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Working in the public water and wastewater industry means more than just keeping an eye on the pipes. Operators must meet certain requirements and maintain certifications dictated by state and federal agencies. Training, education and certification are not only important to improving a career, they’re often essential to keeping the job.

In this edition of eBulletin, we’ll discuss some of the needs and advantages of training and certification. We’ll discuss where to find classes, web courses and other resources to get the training and certification required by the state, as well as training that simply can help you do better at your job.

Why certify?
The federal Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996 required that final guidelines be used by 1999 describing how states should develop, implement and enforce operator certification programs. States had to be in compliance by February 2001.

The EPA requires that state operator certification programs include nine baseline standards. They are:

• Authorization: States must have the legal authority to implement an operator certification program and require systems to comply.
• Classification: State programs must classify systems, facilities and operators based on criteria such as size and source water, and the states must develop requirements for each classification level. The states must require that the water systems be supervised by operators holding certification equal to or greater than the classification of their water system.
• Operator Qualifications: States must require that an operator can become certified only if he/she passes an exam measuring his/her knowledge and skills; has a high-school diploma or general equivalency diploma (GED); and has a defined minimum of job experience for each certification level.
• Enforcement: States must have an agency to lay out regulations and see to it those regulations are met by public water systems. The states also must have the ability to revoke or suspend operator certifications in the event of misconduct.
• Certification renewal: States must have a renewal program that outlines how much and the type of training operators need to renew their certification. They also must require operators to renew or qualify for renewal. Renewals cannot be more than three years apart, and those that do not renew or qualify for renewal within two years of their certification expiring must be recertified from scratch.
• Resources: States must have the resources to fund and sustain their operator certification program.
• Recertification: States must have a method for recertification for those whose certification has expired and who have not renewed or qualified for renewal within two years of that expiration. The states are allowed to have stricter requirements for recertification of those whose certifications expired or were revoked or suspended.
• Stakeholder involvement: Stakeholders should be involved in the program, and a board of stakeholders is recommended. Stakeholders include operators, public health groups, technical assistance providers and members of the public.
• Program review: States must review their certification programs. The EPA recommends internal and external or peer reviews.

These are the minimum requirements from the EPA, but the states can set stricter rules or add to them if they wish. However, the states cannot have certification programs that don’t meet these requirements. So each and every water operator can expect to be certified and required to undergo additional training and education as they move to larger water systems or as they take on additional duties.

In addition, extra training can simply be used to provide new ideas to small water systems to better handle customers, maintain systems and implement improvements.

Specific regulations for operator certification vary by state. The best bet is to check with whatever state agency regulates water systems (the state Department of Health, for example) to get specific information on certification requirements.

A fairly comprehensive list of state water and wastewater certification contacts is maintained by the Association of Board of Certifications at the address listed below. Other resources for training and certification can be found on their main website as well. The EPA’s Technical Assistance Centers offer another resource for training materials and courses for water and wastewater operators.

Additional Resources
EPA – Final guidelines for certification and recertification of water operators
http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-WATER/1999/February/Day-05/w2692.htm
Asociation Board of Certifications
http://www.abccert.org/
ABC certification contacts list
http://www.abccert.org/certification_contacts/default.asp?stateProvince=All
EPA’s Technical Assistance Centers
http://epa.gov/OGWDW/smallsystems/tacpartners.html

Low- to no-cost training
Several agencies provide training on a wide variety of topics ranging from federal water or wastewater regulations to how best to raise water rates or address water boards. Some of these can be undertaken[MSOffice1] at little to no cost to the water system, which is a good thing in a tough economy.

RCAP’s regional offices offer a variety of training and certification services, often at little to no cost to the utility. Links to each region’s training information are provided below.

Several regions have training sessions coming up soon. For example, The Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC), the Western RCAP affiliate, is offering several seminars and workshops in early May.

The Treatment Operator Certification Exam Preparation helps water operators prepare for their treatment certification examination. The workshop lasts two days and includes tips on taking the exam and discussion of practice exam questions. It also includes taking a practice exam. The workshop qualifies for 10 contact hours.

