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Operator Certification
The Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments
of 1996 directed EPA to:
- initiate a partnership with States, water systems, and the public
to develop information on recommended operator certification requirements;
- issue guidelines specifying minimum standards for certification and
recertification of the operators of community and nontransient, noncommunity
public water systems;
- reimburse training and certification costs for operators of systems
serving 3,300 persons or fewer, including per diem for unsalaried operators,
who are required to undergo training as a result of the Federal requirement,
through grants to the States.
In order to avoid a reduction of 20% of their Drinking
Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) allocation, States are required
to implement the EPA guidelines or an equivalent State program.
Guidances
- State
Annual Submittal Contents and Memo (40
K PDF File, 2pgs)
- Final Additions to the Final Guidelines for the Certification
and Recertification of the Operators of the Community and Nontransient
Noncommunity Public Water Systems; Final Allocation Methodology for
Funding to States for the Operator Certification Expense Reimbursement
Grants Program (April, 2001). This notice includes EPA's
process and schedule for reviewing state operator certification programs
and for making Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) withholding
determinations; a clarification in the Operator Certification Guidelines
with respect to the validation of certification exams; and the final
allocation methodology for funding grants to states for the Operator
Certification Expense Reimbursement Grants program.
- Federal Register Notice (114 K PDF FILE) (April
18, 2001)
- Draft Operator Certification Guidelines
and Operator Certification Expense Reimbursement Grants Information
Collection Request (ICR) (February 28, 2001)
- EPA Operator Certification Guidelines State Implementation
Guidance (January, 2000): includes a sample
State Attorney General’s certification; a Crosswalk/Checklist table
to assist States and EPA in determining whether or not a State's
operator certification program complies with or is substantially equivalent
to the requirements of the guidelines; a list of Initial Submittal Items
to accompany a State’s initial submittal of its Operator Certification
program to EPA; and a Question and Answer document.
- Final Guidelines for the Certification and
Recertification of Operators of Community and Nontransient Noncommunity
Public Water Systems (February, 1999)
- Information for States on Recommended Operator
Certification Requirements (February, 1998) - The information in this document is current as of July 1997. Since the issuance of the federal Operator Certification Guidelines, many states have made changes to their operator certification requirements. For the most up-to-date information, please contact the state operator certification program coordinator.
Work groups
EPA utilized the combined knowledge and expertise of two work groups that
were formed to address issues related to operator certification. The two
groups worked closely together in developing the nine baseline standards
contained in the final operator certification guidelines.
- A State-EPA Work Group was composed of seven State and ten EPA representatives.
- A National Drinking Water Advisory
Council (NDWAC) Work Group on operator certification was formed
to provide EPA with views in addition to those from States. The group,
also known as the Partnership, was composed of 23 members
representing public water systems, environmental and public interest
advocacy groups, State drinking water program representatives, EPA,
and other interest groups. Summaries of the Operator Certification Work
Group meetings follow:
Contacts
Regional and Headquarters contacts for the
operator certification program.
State Programs
Many States have information about their drinking water operator certification
programs on the Internet. Check the Drinking Water program link on the
Local Drinking Water page for your State to
get more information.
Check here for the
status of operator certification approvals by EPA.
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