|
 |
|
Operator Certification
Guidances ~ Workgroups
~ Contacts ~ State Programs
Project Plan
~ Program Approvals
The Safe Drinking
Water Act Amendments of 1996 directed EPA to:
- initiate a partnership with States, water systems, and the public
to develop information on recommended operator certification requirements;
- issue guidelines specifying minimum standards for certification and
recertification of the operators of community and nontransient, noncommunity
public water systems;
- reimburse training and certification costs for operators of systems
serving 3,300 persons or fewer, including per diem for unsalaried operators,
who are required to undergo training as a result of the Federal requirement,
through grants to the States.
In order to avoid a reduction of 20% of their Drinking Water State Revolving Fund
(DWSRF) allocation, States are required to implement the EPA guidelines
or an equivalent State program.
Guidances
- Final Additions to the Final Guidelines for the Certification and
Recertification of the Operators of the Community and Nontransient Noncommunity
Public Water Systems; Final Allocation Methodology for Funding to States
for the Operator Certification Expense Reimbursement Grants Program
(April, 2001). This notice includes EPA's process and schedule for
reviewing state operator certification programs and for making Drinking
Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) withholding determinations; a clarification
in the Operator Certification Guidelines with respect to the validation
of certification exams; and the final allocation methodology for funding
grants to states for the Operator Certification Expense Reimbursement
Grants program.
- Federal
Register Notice (April 18, 2001) [PDF file]
- Draft Operator Certification Guidelines and
Operator Certification Expense Reimbursement Grants Information Collection
Request (ICR) (February 28, 2001)
- EPA Operator
Certification Guidelines State Implementation Guidance (January,
2000): includes a sample State Attorney General’s
certification; a Crosswalk/Checklist table to assist States and EPA
in determining whether or not a State's operator certification program
complies with or is substantially equivalent to the requirements of
the guidelines; a list of Initial Submittal Items to accompany a State’s
initial submittal of its Operator Certification program to EPA; and
a Question and Answer document.
- Final Guidelines
for the Certification and Recertification of Operators of Community
and Nontransient Noncommunity Public Water Systems (February, 1999)
- Information
for States on Recommended Operator Certification Requirements (February,
1998)
Work groups
EPA utilized the combined knowledge and expertise of two work groups that
were formed to address issues related to operator certification. The two
groups worked closely together in developing the nine baseline standards
contained in the final operator certification guidelines.
- A State-EPA Work Group was composed of seven State and ten EPA representatives.
- A National
Drinking Water Advisory Council (NDWAC) Work Group on operator certification
was formed to provide EPA with views in addition to those from States.
The group, also known as the Partnership, was composed of 23 members representing public
water systems, environmental and public interest advocacy groups, State
drinking water program representatives, EPA, and other interest groups.
Summaries of the Operator Certification Work Group meetings follow:
Contacts
Regional and Headquarters contacts for the operator
certification program.
State Programs
Many States have information about their drinking water operator certification
programs on the Internet. Check the Drinking Water program link on the
Local Drinking Water page for your
State to get more information. Check here for the status of
operator certification approvals by EPA.
| You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the Adobe PDF files
on this page. See
EPA's PDF page for more information about getting and using
the free Acrobat Reader. |
|
