PA Clean Water Academy

If you have an idea for an environmental improvement for your community or business, let DEP help you make it happen with grant funding.

A DEP grant can help your organization, municipality, business, or farm be more energy efficient, restore your local stream, reduce erosion, prepare for climate change, help lower air pollution, or teach kids or adults about environmental challenges and solutions.

 This course is worth 2.5 credits and cost $100

After completing this course, you will be able to understand the regulations for the building sewer and piping distribution systems, including the requirements for pressure dosed systems. You will also learn about different types of tanks, how to calculate the appropriate tank size in gallons, and how to determine the liquid capacity of round, square, or rectangular tanks. Additionally, you will be able to calculate the size of a pump needed to maintain proper flow and determine the volume of a dose. 

 This course is worth 2.5 credits and costs $100.

This course prepares learners to evaluate sites for on-lot sewage systems by identifying required tests, understanding how soil and land features affect suitability, and recognizing how test results influence permitting and system design. It also covers the concept and regulatory requirements of horizontal isolation distances, including how to identify them on a plot plan. Additionally, learners will gain skills in defining, measuring, and calculating slope, using field instruments, and recording slope data accurately on official site investigation reports. 

 This course is worth 4 credits and costs $160.

After completing this course, you will be able to understand the purpose and steps of the inspection stage, recognize suitable soil conditions for system installation, and properly prepare a site. You will also become familiar with the required materials to meet regulatory standards, learn how to complete a final inspection, identify and determine the causes of malfunctions, correct them in compliance with regulations, know when to apply Best Technical Guidance (BTG) during repairs, and understand procedures for addressing nuisance complaints.

This course is worth 1.25 credits and costs $50. 

After completing this course, you will be able to calculate the daily flow for residential, commercial, and institutional establishments. You will also gain an understanding of on-lot sewage disposal systems, including their components and the different types of conventional systems. Additionally, the chapter covers the theory and types of in-ground and elevated systems, the minimum installation criteria, and the two methods used to distribute effluent to the disposal area.

Municipalities and other entities with separate storm sewer system (MS4) permit coverage are required by their MS4 permits to implement a Stormwater Management Program (SWMP) to reduce the discharge of pollutants from their MS4, protect water quality, and satisfy the water quality requirements of the Clean Water Act and Pennsylvania Clean Streams Law.  

This course will provide an overview of the six Minimum Control Measures (MCMs) that must be included in a permittee's SWMP. Completion of this course is recommended for municipal staff and their consultants, local environmental groups, and any other interested members of the public. 

This course provides soil-focused information relevant to stormwater management planning and design. Topics include water flow in soils, redoximorphic features, measuring hydraulic conductivity, and understanding the role soils play in stormwater control measure performance. 

The course will take approximately 2 hours to complete.  To complete this course, please complete the three learning modules and the final quiz. 

Join us for the February 18, Lunch & Learn session with Ryan Davis from the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, on Riparian Buffers: Best Practices and Lessons from the Field. This webinar will provide an overview of riparian forest buffer best management practices, along with real-world case studies that highlight successful implementation, common challenges, and lessons learned to support effective waterway protection in Pennsylvania.

Join us for the October 23rd Lunch & Learn session with Katie Brooks from Penn State Extension to learn about Enhancing Wildlife Habitat.

During the spring of 2021, EPA and PADEP hosted a series of MS4 Forums for MS4 permittees located within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The intent of the MS4 Forums was to provide an opportunity for municipalities with MS4 permits to discuss their stormwater management programs and share experiences and lessons learned. 

This module contains the recorded presentations from the 2021 MS4 Forums. Topics covered include, minimum control measures (MCMs), stormwater financing, Pollutant Reduction Plans (PRPs), BMP maintenance, and BMP case studies. 

Learn how to become a certified Sewage Enforcement officer through two distinct pathways. The first option is a seven-day classroom program at the PASEO Academy, while the second option is a Clean Wate Academy four-day blended program that combines online training with field activities. Both pathways lead to the same certification, providing flexibility for candidates to choose based on their schedules and learning preferences.

The purpose of the conference is to facilitate knowledge transfer among scientists, regulators, and practitioners involved in aquatic resource restoration work in a scientifically sound manner using an evidence-based approach in recognition of modern constraints that results in the restoration of resilient aquatic resources.

This course provides training on the PAG-01 NPDES General Permit for Stormwater Discharges Associated with Small Construction Activities, effective March 1, 2022. In this course DEP provides an overview of PAG-01; explains similarities and differences compared to the PAG-02 General Permit; describes the suite of PCSM BMPs available under PAG-01; addresses the NOI requirements for PAG-01; and provides an explanation of post-approval requirements.