Aerial photo of Castleton WWTF courtesy of Forcier Aldrich & Associates

Legal Authority

10 VSA Sections 1263 and1265 provide that any permit for the discharge of waste into the waters of the state shall require operation and maintenance of the pollution abatement facility as approved by the Secretary of the Agency, by qualified personnel in accordance with standards established by the Secretary. The Water Pollution Abatement Facility Operator Certification Regulations (19 KB, 11 pages Adobe Acrobat PDF) establish minimum standards of experience and knowledge required of chief and assistant chief operators of water pollution abatement facilities and are applicable to any Agency regulated activity which results in a requirement for a certified water pollution abatement facility operator.

The1985 Wastewater Facility Operator Certification Regulations refer to the Agency of Environmental Conservation and the Department of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering. The organizations have subsequently been renamed the Agency of Natural Resources and the Department of Environmental Conservation, respectively.

General Policy

A facility having a discharge permit issued pursuant to 10 V.S.A.§1263 or §1265 requiring facility operation by certified operators shall employ both a chief operator and assistant chief operator. Certifications of chief operators shall be in the same numerical grade and class as the wastewater treatment facility classification.   Assistant chief operators may be not more than two levels below that of the facility classification.

Qualifications

• Applicants must be able to read and write the English language.
• Applicants must be employed as an operator at a Vermont wastewater treatment facility at the time of application.
• Education may be substituted for experience.   This requires submittal of copies of a college transcript and degree with the application.   Course work must be related to the field of wastewater.
• Passing of the wastewater operator certification exam is also required for provisional certificate holders.  Current certificates holders must also pass an examination to upgrade their certificate.

Facility Classification

For a determination of classification specific to your treatment process and design flow, please contact Carole Fowler at 802-241-2369 .

Domestic (DM) wastewater treatment facilities have five (5) classification levels.  Class 1 facilities have simplified treatment processes (ie. pH adjustment only) with low design flows.  Class 5 facilities are more complex (ie. mechanical sludge dewatering; rotating biological contactors, chemical precipitation, etc.) treatment processes with design flows of >5.0 MGD.

Industrial treatment facilities are classified in four categories; dairy, metal, paper and industrial.   There are also three (3) levels to each classification (I, II, and IV).   Again, each level of classification is based on treatment process and design flow.

Types of Certification

Provisional - An operator certified at any provisional grade and class has two years to meet the minimum qualifications and must be currently employed at a Vermont wastewater treatment facility.  Provisional certificates are not renewable.  Class III, IV and V provisional certificate holders must also meet a minimum one, two and three years respectively of wastewater experience at the time of application.

Full - An operator who is fully certified is issued a five year, renewable certificate.  The individual has met the minimum years of experience, is currently employed as an operator at a Vermont wastewater treatment facility and has passed the required certification exam.

Training Requirements

	Training Hours Required
	Provisional Certification	Full Certification - Domestic	Full Certification - Industrial
Grade I	8	20	10
Grade II	10	25	15
Grade III	12	30	n/a
Grade IV	12	30	30
Grade V	16	40	n/a
	Provisional certificate holders must acquire training hours during the two years of the certificate in order to upgrade to a full certification.	Full certificate holders must acquire training hours during the five year  period of the certificate in order to renew or upgrade their certificate.

Training Contacts

Disclaimer: The Operator Certification Program makes this list of contacts available as a courtesy to operators. Appearance on the list or omission from the list does not constitute recommendation for or against a training vendor. Operator Certification Training Contacts

Training Opportunities

Schedule of Vermont Wastewater Operator Certification Training Courses

Exam Information

The wastewater operator certification exam is given twice per year (Spring and Fall) for all classifications.   The exam is multiple choice. Registration forms will be available on this web site in advance of exam registration deadline dates.

2010 Wastewater Operator Certification Exams will be scheduled sometime after January 1, 2010

Registration Deadline for the exams:    Will be announced when exam dates are scheduled

Registration Fee:  $32.00

See the announcement and exam registration form below for more information

Announcement 1 page PDF
Exam Registration Form 1 page PDF

Study Resource List

Reciprocity

The State of Vermont reviews reciprocity requests on a case-by-case basis.   To process a request for reciprocity determination, we need to receive the following items:

• a completed application form
• a copy of any out-of-state certificate
• a copy of the out-of-state wastewater operator certification regulations
• a copy of any pertinent college degree and transcript information
• detailed information of your responsibilities at the out-of-state wastewater treatment facility
• detailed information regarding the wastewater treatment facility's treatment processes

Please allow 2-3 weeks for our review of the information you submit.

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Mail Inquiries to:

Wastewater Operator Certification Program
Wastewater Management Division
103 South Main St - The Sewing Bldg
Waterbury  VT  05671-0405

Wastewater Operator Certification Program Contacts:

Carole Fowler - phone: 802-241-2369

Note: Written communications to and from state officials regarding state business are considered public records and therefore may be subject to public scrutiny.

 

Other Wastewater Management Division Contacts  

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Links to Operator Certification Program items, including Application Forms:

Download the free Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader

Wastewater Facility Operator Certification Regulations - October 1985 - 19 KB, 11 pages PDF

Written Practice Regarding October 1985 Regulation Interpretation - February 1997 - 543KB, 3 pages PDF

List of Wastewater Treatment Facility Certified Operators - 52 KB, 10 pages Adobe Acrobat PDF

Wastewater Treatment Facility Operator Certification Application Form:    PDF 272KB, 6 pages  MS Word 98KB, 6 pages

Wastewater Treatment Facility Operator Certification RENEWAL Form:        PDF 17KB, 2 pages MS Word 75KB, 2 pages

Wastewater Management Division Sewage Treatment Plant Operator Certification Fees - 1 page PDF

Wastewater Operator Certification Exam Registration Form - 1 page PDF

Wastewater Treatment Facility List - 1090KB, 43 pages PDF

Other Related Links         Water Environment Federation (WEF)         New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC)         New England Water Environment Association (NEWEA)         Green Mountain Water Environment Association (GMWEA)         National Rural Water Association (NRWA)         Vermont Rural Water Association (VRWA)         Vermont DEC Water Supply Division Water System Operator Program links may contain information pertinent to wastewater treatment facility operator training. Please verify that any courses taken meet wastewater standards for course credits.