(b)
(a)
Upon application on a form acceptable to the
director by the permittee and the
director's approval of the operating plan described in paragraph
(C)(2)(b)(i)
(C)(3)(a)(i) of this rule, the
director shall reduce
the minimum staffing requirement for
an
a professional operator of record of a class II,
III, or IV
treatment works to no less than five days a week for a minimum of
ten hours per week. However, the
director shall not grant a reduction to a
treatment works where
an
a professional operator of record cannot respond
to operational problems within one hour. Nor will the
director grant a
reduction to a treatment works that has a history of noncompliance with
sampling, reporting, effluent limits or any other violations related to the
treatment process, including but not limited to, grit removal, primary
clarification, aeration, secondary clarification, filtration, sludge, or
biosolids handling. The
director also shall not grant a reduction to a
treatment works under formal enforcement excluding enforcement related to
combined sewer overflows or sanitary sewer overflows.
(i) Treatment works shall submit an operating
plan for their facility as part of the application for a staffing reduction.
The operating plan shall include a description of the level of automation and
continuous monitoring at the facility, a standard operating procedure for any
such automation or
continuous monitoring equipment, and a detailed operations
schedule showing the number of
professional
operators,
their
the certification level, and the number of hours spent
at the
treatment works. The description of the
continuous monitoring shall
include a description of the calibration frequency, verification of calibration
and records maintenance. Reductions in minimum staffing for the
professional operator of record may be granted in
accordance with the criteria in tables A and B
below
of this rule,
either singly or in combination, based on the information provided in the
wastewater treatment facility's operating plan. In no case shall a reduction of
greater than thirty hours per week be granted to a class III or IV facility and
ten hours per week for a class II facility.
Table A: Reductions in minimum professional operator of record staffing based on
wastewater treatment facility staffing levels
|
The professional operator
of record staffing may be reduced by 5 hours per week if:
|
The professional operator
of record staffing may be reduced by 10 hours per week if:
|
The professional operator
of record staffing may be reduced by 15 hours per week if:
|
The professional operator
of record staffing may be reduced by 20 hours per week if:
|
|
Plant staffing at class III and IV wastewater treatment
facilities
|
There is another professional operator certified at a level no more
than 2 classes below that of the treatment works or sewerage system onsite at
the wastewater treatment facility 2 hours per day 5 days per week
|
There is another professional operator certified at a level no more
than 2 classes below that of the treatment works or sewerage system onsite at
the wastewater treatment facility 4 hours per day 5 days per week
|
There is another professional operator certified at a level no more
than 2 classes below that of the treatment works or sewerage system onsite at
the wastewater treatment facility 6 hours per day 5 days per week
|
There is another professional operator certified at a level no more
than 2 classes below that of the treatment works or sewerage system onsite at
the wastewater treatment facility 8 hours per day 5 days per week
|
|
Plant staffing at class II wastewater treatment
facilities
|
There is a class I professional operator onsite at the wastewater
treatment facility 3 hours per day 5 days per week
|
There is a class I professional operator onsite at the wastewater
treatment facility 4 hours per day 5 days per week
|
Not applicable
|
Not applicable
|
|
Plant staffing at class II
wastewater treatment facilities
|
There is a class I professional
operator in training onsite at the wastewater treatment facility 6 hours per
day 5 days per week
|
There is a class I professional
operator in training onsite at the wastewater treatment facility 8 hours per
day 5 days per week
|
Not applicable
|
Not applicable
|
Table B: Reductions in minimum professional operator of record staffing based on
level of automation or continuous monitoring
|
The professional operator
of record staffing may be reduced by 5 hours per week if:
|
The professional operator
of record staffing may be reduced by 10 hours per week if:
|
The professional operator
of record staffing may be reduced by 15 hours per week if:
|
The professional operator
of record staffing may be reduced by 20 hours per week if:
|
|
Automation or continuous monitoring at class
II, III and IV wastewater treatment
facilities
|
The wastewater treatment facility has supervisory
control and data acquisition ("SCADA") and continuous
monitoring
equipment for monitoring permit
requirements
(
the following: flow, pH, chlorine residual, turbidity, dissolved oxygen,
and temperature and
. Additionally monitor
for UV intensity, if applicable)
or chlorine residual, whichever is
applicable.
