1.3 Drinking Water Operator Certification: Classes A-D

1.3 Drinking Water Operator Certification: Classes A-D

Every community water supply in Illinois must have at least one person on its operational staff certified as competent under the Public Water Supply Operations Act (415 ILCS 45). The administrative rules are 35 Ill. Adm. Code Part 681, Water Supply Operator Certification.

Administrative history. Part 681 was adopted at 38 Ill. Reg. 7114, effective April 1, 2014 (amended at 41 Ill. Reg. 14182, effective November 13, 2017), replacing the repealed Part 680. Part 681 restructured facility classification, formalized the Operator in Training track, and set the current fee and training rules.

Part 681 is organized into ten subparts. Knowing where a rule sits prevents mis-citation on the exam:

Responsible Operator in Charge (ROINC)

The Illinois drinking water term of art is Responsible Operator in Charge (ROINC) — not "operator in responsible charge." Under the certified operator requirement of Subpart B, the owner or administrative contact of a community water supply appoints a ROINC of appropriate classification to run and oversee daily treatment and distribution operations. The ROINC must hold a Certificate of Competency at or above the facility's classification; an operator holding only Operator in Training status cannot fill the role. Section 604.135(c)(2)(B) also names the ROINC, alongside the owner and official custodian, as a party who must act to protect the supply and immediately notify the Agency whenever the safety of a supply is endangered.

Facility Classification & Operator Hierarchy (Classes A-D)

Illinois classifies the facility by the treatment processes it uses, then requires an operator certified at that class.

What each class covers in practice

• Class A: surface water plants (Lake Michigan, rivers, reservoirs) running rapid mix, coagulation, flocculation and sedimentation; lime or lime-soda softening; UV disinfection; and membrane processes from microfiltration through reverse osmosis.
• Class B: systems treating beyond simple chemical addition — aeration with pressure or gravity filtration, greensand or pyrolusite media for iron and manganese removal, and cation exchange softening regenerated with brine.
• Class C: systems whose treatment is chemical feed only — gas or hypochlorite chlorination, fluoridation, polyphosphate or orthophosphate corrosion inhibitors, pH adjustment.
• Class D: systems limited to pumpage, finished water storage (elevated tanks, reservoirs, hydropneumatic tanks) and distribution.

Note the hands-on structure: half of every class's hours must be hands-on with that class's processes. Coursework credit is capped in hours, not converted from degrees.

The Operator in Training (OIT) Pathway

1. Test before you qualify. An applicant may request any of the four examinations (A, B, C or D) before completing the hands-on experience requirement.
2. Pass and become an OIT. A score of 70 percent of the points available makes the candidate an Operator in Training for that class. The Agency's notification of a passing score is itself the evidence of OIT status.
3. Work under a certified operator. An OIT may hold a Certificate of Competency for one class while holding OIT status for a higher class, but an OIT cannot serve as the ROINC at any facility.
4. Convert within six years. The OIT classification is valid for six years, has no renewal training requirement, and cannot be renewed. Once the hands-on hours are documented, the operator submits the "Application for Certification as a Community Water Supply Operator" with the $30.00 non-refundable review fee and receives the full Certificate of Competency — no second examination. If full certification is not obtained within six years, the exam process must start over.