Midwest Assistance Program, (MAP) Inc., also is offering training sessions in May. One such session takes plays in York, Nebraska, on May 7. The session covers Standard Operating Procedures for operators and managers. There is no fee to attend this training session. More information is available at the link below.

These are just a couple of examples of the training and educational seminars available through RCAP and its affiliates. Other regions are planning training sessions for later in the year. Some even offer on-site training and technical assistance. Contact your local RCAP regional agency for more information.

Additional Resources
Training information – MAP Inc.
http://www.map-inc.org/solutions_training.html
Training information – CRG
http://www.crg.org/section.asp?secID=37
Training information – RCAP Solutions
http://www.rhircap.org/education_training.htm
Training information – Southeast RCAP
http://www.sercap.org/serv_prog.htm
Training information – Great Lakes RCAP links by state
http://www.glrcap.org/index.php?page_name=Links
Training information - RCAC
http://www.rcac.org/doc.aspx?58

More training available
Other agencies provide a variety of methods to get more training, education and certification. One of these happens to be the agency that requires such training in the first place – the EPA.

The EPA offers several methods and opportunities for training, including links to online courses and web seminars and information on local workshops. The link is provided below.

One such resource is the Drinking Water Academy, which provides classroom and web-based training. The EPA has a list of courses available on its Drinking Water Academy web site, which is listed below. Courses include those for USEPA Certification Officers Training and SDWIS/STATE Web Training. Links are provided for more information, including contact information for those wanting to attend. Be aware, these are web-based training sessions. You’ll probably need a fairly speedy Internet connection to take part in the sessions.

The EPA also provides an electronic workshop as part of its Drinking Water Academy that offers Microsoft PowerPoint presentations and Adobe Portable Document Files (PDFs) for operators to download and view. This workshop is aimed at federal and state regulators. It even includes links to other resources online that regulators can view and use.

Another is the Water Quality Standards Academy. The academy is designed to provide information on water quality standards and how states and tribes can apply them to the objectives of the Clean Water Act. The academy features six online courses that are meant to take about 15 minutes each. At the end of each course, a quiz is given. Once the quiz is passed, the user gets a password. At the end of the last course, the user can input all six passwords and receive a certificate of completion.

Other groups, such as the American Water Works Association, offer training and workshops for water and wastewater officials, among others. Some of these require a fee, but a few are offered for free.
The AWWA offers training, workshops, seminars, certification courses and “eLearning,” which lets you learn and get certified at your own pace. Many of these options can be booked or even conducted online. However, many also come with fees, which can vary by course. It’s best to check with AWWA to see which option is right for you. A link to their Conferences and Education options is provided below.

Another option is to keep an eye on your local or regional water expositions and conferences. Often, agencies like RCAP,  AWWA  or NRWA provide seminars and training at such events. Some sessions may require extra fees, while others will be included as part of the conference’s fees.

One thing to keep an eye on is whether online training actually counts toward your state’s requirements for certification. Some organizations may offer training and “certification” for further education, but those certificates won’t necessarily apply to your state’s regulations. If the specific information isn’t available on the organization’s web site, then ask your state’s regulators. While the extra education isn’t a bad thing, taking time to do the courses if you need to renew your certification, then discovering they don’t count may not be a very pleasant experience.

The bottom line is, that training and education are necessary to the job and are mandated by state and federal certification laws and regulatory requirements. But extra training and certification can better prepare you and your water or wastewater system for everything from budget crunches to natural disasters. Some training is available for free, which is a great thing in a tough economy. Whether for free or for a fee, a little more education can go a long way.

Additional Resources
EPA – Water Training Opportunities
http://www.epa.gov/ow/training.html
The Drinking Water Academy – Basic Information
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwa/about.html
Water Quality Standards Academy
http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/standards/academy/
AWWA Conferences and Education
http://www.awwa.org/Conferences/