Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1200-05-03-.09 - CLASSIFICATIONS AND QUALIFICATIONS OF WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT OPERATORS AND WASTEWATER COLLECTION SYSTEM OPERATORS

(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

(5) Summary of Wastewater Treatment Plant and Collection System Operator Education and Experience

Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators

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COLLECTION SYSTEM OPERATORS

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Notes

Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1200-05-03-.09

Original rule certified June 7, 1974. Repeal and new rule filed March 31, 1982; effective July 1, 1982. Repeal and new rule filed June 9, 1986; effective July 10, 1986. Amendment filed September 18, 1990; effective December 1, 1990. Amendment filed September 12, 1994; effective December 14, 1994. Amendment filed April 21, 1998; effective July 5, 1998. Amendment filed July 31, 2000; effective October 14, 2000. Amendment filed June 29, 2001; effective September 10, 2001. Amendments filed September 9, 2009; effective December 8, 2009.

Authority: T.C.A. §§ 4-5-101 et seq.,4-5-201 et seq., 4-5-202, 68-221-906, and 68-221-907.