1.6 Wastewater Certification Types, Experience Ladders, OIT & Reciprocity
Key Takeaways
- Every wastewater applicant must hold a high school diploma or GED, be at least 18, and demonstrate general knowledge of wastewater characteristics, statutes and rules, required mathematics, logs and reporting forms, and safe equipment operation under 15A NCAC 08G .0401(a).
- Biological and collection grades must be climbed in order: Grade II requires holding Grade I plus six months of actual experience, Grade III requires Grade II plus two years (or 18 months with six basic-science college courses), and Grade IV requires Grade III plus three years (or two years with the college coursework).
- ‘Actual experience’ under 08G .0102(2) is time physically operating process equipment — laboratory testing, maintenance, administrative support, and supervision do not count.
- An Operator in Training certificate is issued when an applicant passes the exam but lacks the experience; an OIT must not be designated ORC or Back-up ORC and must renew annually.
- Reciprocity under 08G .0410 requires meeting the eligibility rules, paying the $119 reciprocity fee, submitting a letter of verification from the other state, and passing a Commission-administered examination — only the approved-training requirement is waived.
1.6 Wastewater Certification Types, Experience Ladders, OIT & Reciprocity
General requirements for every applicant (08G .0401(a))
An applicant for any water pollution control system operator certification must:
- possess a high school diploma or GED;
- be at least 18 years of age;
- have a general knowledge of typical wastewater characteristics and treatment processes; and
- have the ability to read and understand the statutes and rules governing the system type, perform the mathematical calculations required to operate it, complete and maintain logs and regulatory reporting forms, safely and effectively operate the equipment, and describe general maintenance requirements for that equipment.
Two further bars apply: an applicant must not have had a certification revoked by the Commission within the two-year period before application (.0401(c)), and an applicant may not sit for any Commission examination while any certification they hold is suspended (.0401(d)).
What counts as "actual experience"
08G .0102(2) is unusually strict, and exam writers love it: actual experience is time working as an operator or ORC where the job responsibility is the physical operation of process equipment and systems. Job responsibilities such as laboratory testing, facility and equipment maintenance, administrative support, or direct or indirect supervision do not qualify as actual experience.
Biological wastewater operators (08G .0402)
| Grade | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Grade I | Successfully complete approved Grade I biological training |
| Grade II | Hold a valid NC Grade I certificate + 6 months actual experience at a Grade II or higher system + approved Grade II training |
| Grade III | Hold Grade II + approved Grade III training + either 2 years actual experience at a Grade II or higher system, or a two- or four-year college degree with six passed courses in the basic sciences plus 18 months experience at a Grade II or higher system |
| Grade IV | Hold Grade III + approved Grade IV training + either 3 years actual experience at a Grade III or higher system, or the degree route with six basic-science courses plus 2 years at a Grade III or higher system |
Basic sciences are defined in 08G .0102(6) as agronomy, biology, botany, chemistry, engineering, environmental health and sciences, geology, math, physics, soil science, and zoology from an accredited college or university.
[!WARNING] No grade skipping. Each higher grade requires the applicant to already hold the grade below it. A civil engineering degree and twenty years of utility management do not let an applicant test directly for Grade IV Biological; the degree only shortens the experience requirement at Grades III and IV.
Collection system operators (08G .0403)
The collection ladder mirrors the biological ladder:
- Grade I: approved Grade I collection training.
- Grade II: hold Grade I + six months actual collection system experience + Grade II training.
- Grade III: hold Grade II + Grade III training + either two years of collection experience or a two- or four-year degree with six courses in a field directly related to collection system operation and maintenance (civil, mechanical, or environmental engineering) plus one year of experience.
- Grade IV: hold Grade III + Grade IV training + either three years of collection experience or the degree route plus two years of experience.
Specialty certifications
| Type | Eligibility (08G .0404–.0407) |
|---|---|
| Land Application of Residuals | Approved LA training plus one of: one year of actual land application experience; a two- or four-year degree with six basic-science courses; or a valid Grade II or higher biological certificate |
| Physical/Chemical Grade I | Approved Grade I physical/chemical training |
| Physical/Chemical Grade II | Hold Grade I P/C + one year actual experience at a Grade II physical/chemical system or at an industrial pretreatment or indirect discharge permitted facility + Grade II training |
| Surface Irrigation | Approved SI training plus one of: one year operating a surface irrigation system; the degree route; being a private homeowner operating only their own domestic system; or a Grade II or higher biological certificate |
| Subsurface | Approved subsurface training plus the same four alternatives as surface irrigation |
Operator in Training (08G .0408)
The OIT certificate is the wastewater program's pre-experience credential:
- The Commission may allow an applicant who has met all prerequisite education and certification requirements but cannot meet the actual experience requirement to take the examination.
- On passing, the applicant is issued an OIT certificate of the same type and grade as the examination.
- An OIT must not be designated as the ORC or Back-up ORC of a system.
- OIT certificates must be renewed annually under 08G .0701 — the same fee and six contact hours as any other certificate.
- When the experience is complete, the holder submits an application documenting the experience with the replacement-certificate fee to receive the permanent certificate at that level.
Reciprocity (08G .0410)
An operator certified in another state or jurisdiction receives North Carolina certification only if the operator:
- meets or exceeds all eligibility requirements in .0402 through .0408 (the approved training requirement is waived, nothing else is);
- submits the Application for Reciprocity with the $119.00 reciprocity certificate fee set by G.S. 90A-42(a)(6);
- provides a letter of verification from the certifying state agency confirming the level held and that no disciplinary action is outstanding; and
- achieves a passing score on a Commission-administered examination of the same type and grade.
An applicant who has failed the Commission's exam for that type and grade within the last two years is ineligible to apply through reciprocity, and three failed exams trigger the approved-training requirement in .0410(c).
Temporary and conditional certificates
Temporary certificates (08G .0602) may be issued for up to one year because of a vacancy in the ORC or Back-up ORC position, suspension or revocation of the ORC's or Back-up ORC's certification, a change in the system's classification from a permit modification or upgrade, or a modification to Commission rules. The application must come from the owner, include the fee, and attach a letter explaining the need, the efforts made to employ a properly certified operator, the designation being made, and a plan describing how the applicant will pursue permanent certification. Conditional certificates (08G .0409) remain valid only as long as the holder meets the Section .0700 renewal requirements.
Under 15A NCAC 08G .0102(2), which activity counts as ‘actual experience’ toward a higher wastewater grade?
An applicant holds a valid NC Grade II Biological certificate and a four-year degree with six passed basic-science courses. What is the minimum actual experience needed for Grade III?
An operator certified in another state applies for North Carolina wastewater reciprocity. What does 15A NCAC 08G .0410 require?