Compilation of Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia
Department 750 - RULES OF STATE BOARD OF EXAMINERS FOR CERTIFICATION OF WATER AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT OPERATORS AND LABORATORY ANALYSTS
Chapter 750-2 - DEFINITIONS
Rule 750-2-.01 - Definitions

(a) "Act" means the certification of Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators and Laboratory Analysts Act, approved April 8, 1969, and as hereafter may be amended.

(b) "Board" or "Board of Examiners" means the State Board of Examiners for Certification of Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators and Laboratory Analysts.

(c) "Certificate" or "Certification" means a document issued by the Board stating that the operator or laboratory analyst has met the requirements for the specified classification of the certification program.

(d) "Course(s)" means educational curriculum as approved by the Board.

(e) "Division" means the Environmental Protection Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

(f) "Laboratory analyst" means any person who performs a laboratory test in conjunction with the operation of a public water system or wastewater treatment plant.

(g) "Laboratory test" means any test performed in conjunction with the operation of a public water supply or wastewater treatment plant that is required for regulatory reporting purposes excluding dissolved oxygen, pH, chlorine residual, turbidity, temperature and specific conductance. Tests performed in a commercial environmental laboratory approved under the Division's "Rules for Commercial Environmental Laboratories" are also excluded.

(h) "Operational/analytical topics" means topics of instruction that directly relate to the performance of the duties of a water operator, wastewater operator, distribution operator, collection system operator, or laboratory analyst.

(i) "Operator" means any person who performs operation duties, as defined by the Board, at wastewater treatment systems, wastewater collection systems, water distribution systems, public water systems, or water treatment systems.

(j) "Operator in responsible charge" means any operator who has direct general charge of the day-to-day field operation of a wastewater treatment system, wastewater collection system, water distribution system, or public water system, and who is responsible for the quality of the treated water or wastewater effluent.

(k) "Operation duties":

(l) "Points" means continuing education credits required by the Board for certificate renewal. The number of points awarded by the Board for a course or conference may or may not be the same as the number of contact hours in the course or conference.

(m) "Process Control decisions" means decisions which may affect the treatment and, therefore, quality of the treated water and/or wastewater effluent.

(n) "Public water supply system" means the system of pipes, structures, and facilities through which water is obtained and treated, to be offered to the public for household use or for any other public consumption.

(o) "Supervision" means accountability for the work of the person being supervised.

(p) "System" means all integral unit operations and processes, including conduits, appurtenances, machine, control elements and laboratory functions.

(q) "Trainee" means an individual engaged in a training period. A trainee is not required to hold a certificate and may not perform operation duties or perform laboratory test, unless under the direct supervision of a certified operator or a certified laboratory analyst.

(r) "Training period" means a period of time during which a trainee is learning operator or laboratory analyst duties under the direction of a certified operator or laboratory analyst.

(s) "Wastewater collection system" means the system of sanitary sewers, pipes, manholes, pumps, and other such apparatus used to convey sewage to wastewater treatment plants.

(t) "Wastewater treatment" means any biological, physical/chemical, or settling processes which remove pollutants from industrial or domestic wastewaters prior to discharge to a stream, sewer or land. It includes only those processes permitted by the Division or an approved local government under the Georgia Water Quality Control Act or its successor. It excludes those processes that consist solely of one or more of the following: screening, pH adjustment, sedimentation processes without mechanical solids removal, septic tanks, grease traps or oil-water separators, unless specifically required in a permit.

(u) "Wastewater treatment plant" means the facilities provided for the treatment and disposal of wastewater, including industrial process wastewater, as classified by the Division.

(v) "Wastewater treatment system" means the combination of a wastewater collection system and a wastewater treatment plant.

(w) "Water distribution system" means the system of pipes, pumps, valves, and other such apparatus used to distribute water to the public.

(x) "Water treatment plant" means the portion of the water supply system which in some way alters the physical, chemical, or bacteriological quality of the water as classified by the Division and as defined in the Act.

(y) "Water treatment system" means a public water supply system as classified by the Division and as defined in the Act.

(z) "Webinar" means a live online educational presentation that is instructor led with student interaction, where student participation is monitored and verified.