Examination Prerequisites, Fees & Logistics

• Exam request: submit the "Drinking Water Operator Certification Examination Request" to the Illinois EPA at least 30 days prior to the examination date, with a non-refundable $10 exam fee. The Agency determines eligibility within 30 days of receipt.
• Eligibility to test is deliberately low: the applicant can read and write English, has submitted evidence of character, and has paid the $10 fee. Anyone who has had or been exposed to typhoid fever or amoebic dysentery must demonstrate they are not a carrier.
• Letter of Admission (LOA): issued to eligible requestors, valid for one examination conducted within one year of issuance. If it expires, submit a new request and another $10 fee. The LOA plus a state government issued photo ID must be presented to the proctor — you cannot test without both.
• Scheduling: schedule the exam at least seven days before the date and specify the class you intend to attempt. You must contact the testing site to reserve a seat.
• Testing sites (2026 schedule): Des Plaines, Springfield, Marion, Rockford, the ERTC at Edwardsville, and Champaign regional offices, plus two Illinois Rural Water Association conference sittings.
• Time limit: examinations begin at 9:00 a.m. and end at 2:00 p.m.; the rule sets a maximum of five hours unless a reasonable-accommodation request has been approved in writing in advance. (This is the biggest logistics contrast with the wastewater exams, which are capped at three hours.) A non-programmable calculator incapable of storing alphanumeric data is allowed; cell phones and recording devices are not.
• Passing score: 70 percent of the points available. The Illinois EPA does not publish a fixed question count for the Class A-D examinations.
• Attempt limit: no person may take the operator exam more than four times in one calendar year unless the person passed an exam. Passing on a fourth Class C attempt, for example, permits requesting an A or B exam in that same calendar year.
• Reexamination: submit a new request, pay the $10 fee, and obtain a new LOA before rescheduling; allow 15 days for processing.

Three-Year Renewal, Training & Restoration

Certificates of Competency are renewed on a three-year cycle. The Agency sends a Renewal Application Form (RAF) specifying the expiration date and fees.

Fees and deadlines:

• Return the completed, signed RAF with the $10.00 non-refundable renewal fee. If it is received on or after August 1, an additional $10.00 restoration fee applies, for $20.00 total.
• Hours cannot be carried over between renewal periods, and all training must be pre-approved by the Illinois EPA before you attend or pay registration fees. Academic credit converts at 1 semester hour = 15 training hours and 1 quarter hour = 10 training hours.
• A Class A or B operator who completes only 15 of the required 30 hours is not granted a renewal at the A or B level.
• An operator whose certificate has expired has one year from the expiration date to complete the needed training, submit the RAF, and pay the $20 renewal/restoration fee; the certification remains expired until it is reissued. Beyond that, the operator must reapply for examination, pass it, and reapply for certification.
• Reciprocity applicants submit the reciprocity application with a $30 application review fee and a $10 reciprocal certificate of competency fee.

Daily Operational Mandates Under 35 Ill. Adm. Code Parts 604 and 611

1. Distribution disinfectant residual (604.725(a)): maintain a minimum free chlorine residual of 0.5 mg/L or a minimum combined chlorine residual of 1.0 mg/L in all active parts of the distribution system at all times. Supplies must monitor residual type and amount at different distribution points and must not mix free-chlorine and combined-chlorine sources. Systems relying on chlorination must have continuous residual analyzers with alarms at the entry point (604.730). Any supply distributing water without a free chlorine residual must maintain a Nitrification Action Plan (604.140).
2. Fluoride (604.1150(a)): feed equipment must have the capacity to maintain finished water fluoride at 0.7 mg/L, with monthly samples submitted to a certified laboratory.
3. Distribution pressure (604.1415(a)): the system must be designed to maintain a minimum of 20 psi at ground level at all points in the distribution system under all conditions of flow. Normal working pressure must be at least 20 psi on finished water transmission mains and at least 35 psi on all other water mains.
4. Emergency notification (604.135(c)(2)): immediately notify the appropriate IEPA Regional Office on knowledge or suspicion of contamination or of finished water quality degraded by equipment malfunction. After hours, on weekends and on holidays, notify through the Illinois Emergency Management Agency at 1-800-782-7860.
5. Emergency operations plan (604.135(d)): every community water supply must maintain a written plan for supplying water during earthquakes, floods, tornados and other disasters, review it at least every three years, and keep it on site and available to the Agency on request.
6. Record retention: bacteriological analyses are kept at least 5 years, chemical analyses at least 10 years, records of corrective action at least 3 years, and lead and copper corrosion control records 12 years.