SIUE’s Lallish receives IWEA Meredith Award.
EDWARDSVILLE – Rick Lallish, program director of Water Pollution Control at the Environmental Resources Training Center (ERTC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, has received the Illinois Water Environment Association’s (IWEA) Kenneth Meredith Award.
“We all go above and beyond for our students and operators throughout the state.
They are employed at wastewater treatment plants, engineering firms and manufacturers of water treatment equipment.
Lallish was chosen by the IWEA for his outstanding efforts in assisting the many wastewater operators and professionals in the state.
The instructors use its 30,000-gallon per day training-scale drinking water and wastewater treatment plant to teach students the skills needed to properly operate a plant.
To meet the important need for trained operators, ERTC annually provides up to 30 graduates from its Water Quality Control Operations Program.
These graduates are skilled operators and most possess their state certifications.
ERTC courses are designed to assist entry level personnel, who are preparing for a career in drinking water and wastewater treatment systems, and persons already employed in such systems who desire education to upgrade job skills, obtain advanced certification levels and prepare for more responsible positions.
ERTC plays a role in the education of minority and female students, who typically makeup 20 percent of the students in the Water Quality Control Operations Program.