1.3 Examinations, Fees, Renewal, Continuing Education & Discipline
Key Takeaways
- Drinking water examinations are paper exams given four times a year — typically the last Thursday in February, May, August, and October — at Hickory, Raleigh, and Williamston, with a three-hour time limit and a state-supplied math formula sheet.
- Wastewater examinations are given four times a year at six locations, and under 15A NCAC 08G .0501(a)(4) the application must be postmarked at least 30 days before the exam date; 18D .0301(b) sets the same 30-day rule for drinking water.
- A passing score is 70 percent: 15A NCAC 08G .0504(a) defines it as 70 percent of available points, and 18D .0201(13) uses the same 70 percent threshold for apprentice examinations.
- Three failures trigger retraining: 18D .0202 requires a drinking water applicant who fails three times to retake the appropriate school, and 08G .0401(b) requires a wastewater applicant who fails three consecutive attempts to complete approved training for the same type and grade.
- Certificates expire December 31 each year; drinking water renewal costs $30 with six professional growth hours (18D .0304 and .0308), while wastewater renewal costs $53 per certification with six contact hours (G.S. 90A-42 and 08G .0701).
1.3 Examinations, Fees, Renewal, Continuing Education & Discipline
[!IMPORTANT] Two programs, two calendars. North Carolina operator examinations are not offered on demand at a commercial testing center. Each body publishes its own exam dates, its own sites, and its own application deadline. Missing a postmark deadline by one day pushes an applicant to the next quarterly exam.
Examination logistics
| Drinking water (WTFOCB) | Wastewater (WPCSOCC) | |
|---|---|---|
| Frequency | Four times a year — typically the last Thursday in February, May, August, and October | Four times a year |
| Sites | Hickory, Raleigh, Williamston | Six sites, including Williamston, Kenansville, the Raleigh area, Kannapolis, Morganton, and the Waynesville/Clyde area |
| Application deadline | Submitted to the Board at least 30 days before the exam (18D .0301(b)) | Postmarked at least 30 days before the exam (08G .0501(a)(4)) |
| Time limit | Three hours | Set by the Commission for each exam |
| Reference material | State math formula sheet supplied at the exam — it is the only formula sheet allowed | State math formula sheet supplied at the exam |
| Identification | Required at the door | Valid driver's license, photo ID, or other ID satisfactory to the proctor (08G .0503(c)) |
| Passing score | 70 percent | 70 percent of available points (08G .0102(19), .0504(a)) |
Exam length varies by grade and type. The Board's published Needs to Know composition tables show, for example, 70 questions on the A-Surface and A-Well exams and 45 questions on the B-Surface, C-Surface, B-Well, C-Well, and D-Well exams. Do not assume every North Carolina exam is the same length; check the current needs-to-know document for the grade you are testing.
Results and reviews. Written notification of results is mailed to the applicant. For wastewater, 08G .0504(c) makes that written notice the certification itself when the applicant passes. An applicant who fails may review the examination once, at a date and location set by the Commission, but not within 30 days of an upcoming exam date (08G .0505). Every examinee receives a performance report listing the score and the subject areas the questions were drawn from — but not the questions themselves.
The three-attempt rule
Both programs cut off repeat testing after three failures, and both fix it the same way: go back to school.
- Drinking water — 15A NCAC 18D .0202: "If an applicant fails an examination three times, the applicant shall retake the appropriate school designated in Rule .0201."
- Wastewater — 15A NCAC 08G .0401(b): an applicant who fails to achieve a passing score on a specific type and grade after three consecutive attempts must attend and successfully complete approved training for that same type and grade, and must provide a certificate of completion with the next application. The same requirement applies to reciprocity applicants under 08G .0410(c).
Under 08G .0102(27), "successful completion" of that training means attending 80 percent of the approved training for examination eligibility (and 100 percent of training used for continuing education).
Current fees
| Fee | Drinking water (18D .0304; cap in G.S. 90A-27) | Wastewater (G.S. 90A-42, as amended 2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Examination and certificate | $50.00 | $101.00 |
| Apprentice upgrade to Grade C, D, or CC | $50.00 | n/a |
| Temporary certificate | $50.00 | $237.00 (renewal $356.00) |
| Conditional certificate | n/a | $89.00 |
| Reciprocity certificate | n/a | $119.00 |
| Annual renewal | $30.00 | $53.00 per certification |
| Late renewal penalty | $30.00 additional | $59.00, plus $119.00 per year for each prior unpaid year |
| Replacement certificate | n/a | $24.00 |
[!NOTE] The dollar figures printed inside the 08G rule text (for example an "$85.00 application fee") predate the 2023 amendment to G.S. 90A-42. When a rule and a statute conflict on fees, the statute controls — and DEQ collects the statutory amounts. Always confirm the current fee on the program's web page before mailing a check.
