Providing Complete Water & Wastewater Operator Certification Assistance
Operator Certification Program Management
There is a set of regulations that specifically govern water utilities. These regulations are referred to as the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The Environmental Protection Agency promulgated these regulations in the early 1970s and required states to adopt them or create similar regulations that meet the minimum requirements.
Much of the SDWA deals with water quality regulations, which will be discussed in other sections of this website. However, there are other operational requirements that are specified as well.
In 1996, the SDWA was amended for the second time. Some of the changes included provisions for “Operator Certification” requirements. Treatment Operator certification requirements were part of the original SDWA regulations establishing the level at which water treatment facilities should be manned, the minimum qualifications for testing, and criteria for the renewal and revocation of certificates. The updated amendments included the certification and recertification requirements for distribution operators.
Operator Certification refers to requirements for both treatment and distribution operators in order for them to perform certain work.
The Operator Certification regulations provide very specific requirements for becoming certified and who actually needs to be certified.
Treatment Facility Classification is primarily based on the type and quality of water being treated and, in some states, the treatment/disinfection processes used. Distribution System Classification is based on population served.
Once the facility and system have been classified, the regulations then stipulate the minimum certification requirements needed by the staff.
Maintaining Effective Oversight of State Programs is a Key Goal of the EPA
EPA Oversight and Responsibilities
A continuous process in the Operator Certification program is to observe the effectiveness of program efforts and make improvements. The EPA encourages states to be in a continuous cycle of development, implementation, observation, and revision of their program.
Work closely with each state to gather information on each state program to have a complete understanding of the program’s shortcomings and strengths.
Encourage states to conduct internal and external reviews to evaluate their program and identify areas for improvement.
Encourage states to work with utilities, educational institutions, and other organizations to build workforce development programs to strengthen their operator workforce and keep well-qualified operators.
EPA Program Objective
The objective of the Operator Certification program is not to require that every water system operator be certified. Instead, the program is to ensure that water systems have (directly, under contract, or in conjunction with other systems) an operator who is trained and certified to the level that each state determines appropriate for the functions, facilities, and operations of that system to perform certain key compliance functions.
For example, they specify that water systems shall utilize only certified operators to make decisions addressing the following operational activities:
| 1. Install, tap, re-line, disinfect, test, and connect water mains and appurtenances |
| 2. Shutdown, repair, disinfect and test broken water mains |
| 3. Oversee the flushing, cleaning, and digging of existing water mains |
| 4. Pull, reset, rehabilitate, disinfect, and test domestic water wells |
| 5. Stand-by emergency response duties for afterhours distribution system operational emergencies |
| 6. Drain, clean, disinfect, and maintain distribution reservoirs (tanks) |
| 7. Operate pumps and related flow and pressure control and storage facilities manually or by using a system control and data acquisition (SCADA) system |
Generally, entry level positions require lower level certifications. These positions are primarily labor related jobs and require little contact and or control of the water supply. Supervisors and managers sometimes require higher certification levels depending on their job descriptions. However, there are specific regulations that spell out minimum certification requirements for certain job related tasks.
The Importance of Operator Certification
Operator certification is important because it protects public health. It involves the establishment of minimum professional standards for the maintenance of safe, optimal, and reliable operations of water treatment and distribution facilities. While the specific requirements vary from state to state, the goal of all Operator Certification programs is to ensure that skilled professionals are overseeing the treatment and distribution of safe drinking water. Operator certification is an important step in promoting compliance with the SDWA.
At the state level, Operator Certification programs help states to improve drinking water quality by ensuring that systems have certified, qualified, and capable operators. The state programs establish classification for water systems and water operators, administer examinations to certify operators, provide training to operators, and track system compliance.
At the system level, Operator Certification programs allow systems to have confidence in the ability of their operators. Operator Certification programs require that systems have access to a certified operator of the correct level for that system.
For operators, Operator Certification programs provide continuing education opportunities to increase their knowledge and stay up to date with the latest rules, regulations, and techniques. They also enable them to increase their qualifications through offering examinations to reach higher certification levels and emphasize the importance of their role in protecting public health.
The Treatment and Distribution exams consist of multiple-choice questions covering topics of:
| Source Water | Water Treatment Processes |
| Operation and Maintenance of Treatment Facilities | Laboratory Procedures |
| Safety | Drinking Water Regulations |
| Administration | Disinfection |
| Distribution System Design | Hydraulics |
| Equipment Operation | Maintenance |
| Water Mains | Piping |
| Water Quality | Math |
The math questions range from a variety of topics and include some simple addition type computations on the lower grade exams to complex algebraic and geometric computations. Below is a brief outline of what one can expect on an exam.
| Areas | Chemical Dosage |
| Volumes | Filtration |
| Pressure | Horsepower |
| Flow | Milliamps |
There is some overlap between the information on both the Treatment and Distribution exams.
Tap Water vs. Bottled Water
Americans like bottled water. Bottled water outsold carbonated soft drinks (by volume) to become the number one packaged beverage in the U.S. In 2018. More than 50% of the US population drinks bottled water and people spend from 240 to over 10,000 times more per gallon for bottled water than they typically do for tap water. According to the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), sales revenues for the U.S. bottled water market in 2019 were $19.4 billion in wholesale dollars.
Domestic, non-sparkling water is the largest and strongest segment of the U.S. bottled water market. In general, women are more likely to drink bottled water than men. Because of successful, consumer self-generated demand, bottled water advertising totaled $203 million in 2019, compared to beer which totaled $1.6 billion. Carbonated soft drinks spend almost $800 million annually on advertising. We all know those Super Bowl commercials aren’t cheap.
The EPA and the SDWA regulations do not apply to bottled water. Bottled water is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are both responsible for the safety of drinking water. EPA regulates public drinking water (tap water), while FDA regulates bottled drinking water.
The FDA has set Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMPs) specifically for bottled water. They require bottled water producers to:
- Process, bottle, hold and transport bottled water under sanitary conditions;
- Protect water sources from bacteria, chemicals and other contaminants;
- Use quality control processes to ensure the bacteriological and chemical safety of the water;
- Sample and test both source water and the final product for contaminants.
The FDA monitors and inspects bottled water products and processing plants under its food safety program. When FDA inspects plants, the Agency verifies that the plant’s product water and operational water supply are obtained from an approved source; inspects washing and sanitizing procedures; inspects bottling operations; and determines whether the companies analyze their source water and product water for contaminants.
How the bottled water industry supports public water systems
Many bottled water company sources are in fact, public water systems. However, bottled water plants have several additional processes that treat the water to ensure that it meets the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) water standard. These treatments can include utilizing a multi-barrier approach using the following: reverse osmosis, distillation, micro-filtration, carbon filtration, ozonation, and ultraviolet (UV) light. The finished water product is then placed in a sealed bottle under sanitary conditions, labeled, and sold to the consumer. If a bottled water product’s source is a public water system and the finished bottled water product does not meet the FDA Standard of Identity for purified or sterile water, the product label must disclose the public water system source. Bottled water from a public water source is not “tap water in a bottle”.
Moreover, when the water from public water systems is compromised after emergency situations or natural disasters (e.g., hurricanes, floods, tornados, fires, or boil alerts). Bottled water is a necessary and reliable alternative to deliver clean, safe drinking water.
However, tap water does provide in most cases a safe source of drinking water, even if occasional system failures make it necessary for consumers to search for alternatives during these times.
Is a certified operator required to know bottled water regulations?
Knowledge of bottled water processes and regulations are not an EPA or SDWA requirement for water utilities and licensed operators. Questions pertaining to bottled water or that industry are not included on any state certification test.