Oceanside Resident Dives into Teaching SDSU Water Course

Growing up in the San Francisco area, Oceanside resident Joel Holt was a surfer and diver. In fact, he even wrote a report while attending San Francisco Community College concerning how the combined sewer system in San Francisco caused sewer water to overflow into San Francisco Bay after it rained.

“I really was determined to do something about water pollution,” said Holt, who teaches Water and Wastewater Treatment as part of the Professional Certificate in Water Management and Landscape Sustainability Online program.

These days, Holt is still making his mark as a 33-year veteran in the field. He presently works for the Olivenhain Municipal Water District doing operations and maintenance at its 34- million-gallon-a-day ultrafiltration water filtration plant.

Before, he was the assistant chief plant operator at the Fallbrook Public Utility District's wastewater treatment and water recycling facility. He has 12 years of experience as a laboratory director and environmental compliance person, as well as numerous certifications including water and wastewater treatment plant operator (grades IV and V), water quality analyst, water distribution, and environmental compliance inspector.

Holt draws on this experience in teaching his SDSU Extended Studies course.

“I’m a big-picture person,” he said. “We cover pretty much every aspect of the water field. The technology in the water field keeps getting better and better and more fascinating.”

Holt noted that although most of his students are from the San Diego area, he’s had an online student from as far away as Germany. His San Diego students have taken a field trip to the Lake Skinner facilities, where about 80-90 percent of the county’s water (both raw water and treated water) flows.

He wants his students to start out their online classroom experience with the basics by exploring the water and wastewater situations in their particular area of residence.

“I ask my students from the start what sparks their interest in water and what the main water issues are in their mind,” Holt said. “As we go through class, they become amazed at how big the water field is and what goes into it.”

A lot has gone into Holt reaching this point in his career.

He received his Bachelor’s degree in biology from San Francisco State University on top of an Associate’s degree in water and wastewater technology and an Associate’s degree in science concentration biology and chemistry. His awards include Laboratory Analyst of the Year, Supervisor of the Year, and Environmental Compliance Person of the Year.

Holt is now in his third year of teaching in SDSU’s water program.

“I get real excited about the field,” he said. “It’s so interesting when you research it. By the time my students are done, I think they are pretty amazed by what can and is being done with water.”