Certified Service Technician (CST) Path

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For:

Technicians

Course Format:

Live-Online

Field professionals who service POU/POE residential treatment systems gain a higher level of professionalism from pursuing a CST certification. The goal of the training is for anyone servicing existing equipment to be able to not only determine and correct equipment failure, but also be able to identify the purpose of the equipment for an application and evaluate appropriate equipment size. The ability to holistically evaluate existing equipment helps minimize errors and reduce callbacks.

Fully commit to your CST training!

Save both time and money by purchasing all three courses – and paying the certification exam fee – right now in one bundle.

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certified service technician

3-course series

10 months

Class starts week of January 21, 2025

Offered at two different times for East Coast/West Coast convenience

This is a 3-course series with 2 courses led by expert instructors with live, remote classes and online assignments, and a 3rd self-study module. Learn to:

  • Identify the problems caused by aesthetic contaminants and test for them
  • Interpret drinking water reports
  • Apply and size POU/POE treatment technologies for aesthetic and drinking water contaminants
  • Troubleshoot POU/POE treatment systems (Self-paced course)
  • Resolve ethical dilemmas and comply with anti-trust regulations
  • Relevant Field Experience- Minimum of six months experience servicing POU/POE water treatment equipment in the B2C market
  • Complete Prerequisite Coursework- Instructor-Led Training
    Course 1: Assessing Water Quality Problems
    Course 2: Application & Sizing of POU/POE Treatment for Aesthetic Contaminants
    Course 3: Troubleshooting Module (self-paced, online)
  • Pass Certified Service Technician Exam
  • Maintain certification/recertification requirements

Get the complete course package

Don’t waste time – Get the complete course package and save!

Assessing Water Quality Problems

For:

Service techs

Sales Reps

System Designers

Dealers

Certification Coursework:

CWS/CWR/CST/CTD 

Course Format:

Live-Online

This 14-week course is WQA’s Introductory Instructor-led course on POU/POE Water Treatment and the first course required for the CWS/CWR/CST/CTD certification titles. It walks the learner through identifying aesthetic problems, onsite testing, interpreting water analyses for aesthetic contaminants, and drinking water regulations.

2 hours/week (includes time for homework)

14 weeks

Offered at two different times for East Coast/West Coast convenience

Peter Cartwright
Paul Fiot

Application & Sizing of POU/POE Treatment for Aesthetic Contaminants

For:

Service Techs

Sales Reps

System Designers

Dealers

Certification Coursework:

CWS/CWR/CST/CTD 

Course Format:

Live-Online

This 15-week course moves from identifying problems into how to select and correctly size treatment equipment for aesthetic contaminants. It is the final course in the CWR coursework and the second in a series for the CWS/CST/CTD titles.

2 hours/week

15 weeks

Peter Cartwright
Paul Fiot

Troubleshooting Training

For:

Service technicians

Certification Coursework:

CST

Course Format:

Self-paced

Online

This course includes a troubleshooting guide to POU and POE treatment equipment and a review of installation practices. It also includes an overview of drinking water health-impacting contaminants and the treatment technologies that address them. It is the final module required to be eligible to take the CST exam.

40-50 hours

self-paced 

Course Purchase Options

Pricing for the three pre-requisite courses and the CST exam are listed as individual fees or as one cost-saving bundle so you can choose the option that is right for you.

Individual courses

Assessing Water Quality Problems

For:

Service techs

Sales Reps

System Designers

Dealers

Certification Coursework:

CWS/CWR/CST/CTD 

Course Format:

Live-Online

2 hours/week

14 weeks

Early Bird Pricing

$649-$909*

Members

$1,239*

Non-members

Regular Pricing 

$759-$1,049*

Members

$1,429*

Non-members

*Price includes 3% convenience fee

Peter Cartwright
Paul Fiot

Application & Sizing of POU/POE Treatment for Aesthetic Contaminants

For:

Service techs

Sales Reps

System Designers

Dealers

Certification Coursework:

CWS/CWR/CST/CTD 

Course Format:

Live-Online

2 hours/week

15 weeks

Regular Pricing

$759-$1,049*

Members

$1,429*

Non-members

*Price includes 3% convenience fee

Peter Cartwright
Paul Fiot

Troubleshooting Training

For:

Service Technicians

Certification Coursework:

CST

Course Format:

Self-paced

Online

40-50 hours

self-paced

$629-$759*

Members

$1,389*

Non-members

*Price includes 3% convenience fee

Exam

Certified Service Technician (CST) Exam

For:

Service techs

Sales Reps

System Designers

Dealers

Course Format:

Online

$259*

Core/Premier Members

$299*

E-members

$579*

Non-members

*Price includes 3% convenience fee

Complete Certification Bundle

Certified Service Technician (CST) Bundle

For:

Service techs

System Designers

Dealers

The Service Technician Training bundle includes:
Course 1: Assessing Water Quality Problems
Course 2: Application & Sizing of POU/POE Treatment for Aesthetic Contaminants
Course 3: Troubleshooting Training
Certified Service Technician (CST) Exam Fee

Early Bird Pricing

$1,659-$2,309*

Members

$3,149*

Non-members

Regular Pricing

$1,889-$2,649*

Members

$3,609*

Non-members

*Price includes 3% convenience fee

Peter Cartwright
Paul Fiot

WQA offers accelerated pathways to achieve the CST.

For field professionals with 2+ years of experience servicing existing POU/POE residential treatment systems. Focuses on troubleshooting and correcting underlying problems.

  • 2+ years of experience specifying problem water treatment for B2C applications
  • Pass Two Challenge Tests for Assessing Water Quality & Application and Sizing of POU/POE water treatment for problem water applications in the B2C market
  • Complete self-paced online Ethics Course
  • Pass Certification Exam

CST Accelerated Path Bundle:

Two Assessment Tests

Ethics Course

CST Exam **

** Certified Installers who earned their CI title prior to 2022 do not need to complete any prerequisites and should contact eduation@wqa.org for information on taking the CST exam
* Optional

Offered at two different times for East Coast/West Coast convenience

Winter

Start Date:  Jan 21, 2025 OR  Jan 24, 2025 | 3-course series – 10 months

Spring

Start Date: April 15, 2025 OR April 16, 2025 | 3-course series – 10 months

Fall

Start Date: August 20, 2025 OR  August 21, 2025 | 3-course series – 10 months