OAR 340-049-0030: Minimum Qualifications for Wastewater Treatment System and Wastewater Collection System Operator Certification

(1) Minimum qualifications for Small Wastewater Systems Operator Certification are as follows: (a) Education: High school diploma, General Education Development (GED) certificate, or equivalent; and (b) Experience: (A) Twelve months operating experience, acceptable to the Department, at a Small Wastewater System or Class I-IV System; or (B) Six months operating experience, acceptable to the Department, not to include credit for any related experience, and an Associate of Science degree in water or wastewater technology, or Department-approved Associate of Science degree, or combination of community college, college or university education accepted as equivalent to an Associate of Science degree in water or wastewater technology, a four-year college degree, or a combination of department approved education and training, and (c) Examination: Satisfactorily pass the Small Wastewater System examination. (2) Minimum qualifications for Wastewater Treatment System Operator Certification are as follows: (a) Grade I Provisional Wastewater Treatment System Operator Certification: (A) Persons may qualify for a Grade I Provisional Certificate to obtain on the job training and experience to meet standard Grade I Wastewater Treatment System Operator Certificate qualifications if they: (i) Are gaining operating experience, acceptable to the Department, at a wastewater treatment system at the time of making application; and (ii) Have a high school diploma, GED certificate, or equivalent; and (iii) Are participating in or have completed a Department-approved training program; and (iv) Are supervised on a full-time or part-time basis by a certified wastewater treatment system operator. (B) The Grade I Provisional Certificate is not renewable. This conditional certificate will be issued for a period of 12 months during which time the individual may apply to take the Grade I wastewater treatment examination. (C) Upon passing the Grade I wastewater treatment examination and obtaining a total of 12 months operating experience, acceptable to the Department, at a wastewater treatment system, the individual may submit a post-examination application and fee for evaluation of qualification for standard Grade I certification. (b) Grade I Wastewater Treatment System Operator Certification: (A) Persons may qualify for this certificate type and grade if they meet the following qualifications: (i) Education: High school diploma, GED certificate, or equivalent; and (ii) Experience: (I) Twelve months operating experience, acceptable to the Department, at a Class I or higher Wastewater Treatment System; or (II) Six months operating experience, acceptable to the Department, not to include credit for any related experience, and an Associate of Science degree in water or wastewater technology, or Department-approved Associate of Science degree, or combination of community college, college or university education accepted by the Department as equivalent to an Associate of Science degree in water or wastewater technology, or a four-year college degree, and (iii) Examination: Satisfactorily pass the Wastewater Treatment Grade I examination. (c)(A) Grade II Wastewater Treatment System Operator Certification. (B) Persons may qualify for this certificate type and grade if they meet the following qualifications: (i) Education: High school diploma, GED certificate, or equivalent; and (ii) Experience: Three years operating experience, acceptable to the Department, at a Class I or higher Wastewater Treatment System, or two years at a Class I or higher Wastewater Treatment System and one year of post high school education, or one year at a Grade I or higher Wastewater Treatment System and a four-year college degree; and (iii) Examination: Satisfactorily pass the Wastewater Treatment Grade II examination. (d)(A) Grade III Wastewater Treatment System Operator Certification. (B) Persons may qualify for this certificate type and grade if they meet the following qualifications: (i) Education: High school diploma, GED certificate, or equivalent; and (ii) Experience: (I) Six years operating experience, acceptable to the Department, of which half must have been at a Class II or higher Wastewater Treatment System; or (II) Five years' experience, acceptable to the Department, of which half must have been at a Class II or higher Wastewater Treatment System, and one year of post-high school education; or (III) Four years' experience, acceptable to the Department, of which half must have been at a Class II or higher Wastewater Treatment System, and two years post-high school education; or (IV) Three years' experience, acceptable to the Department, of which half must have been at a Class II or higher Wastewater Treatment System, and three years of post-high school education; or (V) Two years’ experience, acceptable to the Department, of which half must have been at a Class II or higher Wastewater Treatment System, and a four-year college degree; and (iii) Examination: Satisfactorily pass the Wastewater Treatment Grade III examination. (e)(A) Grade IV Wastewater Treatment System