Section 22a-416-4 - Classes and qualifications of wastewater treatment facility operators(a)Classification of operatorsThere shall be four classes of operator certification: Class I, Class II, Class III, and Class IV.
(b)Language requirement for certificationAn applicant for operator certification shall be able to speak, read and write the English language to the extent deemed necessary to perform the duties thereof.
(c)Minimum requirements for operator certification(1) Class I Operator An applicant for Class I Operator certification shall (A) submit satisfactory evidence of (i) at least one year of experience in the operation of a wastewater treatment facility of Class I or higher; (ii) a high school diploma or G.E.D.; and (iii) successful completion of a basic wastewater treatment facility operation course, approved by the commissioner, equaling at least nine CEU's; and (B) pass the Class I examination. No substitutions for the requirements of this subdivision shall be permitted.
(2) Class II Operator An applicant for Class II operator certification shall (A) submit satisfactory evidence of (i) at least three years of experience in the operation of a wastewater treatment facility of Class I or higher; (ii) a high school diploma or G.E.D.; and (iii) successful completion of higher education equivalent to at least 30 CEUs in a field determined by the commissioner to be related to the operation of a wastewater treatment facility, of which at least 18 CEUs are directly related to the operation of a wastewater treatment facility; and (B) pass the Class II examination.
(3) Class III Operator An applicant for Class III operator certification shall (A) submit satisfactory evidence of (i) at least four years of experience in the operation of a wastewater treatment facility of Class II or higher; (ii) a high school diploma or G.E.D.; and (iii) successful completion of higher education equivalent to at least 90 CEUs in a field determined by the commissioner to be related to the operation of a wastewater treatment facility; and (B) pass the Class III examination.
(4) Class IV Operator An applicant for Class IV operator certification shall submit satisfactory evidence of (A) at least four years of experience in the operation of a Class III or IV wastewater treatment facility, of which experience at least two years are direct responsible charge experience as a chief operator at a Class III wastewater treatment facility or shift or process control operator at a Class IV wastewater treatment facility;
(i) a high school diploma or G.E.D.; and (ii) successful completion of higher education equivalent to at least 135 CEUs in a field determined by the commissioner to be related to the operation of a wastewater treatment facility; and (B) pass the Class IV examination.(5) Operator-in-training (A) An applicant for Class I, II or III operator certification shall be designated by the commissioner, in writing, to become an operator-in-training in Class I, II, or III, respectively, if such applicant meets all the requirements for such certification except for the minimum operating experience requirement under subdivisions (c)(1), (c)(2), or (c)(3) of this section, respectively. Except as provided in subparagraph (B) of this subdivision, when the owner of the wastewater treatment facility at which an operator-in-training is employed notifies the commissioner in writing that such operator-in-training has satisfied the minimum experience requirements for the certification at issue, the commissioner shall issue said certificate.(B) An operator-in-training who, within five years after passing the certification examination does not obtain the required minimum experience for the certificate applied for shall not be awarded such certificate unless he or she reapplies therefor, takes the certification exam and passes such examination, and satisfies the minimum experience requirement.(d)Substitution of higher education for minimum operating experience requirements(1) General (A) There shall be no substitution for the minimum operating experience requirement for Class I operator certification prescribed in subdivision (c)(1) of this section.(B) Higher education may be substituted for up to fifty per cent of the minimum operating experience requirement for Classes II, III, and IV operator certification prescribed in subdivisions (c)(2), (c)(3), and (c)(4) of this section.(C) Higher education shall not be substituted for the required direct responsible charge experience prescribed in subdivision (c)(4) of this section.(D) Higher education which is substituted for any operating experience requirement prescribed in subsection (c) of this section shall not also be applied to any minimum education requirement prescribed by such subsection.(2) Higher education equivalents For the purposes of the Wastewater Treatment Operator Regulations:
(A) Forty-five CEUs are equivalent to one year of higher education. One semester hour is equivalent to 1.6 CEUs.(B) Forty-five CEUs are equivalent to one year of operating experience.(3) Operator training courses Any course, seminar, workshop, conference or college course which the commissioner determines in his sole judgement to be related to wastewater treatment facility operation may be used to meet the higher education requirements of subparagraphs (c)(1)(A), (c)(2)(A), (c)(3)(A), and (c)(4)(A) of this section. The commissioner shall determine in his sole judgement the number of CEUs to which particular hours of higher education are equivalent.
(e)Substitution of other experience for minimum operating experience requirements(1) For up to 50 percent of the minimum operating experience requirement for Class I, II, III, or IV certification the commissioner may, in his discretion, allow an applicant to substitute operating experience from the maintenance operation of a wastewater treatment facility, from operations of a drinking water treatment facility, from the laboratory operation of a drinking water treatment facility, or from a wastewater treatment facility which does not utilize biological treatment processes, provided that the commissioner determines that the proposed substitute experience is sufficiently related to the operation of a wastewater treatment facility.(2) There shall be no substitution for direct responsible charge experience.(f)Substitution of direct responsible charge experience for higher education CEU requirements(1) For up to fifteen CEUs of the higher education requirement in subdivision (c)(3) of this section, the commissioner may in his discretion allow an applicant to substitute up to four months of direct responsible charge experience in a Class II wastewater treatment facility as the chief operator or up to four months of direct responsible charge experience in a Class III wastewater treatment facility.(2) For up to thirty CEUs of the higher education requirement in subdivision (c)(4) of this section, the commissioner may in his discretion allow an applicant to substitute up to eight months of direct responsible charge experience in a Class III wastewater treatment facility as the chief operator or up to eight months of direct responsible charge experience in a Class IV wastewater treatment facility.(3) Direct responsible charge experience substituted for any education requirement in subsection (c) of this section shall not also be applied to any minimum experience requirement thereunder.(g)Direct responsible charge accumulation. For purposes of subsections (d) and (f) of this section: (1) Direct responsible charge experience for a chief operator shall accumulate at the rate of 100% of time as a chief operator.(2) Direct responsible charge experience for a shift operator shall accumulate at the rate of 100% of time as a shift operator.(3) Direct responsible charge experience for a process control operator shall accumulate at the rate of 50% of time as a process control operator.(4) Any certified operator acting as chief or shift operator for a minimum period of 2 consecutive working days under subdivisions (b)(8) and (b)(9) of section 22a-416-6 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies during the absence of the permanent chief operator or shift operator may accrue direct responsible charge experience for that time.Conn. Agencies Regs. § 22a-416-4
Effective June 25, 1984; Amended June 5, 2000