, injection requirements, and water-related production constraints.
Water Treatment Engineers: To strengthen treatment process evaluation, troubleshooting, monitoring, and optimisation capabilities.
Chemical Engineers: To improve their understanding of chemical treatment, filtration, separation, membrane processes, and water chemistry.
Production Chemists: To evaluate water composition, chemical compatibility, contamination mechanisms, and treatment chemical performance.
Operations Engineers: To improve operational control, interpret process indicators, and support reliable treatment system performance.
Plant and Field Operators: To understand treatment equipment, monitoring requirements, operating procedures, and responses to water quality deviations.
Maintenance and Reliability Engineers: To assess water-related equipment degradation, fouling, corrosion, and maintenance requirements.
Corrosion and Materials Engineers: To understand the influence of water chemistry, dissolved gases, deposits, and treatment performance on asset integrity.
Environmental and Sustainability Professionals: To strengthen their understanding of wastewater management, discharge controls, water reuse, and resource efficiency.
Laboratory and Quality Control Personnel: To interpret water analysis results and relate laboratory findings to process requirements and treatment performance.
Utilities and Facilities Engineers: To evaluate cooling water, boiler feedwater, process water, and other utility treatment requirements.
Technical Managers and Operations Superintendents: To improve oversight of treatment performance, operating expenditure, equipment reliability, and improvement priorities.
HSE Professionals: To understand the environmental and operational risks associated with water contamination, treatment chemicals, and wastewater handling.
Project Engineers and Engineering Consultants: To strengthen their ability to review water treatment technologies, equipment specifications, and system design requirements.
Asset Managers and Technical Directors: To assess the operational and commercial implications of water treatment performance, resource consumption, and treatment system investment.
Professionals Moving into Water Management Roles: To establish a practical foundation for responsibilities involving industrial water treatment and water quality control.
The programme is suitable for technical specialists, experienced operational personnel, supervisors, middle managers, and senior professionals who require a broader or more detailed understanding of water treatment technology.
Course outline
This module establishes the technical foundation for understanding industrial water treatment. Participants examine water sources, contamination characteristics, analytical parameters, and the relationship between water composition and treatment requirements. The emphasis is on identifying the properties that determine the suitability of water for production, injection, utilities, reuse, and discharge.
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ISO 5667 Water Quality Sampling
ISO 5667 provides a recognised framework for water sampling, including principles for representative sample collection and the planning of sampling activities.
Appropriate sampling supports reliable assessment of feedwater characteristics, treatment performance, and changes in water quality.
Participants examine the importance of sampling locations, handling procedures, sample preservation where applicable, and documented sampling methods.
Sampling arrangements must reflect the specific water stream, analytical objective, and applicable method requirements.
Learning Outcomes2
Identify common water sources and distinguish between their treatment requirements.
Interpret key water quality parameters and explain their operational significance.
Recognise contaminants that affect equipment reliability, production performance, and environmental outcomes.
Understand the importance of representative sampling and reliable analytical results.
Relate feedwater characteristics to preliminary treatment requirements.
Establish a structured basis for investigating water quality deviations.
This module examines the principal technologies used to remove contaminants, condition water, and achieve the quality required for specific industrial applications. Participants explore the operating principles, capabilities, and limitations of different treatment methods and consider how individual processes are combined into effective water treatment systems.
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ISO 24512 Water Services Management
ISO 24512 provides guidance on the management of drinking water utilities and the assessment of their services.
Its management principles support consideration of service objectives, performance evaluation, and systematic operational management.
The standard is relevant as a management reference where facilities operate water services within its scope.
It is not a universal design standard for oilfield produced water or industrial wastewater treatment, so technical system design must also follow the applicable engineering specifications and project requirements.
Learning Outcomes
Explain the operating principles of common physical, chemical, and membrane-based treatment technologies.
Compare water purification methods according to contaminant characteristics and intended application.
Identify the principal equipment and process stages within industrial water treatment systems.
Understand the factors influencing technology selection and treatment configuration.
Recognise the limitations of individual treatment methods and the need for multiple treatment stages.
Contribute to technical discussions concerning equipment suitability, treatment performance, and system improvement.
This module focuses on water treatment challenges encountered in oil and gas production, processing, refining, and associated utility operations. Participants examine produced water management, injection water conditioning, cooling water treatment, boiler feedwater preparation, and wastewater treatment. The module connects treatment technology selection with production requirements, equipment protection, and the operational characteristics of petroleum facilities.
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API RP 45 Recommended Practices
API Recommended Practice 45 addresses analytical procedures for determining water quality used in evaluating oilfield injection water.
Its methods provide a recognised technical reference for relevant oilfield water analysis activities.
Appropriate water analysis supports assessment of injection water characteristics, contamination, and potential operational problems.
Application of the recommended practice depends on the analytical method, water stream, and requirements of the operating facility.
Learning Outcomes
Explain the principal water treatment requirements across oil and gas operations.
Identify common produced water contaminants and understand their effects on separation performance.
Describe the treatment objectives associated with injection water, cooling water, and boiler feedwater.
Recognise the role of separation, filtration, chemical conditioning, and other treatment technologies in petroleum facilities.