Annual renewal and continuing education
Both statutes are explicit: a certificate expires on December 31 of the year in which it is issued or renewed (G.S. 90A-25.1 for drinking water; G.S. 90A-46.1 for wastewater).
Drinking water — professional growth hours (18D .0308). Every certified operator must complete six professional growth hours of Board-approved training each year following the year of initial certification. Approved subject matter includes rules and regulations, equipment, operation and maintenance, recordkeeping, new treatment technologies, water treatment processes, certification school curriculum courses, and facility management. Training providers must obtain Board approval before the event and submit an attendance roster within ten business days. Failure to complete the six hours expires the operator's certificates. Renewal fees are due December 31 and become delinquent on February 1, when the additional $30 fee attaches (18D .0304(d)).
Wastewater — contact hours (08G .0701). The certificate holder renews annually by paying the renewal fee by December 31 and documenting six contact hours of Commission-approved training during each year following the year of initial certification. A "contact hour" is one hour of Commission-approved operator instruction. The Commission mails renewal notices 60 days before the renewal date, but failure to receive a notice does not excuse a late renewal.
Lapse and reinstatement
| Situation | Drinking water (18D .0307, .0309) | Wastewater (08G .0701(b)) |
|---|---|---|
| Fee unpaid or training not completed | Certificate expires | Certificate becomes invalid |
| Expired/invalid less than two years | Pay renewal fees in arrears plus late fees and either document six professional growth hours for each calendar year or pass another examination of that grade | Pay all outstanding renewal fees and penalties and meet all accrued continuing education requirements |
| Expired/invalid two years or more | Apply to the Board for reinstatement of the expired certificate type | Pass an examination of the same type and grade again, meeting all Section .0400 requirements, with any required approved training completed within the previous 12 months |
[!WARNING] Address changes are on you. Operators must notify the Board in writing within 30 days of an address change (18D .0304(e)) and the Commission within 30 calendar days (08G .0203(2)). "I never got the renewal notice" is not a defense in either program.
Discipline and penalties
Drinking water. Under G.S. 90A-26 the Board may reprimand an operator or suspend or revoke a certificate when it finds fraud or deception; failure to use reasonable care, judgment, knowledge, or ability; incompetence or inability to perform an operator's duties; or failure to comply with the requirements for certification or renewal. 18D .0307(b) adds that an ORC who fails to meet the requirements of 18D .0701 may have the certificate revoked. A person whose certificate was revoked may petition the Board only after two years have elapsed and after completing an approved school and passing the exam for the certification sought (18D .0307(c)).
Wastewater. Under G.S. 90A-41 and 08G .0801 the Commission may act against an operator for practicing fraud or deception, failure to use reasonable care or judgment, failure to apply knowledge or ability, or incompetence. Procedurally (08G .0802) the Chairman convenes a four-member disciplinary committee, notice goes by certified mail at least 15 days before the meeting, the decision issues within 10 business days, and any revocation, suspension, or reprimand is delivered by certified mail at least 20 days before its effective date. Cheating on an examination means removal from the exam, forfeiture of the fee, an ungraded exam, and possible revocation of other certifications. A revoked individual may petition for new certification no sooner than two years after the effective date, must appear before the Commission, must start again at the lowest grade for that type, and cannot count experience accrued before the revocation (08G .0803).
Penalty for operating without a certified ORC. G.S. 90A-30 authorizes an administrative civil penalty against the owner of a water treatment facility that violates G.S. 90A-29(a) of not more than $100.00 for each day the violation continues, and that section is expressly the only civil or criminal penalty for failing to have a certified ORC of a water system. On the wastewater side, operating in violation of a permit exposes the permittee to civil penalties of up to $25,000 per day under G.S. 143-215.6A and potential criminal liability under G.S. 143-215.6B.
An applicant fails the Grade II Biological Wastewater examination for the third consecutive time. Under 15A NCAC 08G .0401(b), what must happen before the applicant may test again?
Which combination correctly states current North Carolina renewal requirements?
A wastewater certificate has been invalid for more than two consecutive years. Under 15A NCAC 08G .0701(b), what does renewal require?