Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-49-01-.09 - CLASSIFICATIONS AND QUALIFICATIONS OF WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT OPERATORS AND WASTEWATER COLLECTION SYSTEM OPERATORS

(1)

(a) Grade IV Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator

Certification as an operator in this classification will be made only upon the satisfactory completion by the applicant of the requirements of either parts 1. or 2. of this subparagraph.

1. An applicant must have a bachelor degree in engineering, chemistry or a related science from an accredited college or university, must have twelve (12) months of operating experience at a Grade III or a Grade IV Wastewater Treatment plant, and must satisfactorily complete a written examination.

2. An applicant must have a high school education or equivalent, must have sixty (60) months of operating experience at a Grade III or a Grade IV Wastewater Treatment plant, and must satisfactorily complete a written examination. Within the discretion of the Board, college course work in related science or engineering courses satisfactorily completed, or Board sanctioned comprehensive training in chemistry, bacteriology, and the fundamentals of wastewater treatment satisfactorily completed through schools for operators, correspondence courses, or other special training, may be credited toward the required operating experience to a maximum equivalency of thirty-six (36) months.

3. To receive full time operating experience credit, a minimum of 100% of the activities must be work experience duties. The Board reserves the right to adjust calendar months of experience to a reduced number of months of experience where it is obvious that an applicant's experience routinely includes other duties. The Board encourages documented apprenticeship training programs and classroom training provided by the employer to better prepare an operator to make decisions in plant operation to assure public health protection.

(b) Grade III Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator

1. An applicant must have a high school education or equivalent, must have twelve (12) months of operating experience at a Grade II wastewater treatment plant or a Grade III wastewater treatment plant, and must satisfactorily complete a written examination. Board sanctioned comprehensive training in chemistry, bacteriology, and the fundamentals of wastewater treatment satisfactorily completed through schools for operators, correspondence courses, or other special training programs may be credited toward the required operating experience to a maximum equivalency of three (3) months.

2. To receive full time operating experience credit, a minimum of 50% of the activities must be work experience duties.

(c) Grade II Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator

1. An applicant must have a high school education or equivalent, must have twelve (12) months of operating experience at a Grade I wastewater treatment plant or a Grade II wastewater treatment plant, and must satisfactorily complete a written examination. Board sanctioned comprehensive training in chemistry, bacteriology, and the fundamentals of wastewater treatment satisfactorily completed through schools for operators, correspondence courses, or other special training programs may be credited toward the required operating experience to a maximum equivalency of three (3) months.

2. To receive full time operating experience credit, a minimum of 33% of the activities must be work experience duties.

(d) Grade I Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator

1. An applicant must have a high school education or equivalent, must have twelve (12) months of operating experience in a Grade I wastewater treatment plant or twelve (12) months operating experience at a biological/natural system and six (6) months at a Grade I wastewater treatment plant, and must satisfactorily complete a written examination. Board sanctioned comprehensive training in chemistry, bacteriology, and the fundamentals of wastewater treatment satisfactorily completed through schools for operators, correspondence courses, or other special training programs may be credited toward the required operating experience to a maximum equivalency of three (3) months.

2. To receive full time operating experience credit, a minimum of 33% of the activities must be work experience duties.

(e) Biological/Natural System Operator

1. An applicant must have a high school education or equivalent, must have twelve (12) months of operating experience in a wastewater system classified as a biological/natural system, and must satisfactorily complete a written examination. Board sanctioned comprehensive training in chemistry, bacteriology, and the fundamentals of wastewater treatment satisfactorily completed through schools for operators, correspondence courses, or other special training programs may be credited toward the required operating experience to a maximum equivalency of three (3) months.

2. To receive full time operating experience credit, a minimum of 33% of the activities must be work experience duties.

(f) Grades I & II Wastewater Collection System Operator

1. An applicant must have a high school education or equivalent, must have twelve (12) months of operating experience at a wastewater collection system, and must satisfactorily complete a written examination. Board sanctioned comprehensive training including installation, operation, maintenance and repair of collection systems, satisfactorily completed through schools for operators, correspondence courses, or other special training programs may be credited toward the required operating experience to a maximum equivalency of three (3) months.

2. To receive full time operating experience credit, a minimum of 50% of the activities must be work experience duties.

(2) Reclassifications Resulting from Amendments to this Chapter

(a) The reclassification of a wastewater treatment plant or a wastewater collection system that immediately occurs as a result of amendments to this chapter shall not reduce the operator classification of a certified operator then employed at that plant or system to a lower operator classification.