|
The wastewater treatment facility is automated with
continuous monitoring for the parameters required in
the 5 hour reduction
|
The wastewater treatment facility is automated with
continuous monitoring;
for the parameters required in the 5 hour reduction
and the wastewater treatment facility must also have personnel onsite at
the facility or an electronic notification system that notifies the
professional operator of record when there are
problems with the wastewater treatment facility
|
The wastewater treatment facility is automated with
continuous monitoring for the parameters required in
the 5 hour reduction and an electronic notification system or certified
professional operators on each shift that will
notify the professional operator of record when
there are problems with the wastewater treatment facility; the wastewater
treatment facility must also have the ability to be operated remotely or have a
certified professional operator respond within
thirty
30
minutes
|
|
Automation or continuous
monitoring at class II wastewater treatment facilities
|
The wastewater treatment
facility has supervisory control and data acquisition ("SCADA") and continuous
monitoring equipment for monitoring the following: flow, pH, turbidity,
dissolved oxygen, and temperature. Additionally monitor for UV intensity or
chlorine residual, whichever is applicable.
|
The wastewater treatment
facility is automated with continuous monitoring for the parameters required in
the 5 hour reduction
|
Not applicable
|
Not applicable
|
(ii)
Any change in the criteria under which the reduction was approved
(e.g., retirement of a professional operator listed in
the approved staffing plan, loss of the professional operator of record,
reduction in the workforce, removal or failure of automation or continuous
monitoring, etc.) will require that the
treatment works immediately
return to compliance with the minimum staffing requirements in paragraph (C)(1)
of this rule. This provision shall not preclude a
treatment works from
submitting a modified operating plan.
(iii) For a system operating plan to receive
director's approval under table B of this rule, continuous monitors shall be
calibrated in accordance with manufacturer standards or applicable regulations,
whichever is more stringent. Calibration verification shall be conducted at
least once per week or in accordance with applicable regulations, whichever is
more stringent. Records of the calibrations and verifications shall be
maintained for three years.
(c)
(b) The
professional operator of record for a class II,
III, or IV
treatment works or class II
sewerage system may be replaced by a
backup
professional operator with a certificate
one classification lower than the
treatment works or
sewerage system for a
period of up to thirty consecutive days. The use of this provision does not
require notification to the agency. This provision may not be used to routinely
circumvent minimum staffing requirements.
(i)
In the case of class III and IV systems which utilize
an established flex work schedule of four ten-hour days, the use of a
professional operator with a certificate one classification less than the
facility to staff the facility on the fifth day of the week shall not be
considered an attempt to circumvent the minimum staffing
requirements.
(ii)
In the case of class II systems which utilize an
established flex work schedule of two eight hour days and a four hour day, the
use of a professional operator with a certificate one classification less than
the facility or an operator in training who has passed the class I examination
to staff the facility on the fourth and fifth day of the week shall not be
considered an attempt to circumvent the minimum staffing
requirements.
(d)
(c) Upon proper
justification, such as military leave or long term illness, the
director may
authorize the replacement of the
professional
operator of record for a class II, III, or IV
treatment works or class II
sewerage system by a backup
professional operator
with a certificate one classification lower than the facility for a period of
greater than thirty consecutive days. Such requests shall be made in writing to
the appropriate district office.
(f)
(g)
Upon submission of an application by the permittee and approval by the
director, the staffing requirements of seasonal class A or class I treatment
works may be reduced in the off season in accordance with the following system
classification chart. In order to document seasonal operations
, the permittee
must
shall submit a
form acceptable to the
director documenting the system shut down date and the
proposed reopening date. The application shall include documentation that
enough wastewater has been removed from the system to prevent discharge to
waters of the state and contain a contingency plan to lower the level in the
plant in the event there is a potential to discharge effluent to waters of the
state. Care should be taken by the owner and
professional operator to ensure enough
wastewater is
left in the tanks to prevent the tanks from shifting.
|
System Classification
|
Staffing Requirement During the Off Season
|
|
Class A
|
1 visit every month
|
|
Class I
|
1 visit every 2 weeks
|
During the off season the professional operator of record shall visually confirm
via flow monitoring, if applicable, that the treatment works is not discharging
and does not have the potential to discharge wastewater. The verification shall
be documented during the visits referenced above as part of the operation and
maintenance records specified in rule
3745-7-09
of the Administrative Code. A discharge from the treatment works during the
reduced staffing period is prohibited. The permittee shall notify the agency on
a form acceptable to the director prior to resuming operations. Discovery of a
discharge to waters of the state during a period of reduced staffing shall
result in a denial
revocation of the authorization for reduced staffing
requirements and a prohibition on further approval for a period of five
years.
For the purposes of this rule, "seasonal operations" means the
temporary ceasing of wastewater generating sources for a period of no less than
sixty consecutive days.
