(1)
(a) Grade IV Wastewater Treatment Plant
Operator
Certification as an operator in this classification will be
made only upon the satisfactory completion by the applicant of the requirements
of either subparagraph parts 1 or 2 of this rule.
1. An applicant must have a bachelor degree
in engineering, chemistry or a related science from an accredited college or
university, must have twelve months of operating experience at a Grade III or a
Grade IV Wastewater Treatment plant, and must satisfactorily complete a written
examination.
2. An applicant must
have a high school education or equivalent, must have sixty months of operating
experience at a Grade III or a Grade IV Wastewater Treatment plant, and must
satisfactorily complete a written examination. Within the discretion of the
Board, college course work in related science or engineering courses
satisfactorily completed, or Board sanctioned comprehensive training in
chemistry, bacteriology, and the fundamentals of wastewater treatment
satisfactorily completed through schools for operators, correspondence courses,
or other special training, may be credited toward the required operating
experience to a maximum equivalency of thirty-six months.
3. To receive full time operating experience
credit, a minimum of 100% of the activities must be work experience duties. The
Board reserves the right to adjust calendar months of experience to a reduced
number of months of experience where it is obvious that an applicant's
experience routinely includes other duties. The Board encourages documented
apprenticeship training programs and classroom training provided by the
employer to better prepare an operator to make decisions in plant operation to
assure public health protection.
(b) Grade III Wastewater Treatment Plant
Operator
1. An applicant must have a high
school education or equivalent, must have twelve months of operating experience
at a Grade II wastewater treatment plant or a Grade III wastewater treatment
plant, and must satisfactorily complete a written examination. Board sanctioned
comprehensive training in chemistry, bacteriology, and the fundamentals of
wastewater treatment satisfactorily completed through schools for operators,
correspondence courses, or other special training programs may be credited
toward the required operating experience to a maximum equivalency of three
months.
2. To receive full time
operating experience credit, a minimum of 50% of the activities must be work
experience duties.
(c)
Grade II Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator
1. An applicant must have a high school
education or equivalent, must have twelve months of operating experience at a
Grade I wastewater treatment plant or a Grade II wastewater treatment plant,
and must satisfactorily complete a written examination. Board sanctioned
comprehensive training in chemistry, bacteriology, and the fundamentals of
wastewater treatment satisfactorily completed through schools for operators,
correspondence courses, or other special training programs may be credited
toward the required operating experience to a maximum equivalency of three
months.
2. To receive full time
operating experience credit, a minimum of 33% of the activities must be work
experience duties.
(d)
Grade I Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator
1.
An applicant must have a high school education or equivalent, must have twelve
months of operating experience in a Grade I wastewater treatment plant or
twelve months operating experience at a biological/natural system and six
months at a Grade 1 wastewater treatment plant, and must satisfactorily
complete a written examination. Board sanctioned comprehensive training in
chemistry, bacteriology, and the fundamentals of wastewater treatment
satisfactorily completed through schools for operators, correspondence courses,
or other special training programs may be credited toward the required
operating experience to a maximum equivalency of three months.
2. To receive full time operating experience
credit, a minimum of 33% of the activities must be work experience
duties.
(e)
Biological/Natural System Operator
1. An
applicant must have a high school education or equivalent, must have twelve
months of operating experience in a wastewater system classified as a
biological/natural system, and must satisfactorily complete a written
examination. Board sanctioned comprehensive training in chemistry,
bacteriology, and the fundamentals of wastewater treatment satisfactorily
completed through schools for operators, correspondence courses, or other
special training programs may be credited toward the required operating
experience to a maximum equivalency of three months.
2. To receive full time operating experience
credit, a minimum of 33% of the activities must be work experience
duties.
(f) Grades I
& II Wastewater Collection System Operator
1. An applicant must have a high school
education or equivalent, must have twelve months of operating experience at a
wastewater collection system, and must satisfactorily complete a written
examination. Board sanctioned comprehensive training including installation,
operation, maintenance and repair of collection systems, satisfactorily
completed through schools for operators, correspondence courses, or other
special training programs may be credited toward the required operating
experience to a maximum equivalency of three months.
2. To receive full time operating experience
credit, a minimum of 50% of the activities must be work experience
duties.
(2)
Initial Reclassifications under this Chapter of Rules
(a) The reclassification of a wastewater
treatment plant or a wastewater collection system that immediately occurs as a
result of this chapter of rules shall not reduce the operator classification of
a certified operator then employed at that plant or system to a lower operator
classification.
(b) The
reclassification of a wastewater treatment plant or a wastewater collection
system that immediately occurs as a result of this chapter of rules shall raise
the operator classification of a certified operator then employed at that plant
or system to a higher operator classification equivalent with the new
classification of the plant or system. This subparagraph shall apply only to a
certified operator whose operator classification, immediately prior to
reclassification of the plant or system pursuant to this chapter of rules, is
at least equivalent with the classification of the plant or system at which
he/she is employed.
(c) An
applicant for examination who is employed at a wastewater treatment plant or a
wastewater collection system that has been reclassified by the Department, and
certified at the appropriate level, may have his/her experience at the facility
applied at a rate equal to the level of the reclassified facility.
(d) An operator classification authorized
under prior rules that is eliminated upon this chapter of rules becoming
effective shall be reclassified to the highest comparable operator
classification authorized under these rules. (Industrial Biological Waste
Treatment certificates become Grade IV Wastewater certificates).
(e) An operator's classification may be
changed by the Board if the operator is employed at a wastewater plant or
collection system that has been incorrectly classified by the Department for
one year or more. The operator must hold a valid certificate equal to the
incorrect plant or system classification and the operator must have applied for
and achieved the certificate based on the incorrect classification.
(3) Operating Experience Credit
for Approved Study
(a) For part (1)(a)2 of
this rule, the Board may approve for each two semester hours, or three quarter
hours, of academic study satisfactorily completed at an accredited college or
university in related science or engineering courses as equal to one month of
the operating experience required as a qualification of a certified wastewater
treatment plant operator.
(b) For
parts (1)(a)2, (1)(b)1, (1)(c)1, (1)(d)1, (1)(e)1, and (1)(f)1 of this rule,
each day of Board sanctioned comprehensive training, satisfactorily completed,
through schools for operators, correspondence courses, or other special
training programs may be equal to one month of the operating experience
required as a qualification of a certified wastewater treatment plant
operator.
(4) Work
Experience
(a) The Board may approve the
wastewater treatment operating experience required in parts (1)(a)1, (1)(a)2,
(1)(a)3, (1)(b)1, (1)(c)1, (1)(d)1, and (1)(e)1 of this rule in two or more of
the following work experience duties:
Control of:
Solids pumping from clarifiers
Scum removal in clarifiers
Return and waste sludge rates
Aeration rates
Recirculation rates to trickling filter or rotating
biological contactor (RBC)
Operation of:
Disinfection system feed rates
Digesters and/or solids conditioning processes
Performance of:
Calculations and plant control
Interpretation of laboratory test results
Interpretation of process control data
Cleaning and maintenance of preliminary treatment
Adjustment of wastewater levels or flow through a lagoon
system
(b) An operator
applying for a Grade IV wastewater system certification may be granted partial
credit by the Board for up to forty percent of any approved operating
experience obtained in a water supply system.
(c) The Board may approve the collection
system operating experience required in part (1)(f)1 of this rule in two or
more of the following work experience duties:
Operation and/or maintenance of:
Pumps
Lift stations
Valves
Lines and equipment
Pipeline installation
Service connection installation
Leak detection
TV crew activities
Line repairs
Line cleaning
Manhole maintenance
Pretreatment