Operator Certification. (B) Persons may qualify for this certificate type and grade if they meet the following qualifications: (i) Education: High school diploma, GED certificate, or equivalent and a minimum of one year post-high school education; and (ii) Experience: (I) Eight years' operating experience, acceptable to the Department, of which half must have been at a Class III or higher Wastewater Treatment System; or (II) Six years' experience, acceptable to the Department, of which half must have been at a Class III or higher Wastewater Treatment System, and two years of post-high school education; or (III) Five years' experience, acceptable to the Department, of which half must have been at a Class III or higher Wastewater Treatment System, and three years of post-high school education; or (IV) Four years' experience, acceptable to the Department, of which half must have been at a Class III or higher Wastewater Treatment System, and four years post-high school education; or (V) Three years’ experience, acceptable to the Department, of which half must have been at a Class III or higher Wastewater Treatment System, and a graduate degree (Master’s or Doctorate); and (iii) Examination: Satisfactorily pass the Wastewater Treatment Grade IV examination. (3) Minimum qualifications for Wastewater Collection System Operator Certification are as follows: (a) Grade I Provisional Wastewater Collection System Operator Certification: (A) Persons may qualify for a Grade I Provisional Certificate to obtain on the job training and experience to meet standard Grade I Wastewater Collection System Operator Certificate qualifications if they: (i) Are gaining operating experience, acceptable to the Department, at a wastewater collection system at the time of making application; and (ii) Have a high school diploma, GED certificate, or equivalent; and (iii) Are participating in or have completed a Department-approved training program; and (iv) Are supervised on a full-time or part-time basis by a certified wastewater collection system operator. (B) The Grade I Provisional Certificate is not renewable. This conditional certificate will be issued for a period of 12 months during which time the individual may apply to take the Grade I wastewater collection examination. (C) Upon passing the Grade I wastewater collection examination and obtaining a total of 12 months' operating experience, acceptable to the Department, at a wastewater collection system, the individual may submit a post-examination application and fee for evaluation of qualification for standard Grade I certification. (b) Grade I Wastewater Collection System Operator Certification. Persons may qualify for this certificate type and grade if they meet the following qualifications: (A) Education: High school diploma, GED certificate, or equivalent; and (B) Experience: (i) Twelve months' operating experience, acceptable to the Department, at a Class I or higher Wastewater Collection System; or (ii) Six months' operating experience, acceptable to the Department , not to include credit for any related experience, and an Associate of Science degree in water or wastewater technology, or Department approved Associate of Science degree, or combination of community college, college or university education accepted as equivalent to an Associate of Science degree in water or wastewater technology, or a four-year college degree; and (C) Examination: Satisfactorily pass the Wastewater Collection Grade I examination. (c)(A) Grade II Wastewater Collection System Operator Certification. (B) Persons may qualify for this certificate type and grade if they meet the following qualifications: (i) Education: High school diploma, GED certificate, or equivalent; and (ii) Experience: Three years' operating experience, acceptable to the Department, at a Class I or higher Wastewater Collection System, or two years' experience at a Class I or higher Wastewater Collection System, and one year of post-high school education; or one year experience at a Class I or higher Wastewater Collection System, and a four-year college degree; and (iii) Examination: Satisfactorily pass the Wastewater Collection Grade II examination. (d)(A) Grade III Wastewater Collection System Operator Certification. (B) Persons may qualify for this certificate type and grade if they meet the following qualifications: (i) Education: High school diploma, GED certificate, or equivalent; and (ii) Experience: (I) Six years' operating experience acceptable to the Department , of which half must have been at a Class II or higher Wastewater Collection System; or (II) Five years' experience, acceptable to the Department , of which half must have been at a Class II or higher Wastewater Collection System, and one year of post-high school education; or (III) Four years' experience, acceptable to the Department , of which half must have been at a Class II or higher Wastewater Collection System, and two years post high school education; or (IV) Three years experience, acceptable to the Department , of which half must have been at a Class II or higher Wastewater Collection System, and three years of post-high school education; or (V) Two years’ experience, acceptable to the