Requirements

A municipality, sewer improvement district, water or sewer public trust, rural water or sewer district, consortium of small publicly owned water supply or wastewater systems, substate planning district, or the Oklahoma Rural Water Association may hire or contract an operator or operators to provide services for one or more small drinking water or wastewater system(s) if the following requirements are met: (1) the operator has a minimum of a Class C certification; (2) the operator only provides services to a facility located in the county of his or her residence or place of employment and/or any adjacent county; (3) for a Public Water Supply System using disinfection, the operator must be at the Public Water Supply System a minimum of five (5) days per week to ensure proper operation, and can only operate three (3) systems the operator shall be at the Public Water Supply System a minimum of five (5) days per week to ensure proper operation and can only operate three (3) systems for a Public Water Supply System using disinfection; (4) for a Public Water Supply System not using disinfection or a wastewater system, the operator must be at the Public Water Supply or wastewater system a minimum of two (2) days per week to ensure proper operation, and can only operate five (5) systems total the operator shall be at the Public Water Supply or wastewater system a minimum of two (2) days per week to ensure proper operation and can only operate five (5) systems total for a Public Water Supply System not using disinfection or a wastewater system; 17 (5) the operator(s) mustshall operate the small system(s) in compliance with all Federal and State statutory and regulatory requirements; (6) the operator, municipality, sewer improvement district, water or sewer public trust, rural water or sewer district, consortium of small publicly owned water supply or wastewater systems, substate planning district, or the Oklahoma Rural Water Association and the small system mustshall enter into a written agreement, that at a minimum shall: (A) explicitly state the duties of the operator; (B) explicitly state who is responsible for repairs to the Public Water Supply or wastewater system; (C) explicitly state compensation for the operator, including, but not limited to, salary, transportation, insurance, and administration costs; and (D) consider and approve recommendations of the operator for upgrades and/or improvements to the system. 18 APPENDIX A. CLASSIFICATION OF COMMUNITY AND NON-TRANSIENT, NON-COMMUNITY WATER SYSTEMS, WASTEWATER SYSTEMS, AND LABORATORIES (OAC 252:710-3-33) Required Classification for Operator Laboratories Waterworks Wastewater Works Class A Required for supervision of laboratories using gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, and atomic absorption or similar instrumentation plus requirements for Class B and C. Required for: (1) Water treatment plants, distribution systems, or chlorinated ground water systems serving populations greater than 50,000; or (2) All water treatment plants classified as an "A" facility by complexity by DEQ. Required for: (1) Wastewater works and/or collection systems serving populations greater than 50,000; or (2) All wastewater works classified as an "A" facility by complexity by DEQ. Class B Required for supervision of bacteriological testing plus requirements for Class C. Required for: (1) Water treatment plants, distribution systems, or chlorinated groundwater systems serving populations greater than 15,000 and up to and including 50,000; or (2) All water treatment plants classified as a "B" facility by complexity by DEQ. Required for: (1) Wastewater works and/or collection systems serving populations greater than 15,000 and up to and including 50,000; or (2) All wastewater works classified as a "B" facility by complexity by DEQ. Class C Required for supervision of process control testing for: (1) Wastewater: BOD, TSS, pH, Residual Chlorine, COD, DO, Ammonia, Oil and Grease; and/or (2) Water: pH, Residual Chlorine, Turbidity, Alkalinity, Hardness, Stability and Fluoride Required for: (1) Water treatment plants, distribution systems, and chlorinated or non- chlorinated groundwater systems serving populations greater than 1,500 and up to and including 15,000; (2) Surface water treatment plants serving a population of 15,000 or less; (3) Groundwater systems utilizing any form of chemical treatment other than chlorination for disinfection only; or (4) Water treatment plants classified as a "C" facility by complexity by DEQ. Required for: (1) Wastewater works and/or collection system facilities serving populations greater than 1,500 and up to and including 