Ala. Admin. Code r. 335-10-1-.10 - Continuing Education Requirement For Renewal

(1) All certified operators must demonstrate continuing education activities and file these activities along with the renewal application and nonrefundable fee for certification renewal. Training activities must be attended within the three year period prior to the expiration date except for carry over credit.

(2) Operators with one water certificate must demonstrate 24 continuing education hours (CEH) of actual training in the water field. Wastewater operators with one certificate must demonstrate 24 CEH training in the wastewater field. Training activities can only be counted once. Operators with more than one certificate must obtain 15 CEH of training in the proper field for each certificate for the renewal period. An operator can only hold one water and one wastewater certificate.

(3) A maximum of 10 CEH of training per certificate may be carried over into the next three year renewal period.

(4) Continuing education training may be obtained by the following means:

(a) Association and/or Department sponsored short-courses, and seminars;

(b) Successfully completing or auditing college sponsored courses, and seminars;

(c) Approved correspondence and online courses;

(d) In-house or regional courses taught by experienced certified operators or qualified instructors;

(e) Teaching or instructing as described in (a) through (d) above.

(5) The following continuing education course topics will be accepted for credit for wastewater treatment plant operators or public wastewater collection system operators:

(a) Operation and maintenance of wastewater treatment plants and/or lagoons;

(b) Operation and maintenance of public wastewater collection systems;

(c) Wastewater treatment plant process control and/or theory;

(d) Wastewater regulation reviews or updates;

(e) Instruction on new wastewater treatment plant technologies;

(f) Anti-terrorism training that is geared towards wastewater collection and treatment facilities;

(g) Training for specific wastewater collection or treatment equipment provided by factory representatives or design professionals;

(h) Sampling or analysis of wastewater;

(i) Wastewater collection or treatment examination review;

(j) Design calculations for wastewater collection or treatment;

(k) Recordkeeping or reporting for wastewater collection or treatment; or,

(l) Up to eight hours maximum per renewal period of chemical safety training that is directly applicable to public wastewater collection systems or wastewater treatment plant processes.

(6) The following continuing education course topics will be accepted for credit for water treatment plant operators or water distribution system operators:

(a) Operation and maintenance of water treatment plants or wells;

(b) Operation and maintenance of water distribution systems;

(c) Water treatment plant process control and/or theory;

(d) Drinking water regulation reviews or updates;

(e) Instruction on new water treatment plant technologies;

(f) Anti-terrorism training that is geared towards water distribution and water treatment facilities;

(g) Training for specific water distribution or water treatment plant equipment provided by factory representatives or design professionals;

(h) Sampling or analysis of drinking water;

(i) Water distribution or treatment examination review;

(j) Design calculations for water distribution or water treatment plants;

(k) Backflow prevention;

(l) Recordkeeping or reporting for water distribution or water treatment plants; or,

(m) Up to eight hours maximum per renewal period of chemical safety training that is directly applicable to water distribution or water treatment plant processes.

(7) The following continuing education course topics will be accepted for credit for public wastewater collection system operators, wastewater treatment plant operators, water treatment plant operators or water distribution system operators:

(a) Up to four hours maximum per renewal period of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training;

(b) Up to eight hours maximum per renewal period of trenching and shoring training;

(c) Up to four hours maximum per renewal period of confined space entry training;

(d) Up to eight hours maximum per renewal period of laboratory safety training;

(e) Up to four hours maximum per renewal period of legal liability training specifically geared toward water or wastewater operators;

(f) Up to four hours maximum per renewal period of stormwater pollution prevention training;

(g) Up to four hours maximum per renewal period of temporary traffic control training;

(h) Up to eight hours maximum per renewal period of university-sponsored defensive driving instruction. This training must incorporate classroom, simulation, and hands-on in-vehicle driving instruction that is specifically developed for utility employees;

(i) Up to four hours maximum per renewal period of system management or finance courses that are specifically geared toward water or wastewater operators;

(j) Up to eight hours maximum per renewal period of computer training that is directly applicable to water or wastewater operation; or,

(k) Up to four hours maximum per renewal period of first aid and personal health protection training.

(8) The following courses will not be accepted for continuing education credit:

(a) Regularly-scheduled safety meetings;

(b) General management, business, or personnel law courses;

(c) Repetitive teaching of the same course without significantly updating course material;

(d) Committee meetings or other meetings that are not educational in nature; or,

(e) Courses that are not directly relevant to the class of certificate to be renewed.

(9) All correspondence, in-house, video, audio, or on-line courses must require the participant to show evidence of achievement and completion and/or a final graded test.

(10) Upon request by the Department, providers of correspondence, in-house, video, audio, or on-line training may be required to submit course information for approval prior to offering the course.

(11) Documentation of class attendance must be obtained from the instructor or sponsoring organization and retained by the operator for at least three years after expiration of the certificate to be renewed. These records must be furnished, if requested, to the Department for audit verification purposes. If the Department disallows claimed continuing education credit, the applicant shall have until 180 days after expiration of the certificate to substantiate the original claim or earn other credit to meet the minimum requirement.

(12) The conversion to CEH units from other units is as follows:

1 College semester hour of credit	45 CEH
1 College quarter hour of credit	30 CEH
1 College Audit hour	1/3 of above
1 Continuing Education Unit (CEU)	10 CEH
1 Hour teaching or instructing	2 CEH
1 Hour of acceptable training	1 CEH

Notes

Ala. Admin. Code r. 335-10-1-.10

September 18, 1986; Amended: Filed May 25, 1994; Effective: July 1, 1994. Amended: Filed May 2, 2000; effective June 6, 2000. Amended: December 19, 2002; effective January 23, 2003. Amended: Filed October 21, 2004; effective November 25, 2004. Amended: Filed February 27, 2007; effective April 3, 2007.

Authors: Joe Alan Power, Aubrey White

Statutory Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, §§ 22-22A-5, 22-22A-6, 22-22A-8, 22-25-11, 22-25-13.