Department , of which half must have been at a Class II or higher Wastewater Collection System, and a four-year college degree; and (iii) Examination: Satisfactorily pass the Wastewater Collection Grade III examination. (e)(A) Grade IV Wastewater Collection System Operator Certification. (B) Persons may qualify for this certificate type and grade if they meet the following qualifications: (i) Education: High school diploma, GED certificate, or equivalent; and (ii) Experience: (I) Eight years' operating experience, acceptable to the Department , of which half must have been at a Class III or higher Wastewater Collection System; or (II) Seven years' experience, acceptable to the Department , of which half must have been at a Class III or higher Wastewater Collection System, and one year of post-high school education; or (III) Six years' experience, acceptable to the Department , of which half must have been at a Class III or higher Wastewater Collection System, and two years post-high school education; or (IV) Five years' experience, acceptable to the Department , of which half must have been at a Class III or higher Wastewater Collection System, and three years of post-high school education; or (V) Four years' experience, acceptable to the Department o f which half must have been at a Class III or higher Wastewater Collection System, and four years post-high school education; and (iii) Examination: Satisfactorily pass the Wastewater Collection Grade IV examination. (4) The Department will consider the direct relevance of post-high school education to wastewater treatment or wastewater collection system operator job tasks and required knowledge, e.g. science, mathematics, engineering, operation, maintenance and management, when determining the number of CEUs or equivalent, or hours of community college or college credit allowed for qualifying for certification under these rules: (a) CEUs to be acceptable must have direct application to the operation or management of wastewater systems and be acquired through an accredited continuing education experience where the trainer, training sponsor, or educational institution awards a CEU. CEUs or equivalent may be accepted from other states or accredited programs having standards equal to or higher than the rules in this Division; (b) Degrees or any accumulation of credit hours must be in the fields of engineering, chemistry, water/wastewater technology,physical/biological science, or other subject determined relevant by the Department to wastewater system operation from an educational institution accredited through an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to be acceptable; (c) CEUs or equivalent and credit hours may be combined to satisfy post-high school educational requirements; and (d) Education for qualifying for certification must be documented by copies of diplomas or certificates, degrees, transcripts, grade reports, letters of participation or other official records. (5) Experience credit is based on operating experience acceptable to the Department. Acceptable operating experience includes: (a) Experience in performance of operator or system supervisor duties, tasks and responsibilities may satisfy up to 100 percent of the experience credit; (b) Experience as an operator trainee or student intern may satisfy up to 100 percent of the experience credit. The Department will consider experience or education, but not both, in qualifying an applicant where education credit is earned for on-the-job training; (c) Related experience in any of the following areas may satisfy up to 50 percent of the experience credit subject to limitations in OAR 340-049-030(5)(d) and (e): (A) Wastewater treatment systems operation; (B) Wastewater collection system operation and maintenance; (C) Water treatment system operation; (D) Water distribution system operation; (E) Water treatment laboratory; (F) Wastewater treatment laboratory; (G) Water or Wastewater treatment system maintenance; (H) Pre-treatment operation and maintenance (I) Industrial wastewater treatment (J) Stormwater system operation and maintenance (K) Other substantially equivalent related field, which includes, but is not limited to, plumbing, irrigation, pump mechanics, welding, and pneumatic and hydraulic system operation and maintenance. (d) The total of related experience credit must not exceed more than one-half of the acceptable operating experience requirement for certification under OAR 340-049-0030(2) or (3). (e) Related experience credit does not reduce Grade III or Grade IV minimum requirements for wastewater system class level operating experience under OAR 340-049-0030(2) or (3). (6) The applicant for certification must provide education and experience records to the Department with the application for screening and evaluating the applicant's qualifications. (7) The Department may waive the experience or education requirements for admission to an examination under provisions outlined in OAR 340-049-0055(7) — Examinations. (8) Operators that attain a higher grade certification than the classification of the system they are employed at may receive experience credit for working at a system corresponding to their certification level.