(b) The reclassification of a wastewater treatment plant or a wastewater collection system that immediately occurs as a result of amendments to this chapter shall raise the operator classification of a certified operator then employed at that plant or system to a higher operator classification equivalent with the new classification of the plant or system. This subparagraph shall apply only to a certified operator whose operator classification, immediately prior to reclassification of the plant or system pursuant to amendments to this chapter, is at least equivalent with the classification of the plant or system at which he/she is employed.

(c) An applicant for examination who is employed at a wastewater treatment plant or a wastewater collection system that has been reclassified by the Department, and certified at the appropriate level, may have his/her experience at the facility applied at a rate equal to the level of the reclassified facility.

(d) An operator classification authorized under prior rules that is eliminated upon amendments to this chapter becoming effective shall be reclassified to the highest comparable operator classification authorized under these rules. (Industrial Biological Waste Treatment certificates become Grade IV Wastewater certificates).

(e) An operator's classification may be changed by the Board if the operator is employed at a wastewater plant or collection system that has been incorrectly classified by the Department for one (1) year or more. The operator must hold a valid certificate equal to the incorrect plant or system classification and the operator must have applied for and achieved the certificate based on the incorrect classification.

(3) Operating Experience Credit for Approved Study

(a) For part (1)(a)2. of this rule, the Board may approve each one (1) semester hour, or one and one half (11/2) quarter hour, of academic study satisfactorily completed at an accredited college or university in related science or engineering courses as equal to one month of the operating experience required as a qualification of a certified wastewater treatment plant operator.

(b) For parts (1)(a)2., (1)(b)1., (1)(c)1., (1)(d)1., (1)(e)1., and (1)(f)1. of this rule, each day of Board sanctioned comprehensive training, satisfactorily completed, through schools for operators, correspondence courses, or other special training programs may be equal to one month of the operating experience required as a qualification of a certified wastewater treatment plant operator.

(4) Work Experience

(a) The Board may approve the wastewater treatment operating experience required in parts (1)(a)1., (1)(a)2., (1)(a)3., (1)(b)1., (1)(c)1., (1)(d)1., and (1)(e)1. of this rule in two (2) or more of the following work experience duties:

Control of:

Solids pumping from clarifiers

Scum removal in clarifiers

Return and waste sludge rates

Aeration rates

Recirculation rates to trickling filter or rotating biological contactor (RBC) Operation of:

Disinfection system feed rates

Digesters and/or solids conditioning processes

Performance of:

Calculations and plant control

Interpretation of laboratory test results

Interpretation of process control data

Cleaning and maintenance of preliminary treatment

Adjustment of wastewater levels or flow through a lagoon system

(b) An operator applying for a Grade IV wastewater system certification may be granted partial credit by the Board for up to forty percent (40%) of any approved operating experience obtained in a water supply system.

(c) The Board may approve the collection system operating experience required in part (1)(f)1. of this rule in two or more of the following work experience duties:

Operation and/or maintenance of:

Pumps

Lift stations

Valves

Lines and equipment

Pipeline installation

Service connection installation

Leak detection

TV crew activities

Line repairs

Line cleaning

Manhole maintenance

Pretreatment

(5) Summary of Wastewater Treatment Plant and Collection System Operator Education and Experience

Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators

Classification	Experience				Maximum Training or College Classwork Substitution	Maximum Related Work Substitution
	Experience needed with:		HS Education	BS Degree
Grade IV	Gained at a Grade III or IV Wastewater Plant		*60 months	12 Months	36 Months	24 Months
*Regardless of the substitution allowances, a minimum of 1 year of actual work experience is required
Grade III	Gained at a Grade II or III Wastewater Plant		12 Months		3 Months
Grade II	Gained at a Grade I or II Wastewater Plant		12 Months		3 Months
Grade I	Gained at a Grade I Wastewater Plant		12 Months		3 Months
	Gained at Biological/Natural and		12 Months
	Grade I Wastewater Plant		6 Months
Grade BNS	Gained at a BNS Wastewater Plant		12 Months		3 Months

COLLECTION SYSTEM OPERATORS

Classification	Experience				Maximum Training or College Classwork Substitution	Maximum Related Work Substitution
	Experience needed with:			HS Education
Grade II	Gained at a Collection I or II System			12 Months	3 Months
Grade I	Gained at a Collection I or II System			12 Months	3 Months

Notes

Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-49-01-.09

Original rule filed May 21, 2014; effective August 19, 2014. Rule renumbered from 1200-05-03.

Authority: T.C.A. §§ 4-5-201, et seq. and 68-221-901, et seq.