N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. Tit. 10 §§ 5-4.1

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 51, December 18, 2024

Section 5-4.1 - Definitions

As used in this Subpart, the following words and terms shall have the stated meanings except as otherwise provided:

(a) Available means a certified operator must be on site or able to be contacted within one hour to initiate the appropriate action.

(b) Clarification means a treatment process that includes rapid mix, flocculation and sedimentation.

(c) Community water system (CWS) means a public water system which serves at least five service connections used by year-round residents or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents.

(d) Continuing education unit (CEU) means 10 hours of personal participation in an organized continuing education course, training meeting, workshop, etc. approved by the New York State Department of Health.

(e) Department means the New York State Department of Health.

(f) Distribution system means any combination of pipes, tanks, etc. which delivers potable water from the source(s) and/or treatment plant(s) to the consumer's service connection.

(g) Distribution system operator means the certified person in responsible charge of the operation and maintenance of the distribution system at a community water system or a nontransient noncommunity water system.

(h) Dwelling unit means one or more rooms with provisions for living, sanitary and sleeping facilities arranged for the use of one family.

(i) Filtration means the process for removing particulate matter from water by the passage through porous materials or other processes determined to be acceptable under the provisions of section 5-1.22 of this Part.

(j) Grandparenting means an exemption for the existing system operator(s) in responsible charge, effective February 14, 2001, from meeting the initial education and/or examination requirements for the class of certification the system requires.

(k) Ground water directly influenced by surface water means any water beneath the surface of the ground which exhibits water characteristics such as turbidity, temperature, conductivity or pH that closely correlates to climatological or surface water conditions and/or which contain significant occurrence of macroorganisms, algae, organic debris, large-diameter pathogens, or insect parts of a surface water origin.

(l) Ground water source means a source of water supply taken from a ground water aquifer and developed in accordance with section 5-1.22 of this Part, but shall not include an admixture of surface water or water exposed to the ground surface.

(m) Noncommunity water system (NCWS) means a public water system that is not a community water system.

(n) Nontransient noncommunity water system (NTNC) means a public water system that is not a community water system but is a subset of a noncommunity water system that regularly serves at least 25 of the same persons, for hours or more per day, for four or more days per week, for 26 or more weeks per year.

(o) Operating experience means the time spent working at a water treatment plant in the satisfactory performance of operational duties or working on a distribution system in the satisfactory performance of operational and maintenance duties. Water plant design experience does not qualify as operating experience.

(p) Operation means the time during which the system (water treatment plant and/or distribution system) is functioning with the intent to produce potable water for human consumption.

(q) Operator in responsible charge means the person(s) designated by the owner of the system to be the certified water treatment operator(s) who makes decisions regarding the daily operational activities of a public water system, water treatment facility and/or distribution system that will directly impact the quality and/or quantity of drinking water.

(r) Public water system means either a community or noncommunity water system which provides piped water to the public for human consumption, if such system has at least five service connections or regularly serves an average of at least 25 individuals at least 60 days out of the year. Such term includes:

(1) collection, treatment, storage and distribution facilities under control of the supplier of water of such system and used with such system; and

(2) collection or pretreatment storage facilities not under such control which are used in connection with such system.

(s) Purchasing water system means a distribution system which purchases all or part of its water from another system, and which is wholly or partially outside of the normal service area or political jurisdiction of the other system, and neither provides additional treatment nor sells water to another system(s).

(t) Service connection means the pertinent pipes, valves and fittings that connect a distribution system to a consumer's facility.

(u) State means the State Commissioner of Health, or his/her designated representative.

(v) Surface water means all water open to the atmosphere and subject to surface runoff.

(w) Validated examination means an exam that is independently reviewed by subject matter experts to ensure that the exam is based on job analysis and related to the classification of the system or facility.

(x) Water treatment operator means the certified person responsible for the operation of the water treatment plant at a community or a nontransient noncommunity water system.

(y) Water treatment assistant operator means a person who, under the direction of a certified water treatment operator in responsible charge, is involved in the day to day operation of a water treatment plant or a major segment of a water treatment plant at a community water system or nontransient noncommunity water system.

(z) Water treatment plant means any plant or equipment which, through the addition of chemicals or through granular activated carbon, aeration, ion exchange, demineralization, coagulation, sedimentation or filtration, or through any other means or combinations of treatment, shall change the physical, chemical, radiological or microbiological quality of water.

N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. Tit. 10 §§ 5-4.1