Revisions Proposed For Water and Wastewater Operators Certification Requirements

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) have announced the agencies’ intentions to revise the state rules for certifying operators of water supply systems and wastewater-treatment facilities. The revisions respond to needs that the Advisory Council on Water Supply Systems and Wastewater Treatment Facilities identified. The proposed rules would allow the agencies to grant conditional certificates to operators when a system or facility has been reclassified to a higher class due to its having been altered or when a when a system or facility has been reclassified with no alterations.

Operators could qualify for the conditional certificates if they meet criteria specified in the proposed rule, which include:

a) The operator is a current operator with direct responsibility;
b) the operator has worked as the operator with direct responsibility at the same system or facility at least 12 consecutive months before applying for the conditional certificate; and
c) the applicant passes all exams required for the higher class in sequence (D, C, B and A) and before startup of any system or facility upgrades that are related to the change in class.

In addition, the conditional certificate would be facility specific and only valid at the system or facility for which the conditional certificate is issued, but must be renewed. This would allow the system or facility operator time to gain the experience required for a regular certificate. Once the operator has met those experience requirements, the agency would issue the operator a regular certificate.

The MDH and MPCA are accepting comments on the proposed revisions.

Caltha LLP provides expert environmental consultant services in Minnesota to obtain air and wastewater permits, evaluate regulatory requirements, and to develop cost effective compliance programs.

For further information, contact Caltha LLP at:
Email: info@calthacompany.com
Phone: (763) 208-6430
Website: http://www.calthacompany.com/
Two Minnesota offices - Minneapolis and Pine River