15,000; (2) Discharging wastewater facilities serving 15,000 or less; or (3) Wastewater works classified as a "C" facility by complexity by DEQ. 19 Class D N/A Required for distribution systems or chlorinated groundwater systems serving populations of 1,500 or less. Required for total retention lagoons and/or collection systems serving populations of 1,500 or less. APPENDIX B. CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS (252:710-3-35) Table 1. WATERWORKS AND WASTEWATER WORKS OPERATOR CLASSIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS (252:710-3-35) Classification Licensed Experience Training1 Class A Waterworks or Wastewater Works Operator Certification Five years of waterworks or wastewater works operation including two years of actual hands on operating licensed experience. 200 hours of DEQ approved training, including at least 40 hours of advanced treatment and managerial training or its approved equivalent.2 Class B Waterworks or Wastewater Works Operator Certification Three years of waterworks or wastewater works operation including one-year actual hands on operating licensed experience. 100 hours of DEQ approved training or its approved equivalent. 1 Training credit will be granted only for courses or workshops listed as approved by DEQ or for courses, workshops, or alternative activities which have been approved in writing by DEQ in advance. 2 Approved equivalents are listed in 252:710-3-36. 20 Class C Waterworks or Wastewater Works Operator Certification One year of waterworks or wastewater works operation. 36 hours of DEQ approved training or its equivalent. Class C Distribution and Collection Operator Certification One year of distribution/collection operation. 36 hours of DEQ approved training or its approved equivalent. Class D Waterworks or Wastewater Works Certification None 16 hours of DEQ approved training. Class T Distribution and Collection Technician Certification None 8 hours of DEQ approved training. Temporary Operator Certification None None Non-certified Helper3 None None Table 2. WATERWORKS OR WASTEWATER WORKS LABORATORY OPERATORS CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS (252:710-3-35) Classification Licensed Experience Training4 Class A Waterworks or Wastewater Works Laboratory Operator Certification One year of waterworks or wastewater works laboratory operation; or Three years of waterworks or wastewater works laboratory operation; or Five years of waterworks or wastewater works laboratory operation. 32 hours of DEQ approved Class B training and a Bachelor of Science Degree in chemistry, microbiology, instrumental analysis, or other field of science approved by DEQ; or 32 hours of DEQ approved Class B training and an Associate’s Degree in chemistry, microbiology, instrumental analysis, or other field of science approved by DEQ; or 32 hours of DEQ approved Class B training. 3 This classification is not considered a Certification and time worked under this classification does not count towards experience for purpose of acquiring certification. 4 Training credit will be granted only for courses or workshops listed as approved by DEQ or for courses, workshops, or alternative activities which have been approved in writing by DEQ in advance. 21 Class B Waterworks or Wastewater Works Laboratory Operator Certification Six months of waterworks or wastewater works laboratory operation. 32 hours of DEQ approved Class B training and 32 hours of DEQ approved Class C training. An Associate’s Degree or greater in chemistry, biology, engineering, physical science, hydrology, geology, mathematics, environmental science, microbiology, toxicology, or civil, chemical, sanitary, or environmental engineering may be substituted for the 32 hours of DEQ approved Class C training. Class C Waterworks or Wastewater Works Laboratory Operator Certification None. 32 hours of DEQ approved Class C training. APPENDIX C. NUMBER OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT HOURS (PDHs) NEEDED PER CERTIFICATION LEVEL FOR OPERATORS AND LABORATORY OPERATORS. Level of Certification Total number of PDHs5 (hrs/yr) Classroom PDHs (hrs/yr) PDHs from any DEQ approved trainings (hrs/yr) Class A 16 4 - must be classroom training 12 Class B 12 4 - must be classroom training 8 Class C 8 4 - must be classroom training 4 Class C Distribution and Collection 8 4 - must be classroom training 4 Class D 4 4 - must be classroom training 0 5 PDH hours are based on the highest level of certification held. See 252:710-1-7(c). See 252:710-1-4 for definition of PDH. Class T Distribution and Collection Technician 4 4 - must be classroom training 0 Temporary Operator N/A N/A N/A Non-certified Helper N/A N/A N/A 22