Rules & Regulations of the State of Tennessee
Title 0400 - Environment and Conservation
Subtitle 0400-49 - Water Resources (Water and Waste Water Operator Certification)
Chapter 0400-49-01 - Rules Governing Water and Wastewater Operator Certification
Section 0400-49-01-.06 - CLASSIFICATION OF WATER TREATMENT PLANTS AND WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS

Universal Citation: TN Comp Rules and Regs 0400-49-01-.06

Current through September 24, 2024

(1) Water treatment plants shall be classified by the Board or its authorized representative into one of five groups, designated either as Small Water, Grade I, II, III, or IV. These classifications shall be made according to the number of population served, the type of treatment plant, and the complexity of treatment required for a particular water.

(2) The classification of a water treatment plant or a water distribution system may be changed by the Board or its authorized representative because of changes in the conditions or the circumstances upon which the original classification was based. Notice of such a classification change shall be given to the management officers of the plant or system.

(3) Types of Water Systems:

(a) Water Treatment. A water treatment plant using filtration, iron removal, and/or limesoda softening processes or requiring chemical or bacteriological control of operation will be classified in accordance with the following point totals:

Grade IV	61 or more points
Grade III	35 to 60 points
Grade II	16 to 34 points
Grade I	15 or less points

Point totals for plant classification shall be computed in accordance with the following rating value criteria:

	Rating Value Points
Design Flow - For every one million gallons per day design capacity, or fraction thereof, a plant will be awarded a rating value of:.............	1 pt.

Water Supply Source - Based upon the type and quality of the raw water source, a plant will be awarded rating values of:

Groundwater.......................	3 pts.
Ground water under the direct influence of surface water....	5 pts.
Surface water.......................	5 pts.
Average raw water quality...................	0-10 pts.*

Treatment Process - A plant employing any of the following treatment processes will be awarded rating values of:

Aeration ............................	4 pts
Presettling ........................	2 pts
Flash mix ..........................	2 pts
Coagulation........................	6 pts
Flocculation .........................	5 pts
Settling ..........................	5 pts
Upflow Solids Contact ......................	8 pts
Lime softening ........................	5 pts
Gravity Filtration
slow sand .......................	2 pts
rapid .......................	6 pts
Pressure Filtration ......................	3 pts
Recarbonation .......................	3 pts
Membrane Filtration ......................	20 pts
Activated alumina ......................	10 pts
Ion Exchange .......................	5 pts

Chemical Treatment - A plant utilizing any of the following chemicals or chemical treatment processes will be awarded rating values of:

Fluoridation .........................	3 pts.
Disinfection
Gaseous chlorine ...................	5 pts
Liquid or powdered chlorine .............	3 pts
Chlorine dioxide ..................	7 pts
Ozonization (on-site generation) .............	10 pts
On-site generation of Chlorine ............	5 pts
Mixed Oxidants ....................	7 pts
UV Light .......................	3 pts
Taste and Odor Control
Peroxide ......................	3 pts
Potassium Permanganate ...............	2 pts
Powdered activated carbon .............	4 pts
Activated carbon columns ..............	6 pts
Activated carbon slurry ...............	8 pts
Chemical Stabilization
(polyphosphate, Soda Ash, etc.) ...........	4 pts

Laboratory Control by Plant Personnel - Based upon the type and the difficulty of the laboratory work performed at a plant, a plant will be awarded rating values of:

Bacteriological ...................	.... 0-10 pts.*
Chemical .....................	... 0-10 pts.*
	Total Points **

* See Table 1

** If a rating value points total would not accurately reflect special conditions at a plant and a material distortion in its rating would occur, the Board will establish the classification of the plant after a review of its special conditions.

Table 1

*Average Raw Water Quality - Points are assigned to a plant as follows:

Raw water quality varies enough to require treatment process changes less than thirty-six (36) days each calendar year ..................	2 pts.
Raw water quality varies enough to require treatment process changes thirty-six (36) days or more each calendar year ................	5 pts.
Raw water quality varies enough to require treatment process changes due to existing industrial waste pollution sources ...............	10 pts.

*Laboratory Control by Plant Personnel (Bacteriological) - Points are assigned in accordance with the type of laboratory control performed at the plant:

Lab work done outside of plant ...................	0 pts
Enzyme Substrate Method .....................	4 pts
Membrane filter procedure .....................	5 pts
Fermentation tubes or any dilution method ..............	7 pts
Biological identification ........................	10 pts

*Laboratory Control by Plant Personnel (Chemical) - Points are assigned in accordance with the type of laboratory control performed at the plant:

Lab work done outside the plant .................	0 pts
Colorimetric methods for simple tests such as chlorine, pH .....	3 pts
Procedures such as titration, jar tests ...............	5 pts
More advanced determinations including inorganics ........	7 pts
Highly sophisticated instrumentation such as atomic absorption and gas chromatography ......................	10 pts

(b) Grade I Distribution. This classification is for a water distribution system that serves at least fifty (50) service connections but no more than five thousand (5,000) service connections. This classification serves as a certificate to operate a small water system.

(c) Grade II Distribution. This classification is for a water distribution system that serves more than five thousand (5,000) service connections. This classification serves as a certificate to operate a small water system.

(d) Small Water Systems. This classification includes:

1. All community and non-transient non-community water systems which have a ground water source not under the direct influence of surface water and serve less than fifty (50) service connections, provided the system does not use any treatment other than disinfection, and those systems which purchase water for resale and serve less than fifty (50) service connections; and

2. Transient non-community water systems which have a ground water source not under the direct influence of surface water and serve less than one-hundred (100) service connections, provided the system does not use any treatment other than disinfection and/or cartridge filtration.

This classification serves as a distribution system certification for those systems meeting the definition of a small water system.

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

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Tennessee may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.