Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 12, March 22, 2024
a) All
non-transient, non-community public water systems shall be directly supervised
and operated by personnel who:
1) are
currently the operator in responsible charge of the non-transient,
non-community public water system and whose identity has been submitted to the
Department by the non-transient, non-community public water supply system by
January 1, 2000; or
2) have been
certified by the Department; or
3)
have been certified as a public water supply operator by the Illinois
Environmental Protection Agency.
b) Operator Certification.
1) All operators must be certified by January
1, 2003. In order to be certified by the Department, an operator must provide
evidence of successful completion of a water operator's course that has been
approved by the Department. Successful completion shall mean passing a written
examination given at the end of the training. Evidence of completion shall be a
letter from the school or approved training organization conducting the course.
Upon receipt of this documentation, the Department will provide a certificate
to the operator.
2) All courses and
training organizations must be approved by the Department. The course must
consist of at least 12 hours of classroom instruction addressing disinfection
and measurement of disinfectant residual, treatment, sample collection, water
wells, Department regulations and small water system operation. The examination
administered at the conclusion of the training course will be based on job
performance.
3) Operator training
courses must be updated and approved annually by the Department to ensure that
all current regulations are covered in the training course.
4) Applicants for the training course must
provide to the training organization evidence of having a high school diploma
or the equivalent, or must be currently employed by a non-transient,
non-community public water system.
5) Certified operators shall be recertified
every three years. In order to be recertified, the operator shall attend a
recertification training session approved by the Department and provide proof
of attendance from the organization conducting the course. The recertification
training shall provide information on new USEPA drinking water regulations, new
technology, and water treatment topics that will aid the operator in the
operation of the supply.
6) All
non-transient, non-community public water systems shall provide the Department
with the name, address and phone numbers of the certified individual operating
the supply. The Department shall be notified in writing within 30 days after a
different person becomes responsible for operation of the supply. This
information shall be supplied on forms provided by the Department.
c) Financial, Managerial, and
Technical Requirements for Non-Transient, Non-Community Public Water Supply
Systems. All applications for a permit to construct a non-transient,
non-community public water system that will initiate operation after September
20, 1999 shall contain information relative to its financial, managerial and
technical capability to meet all primary drinking water requirements contained
in this Part. Applications shall be on forms provided by the Department and
shall include the following:
1) Details of
well construction and location, water consumption, pumping capacity, location
and type of any known potential source or route of contamination, and the types
of chemicals stored or used within a 1000 foot radius of the well or surface
supply intake. The system shall document the steps to be taken to protect the
water supply from contamination.
2)
Name, address and phone number of the owner of, and of the individual
responsible for the operation and sampling of, the water supply, and, after
January 1, 2002, documentation showing that the operator is certified by the
Department. If, at the time of application, a certified operator is not
available, the owner must provide the name, address, and phone number of the
individual who will be seeking certification.
3) A contingency plan. The contingency plan
shall indicate the name of the alternate water supply and describe the method
for transporting water. The alternate supply shall meet all drinking water
quality standards and treatment techniques contained in this Part. The plan
shall describe how water from an alternate water supply will be provided if any
of the following conditions occur:
A) water
service is interrupted due to broken pipes, pump failure or lack of water from
the well or surface supply;
B)
water quality fails to meet any drinking water maximum contaminant level or
treatment technique in this Part.
4) Information indicating that the facility
is aware of monitoring requirements and has financial capability to maintain
cost of monitoring and system maintenance.
5) The name and certification number of the
laboratory that will be used for required chemical analyses, along with an
estimate of the cost of performing these analyses.
d) Causes of Suspension or Revocation of
Operator Certification. The Department may suspend, revoke, or refuse to issue
a certification to a water supply operator for any one of the following:
1) The practice of fraud or deceit in
obtaining or attempting to obtain a certification;
2) Gross negligence, or incompetency, or
misconduct in the operation of a water supply;
3) Falsification or willful failure to
maintain or willful failure to submit records and reports required by this
Part;
4) Failure to comply with any
of the rules pertaining to the operation of a water supply contained in this
Part.
e) Suspension or
Revocation of Operator Certification or Denial of an Application for Operator
Certification. The Department shall, in any proceeding to suspend, revoke or
refuse to issue a certification, first serve on the certified operator or
applicant a written notice specifying the manner in which the operator or
applicant has failed to comply with this Part and the Act. Such person shall be
granted the right to a hearing before the Department and will receive a written
notice of opportunity for an administrative hearing. To be eligible for a
hearing, the certified operator or applicant shall submit a written request for
a hearing to the Department within 10 days after receipt of the written notice
of opportunity for an administrative hearing from the Department. Failure to
submit a written request for a hearing will constitute a waiver of the person's
right to an administrative hearing. All hearings shall be conducted in
accordance with the Department's "Rules of Practice and Procedure in
Administrative Hearings" (77 Ill. Adm. Code 100).