Understand the operational risks associated with unsuitable injection water and inadequate water conditioning.
Relate treatment system performance to production continuity, equipment reliability, and water management objectives.
This module develops the practical skills required to monitor treatment performance, identify deviations, and investigate recurring operational problems. Participants examine monitoring parameters, control practices, equipment indicators, laboratory results, and corrective action methods. The emphasis is on maintaining consistent water quality while avoiding unnecessary chemical consumption, equipment deterioration, and process interruptions.
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ISO/IEC 17025 Testing Laboratories
ISO/IEC 17025 specifies general requirements for the competence, impartiality, and consistent operation of testing and calibration laboratories.
It provides a recognised framework for laboratory quality systems, technical competence, and reliable analytical results.
The standard is relevant when organisations use laboratories to determine water quality and verify treatment performance.
Laboratory accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025 applies to the relevant scope of accreditation and does not automatically establish the competence of every test performed by a laboratory.
Learning Outcomes
Identify suitable monitoring parameters for different treatment applications.
Interpret water quality data and recognise abnormal operating trends.
Investigate common treatment failures using a structured troubleshooting approach.
Understand the significance of sampling quality, analytical reliability, and monitoring frequency.
Evaluate treatment performance against established operating criteria.
Develop appropriate corrective actions and verify their effectiveness.
Improve the quality of treatment records and operational performance reporting.
This module examines the relationship between treatment performance, environmental responsibilities, resource efficiency, and long-term operating costs. Participants consider wastewater management, treated-water reuse, discharge controls, treatment residuals, chemical handling, and opportunities to improve system performance. The module also addresses the importance of evaluating treatment options against technical feasibility, environmental requirements, and operational priorities.
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ISO 14001 Environmental Management
ISO 14001 specifies requirements for an environmental management system that helps organisations manage their environmental responsibilities systematically.
It supports the identification of environmental aspects, evaluation of compliance obligations, operational controls, and continual improvement.
The standard provides a management framework for controlling environmental impacts associated with water use, wastewater treatment, and treatment residuals.
Certification to ISO 14001 is not a substitute for compliance with applicable environmental legislation, discharge permits, or site-specific requirements.
Learning Outcomes
Explain the environmental considerations associated with industrial water treatment and wastewater management.
Identify appropriate treatment objectives for discharge, reuse, and other approved water management routes.
Understand the role of environmental permits, monitoring, and documented operational controls.
Evaluate water reuse opportunities against water quality requirements and technical constraints.
Identify opportunities to improve treatment efficiency and reduce avoidable resource consumption.
Assess relevant performance indicators for chemical use, energy consumption, water reuse, and treatment reliability.
Contribute to practical improvement plans that align operational needs with environmental responsibilities.
Certificate
Attendees who successfully complete the Water Treatment Technology Training Course receive a Certificate of Completion from Institute For Oil & Gas Training.
The certificate recognises completion of the training programme and participation in its professional development activities. Attendees must satisfy the institute's attendance requirement and complete the required course participation activities to qualify for the certificate.
The certificate documents participation in the programme. It does not represent a professional licence, an independently accredited qualification, or a guarantee of regulatory compliance.
Course dates
Fees include tuition, course materials and refreshments. Need different dates or a different city? Ask about your preferred date.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Water Treatment Technology Training Course about?
The Water Treatment Technology Training Course covers industrial water treatment principles, water quality analysis, separation technologies, filtration, chemical conditioning, membrane processes, and wastewater management. It focuses on practical applications across oil and gas production, processing, refining, and industrial utilities. Participants develop the knowledge required to assess treatment performance, investigate water quality problems, and support more reliable water management practices.
Who should attend this course?
The course is suitable for process engineers, production engineers, water treatment specialists, production chemists, operations personnel, maintenance and reliability engineers, environmental professionals, laboratory staff, utilities engineers, and technical managers. It also benefits professionals who require a stronger understanding of industrial water treatment systems and their influence on operational performance, equipment reliability, and environmental management.
How is the training delivered?
Institute For Oil & Gas Training uses an applied corporate training approach incorporating technical presentations, industry-based case studies, group discussions, process analysis, and scenario-based exercises. Participants examine realistic water treatment challenges, interpret representative water quality data, and explore methods for identifying treatment deficiencies and improving system performance. The approach connects technical principles with practical workplace requirements.
What are the main benefits of attending this course?
Participants develop a stronger understanding of water purification methods, treatment equipment, water quality control, and operational troubleshooting. They improve their ability to assess water analysis results, identify treatment problems, understand the causes of corrosion and scaling, and contribute to treatment optimisation. Organisations benefit from improved technical decision-making, more consistent monitoring practices, and better-informed approaches to equipment reliability, water reuse, and environmental performance.
Will attendees receive a certificate, and how long is the course?
Attendees who complete the Water Treatment Technology Training Course and satisfy the applicable attendance requirement receive a Certificate of Completion from Institute For Oil & Gas Training. The complete programme has a total duration of 15 to 20 hours, covering five modules on water quality fundamentals, treatment technologies, oil and gas applications, performance monitoring, and environmental management.
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Water Treatment Technology Training Course
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Next: 19 Oct 2026
4 dates available