The Basic Laboratory Skills Manual is designed for the treatment plant operator or technician who is required to monitor effluent discharges under a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit and who had little or no previous experience in laboratory work. The manual to be used by the student contains a review of basic mathematics which includes the metric system, whole numbers, decimals, formulas and percentage. The chemical laboratory section contains applications such as weighing techniques, use of laboratory equipment, and preparation and standardization of reagents. An introduction to basic microbiological techniques is also included.