Florida Water Treatment Operator Certification: Class C Process Control & Water Quality Management
Class C is the step up from the entry-level Class D credential. Where Class D covers basic plant safety and terminology, Class C operators are expected to actually run and troubleshoot the treatment train unsupervised — most Florida systems being groundwater plants drawing from the Floridan or Biscayne aquifer.
Iron, Manganese & Aeration
Most of Florida's groundwater carries dissolved iron and manganese picked up from the aquifer's limestone and organic matter. The standard treatment sequence is aeration (or chemical oxidation with chlorine or permanganate) to convert soluble Fe2+/Mn2+ to their insoluble oxidized forms, followed by detention/filtration to remove the resulting floc. Watch for: under-oxidation leaving residual soluble iron that later precipitates in the distribution sy