1.2 Drinking Water Certification Grades, Eligibility & the Apprentice Pathway

1.2 Drinking Water Certification Grades, Eligibility & the Apprentice Pathway

[!IMPORTANT] Facility first, operator second. North Carolina classifies the facility (18D .0203 and .0205), then requires an operator in responsible charge whose certificate equals or exceeds that classification. Your certificate is always tied to a facility type as well as a grade: a Grade A-Surface certificate does not let you serve as ORC of a Class B distribution system.

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The four drinking water certification types

 Surface water treatment:      Grade C  -->  Grade B  -->  Grade A      (no Grade D)
 Well (groundwater) treatment: Grade D  -->  Grade C  -->  Grade B  --> Grade A
 Distribution systems:         Grade D  -->  Grade C  -->  Grade B  --> Grade A
 Cross-Connection Control:     single grade (CC)
 Apprentice:                   pre-experience certificate, max 5 annual renewals

[!WARNING] High-frequency trap: exam writers offer "Grade D-Surface" as a distractor. 15A NCAC 18D .0201 does not create a D-Surface grade. Surface certification begins at Grade C. Grade D exists only for Well and Distribution.

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Baseline requirements for every applicant

18D .0201(a) requires that applicants be at least 18 years old and possess a high school diploma or GED. Beyond that, each grade adds an approved school plus qualifying experience. Applications must be filed with the Board and submitted at least 30 days before the examination date (18D .0301(b)), signed by the applicant and recommended by the applicant's supervisor.

What counts as "acceptable experience" (18D .0105(1))

For every surface, well, or distribution grade, acceptable experience means at least 50 percent of the applicant's duties consist of active on-site operational duties at the matching facility type, based on the use of mathematics, equipment, materials, maintenance, installation and repair techniques, cross-connection control, and related skills. The remaining duties may be in related fields such as wastewater operation, a water or wastewater laboratory, pumping stations, system design and engineering, wells, or distribution. Public Water Supply Section staff may count their time if at least 50 percent of their duties involve inspection or on-site technical assistance to public water systems.

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Grade-by-grade requirements (15A NCAC 18D .0201)

Notice the structural rule that examiners test: the A and B grades are built on top of the grade below them. You cannot jump from no certificate to Grade A-Surface; you hold C, gain a year, take the B school, then hold B, gain another year, and take the A school. The only bypass routes written into the rule are the degree/diploma routes at the B and C levels and the lateral route into C-Well for holders of Grade A-Surface or A-Distribution.

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Out-of-state and military applicants

18D .0201(b) requires out-of-state applicants to submit an application describing current employment, the type of license held in the state of origin, years of water treatment experience, and a listing of plant experience. Military applicants attach a copy of their Verification of Military Experience and Training (VMET). The Board compares those requirements against North Carolina's to decide whether they are equivalent. Note the contrast with wastewater: the WPCSOCC grants reciprocity only after the applicant passes a Commission-administered exam (08G .0410).

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The Apprentice certificate (18D .0201(13))

The Apprentice pathway exists so a new entrant can test before earning the required experience.

1. Eligibility. Meet the education requirement and satisfactorily complete a Board-approved Grade B, Grade C, Grade D, or cross-connection control school.
2. Examination. Correctly answer at least 70 percent of the questions on the examination designed for the class of certification sought.
3. Status. The Board issues an Apprentice certificate. It may be renewed annually for a maximum of five years, subject to the same renewal fee and professional growth requirements as any other certificate.
4. Hard limit. "An apprentice shall not act as a certified operator or an Operator in Responsible Charge for a facility." The apprentice works under a certified operator.
5. Conversion. Once the applicable experience in .0201 is met, the apprentice applies to the Board for the Grade B, C, D, or cross-connection control certificate. Under 18D .0304(a) the cost of upgrading an apprentice to Grade C, D, or CC certification is fifty dollars ($50.00).

[!NOTE] Apprentice is a drinking water term. The wastewater equivalent is the Operator in Training (OIT) certificate under 15A NCAC 08G .0408, which is issued when an applicant has met the education and prerequisite certification requirements but not the experience requirement. Like an apprentice, an OIT may not be designated ORC or Back-up ORC. Do not mix the two names on the exam.

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Temporary certificates

Under G.S. 90A-25(e) and 18D .0404, the Board may issue a temporary certificate without examination when the supply of certified operators (or of people with the training necessary for certification) is inadequate. A temporary certificate is valid for one year, applies only to the system where the operator is employed at the time of issuance, and may not be renewed more than one time at the same grade or for the same facility. The fee is $50.00 (18D .0304(b)). Temporary certificates are the legal bridge a system uses when, for example, its only Grade C-Surface operator resigns and 18D .0206(b) requires the position to be filled within 90 days.