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-.07 - CLASSIFICATIONS AND QUALIFICATIONS OF WATER TREATMENT PLANT OPERATORS AND WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM OPERATORS

Universal Citation: TN Comp Rules and Regs 0400-49-01-.07

Current through September 24, 2024

(1)

(a) Grade IV Water 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 part 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 Water 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 Water 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 water 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 Water 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 III water treatment plant or twelve (12) months at a Grade II and six months at a Grade III, and must satisfactorily complete a written examination. Board sanctioned comprehensive training in chemistry, bacteriology, and the fundamentals of water 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.

1. An applicant must have a high school education or equivalent, must have twelve (12) months of operating experience at a Grade I or a Grade II Water Treatment plant, and must satisfactorily complete a written examination. Board sanctioned comprehensive training in chemistry, bacteriology, and the fundamentals of water 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 Water 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 water treatment plant or a small water system, and must satisfactorily complete a written examination. Board sanctioned comprehensive training in chemistry, bacteriology, and the fundamentals of water 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) Small Water System Operator - An applicant must have a high school education or equivalent, and must have three (3) months of experience in a water system classified as a "small water system" and must satisfactorily complete a written examination.

(f) Grades I & II Water Distribution System Operator

1. An applicant must have a high school education or equivalent, must have twelve (12) months of operating experience at a water distribution system, and must satisfactorily complete a written examination. Board sanctioned comprehensive training including installation, operation, maintenance and repair of distribution 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 of this Chapter

(a) The reclassification of a water treatment plant or a water distribution 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 water treatment plant or a water distribution 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 water treatment plant or a water distribution 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.

(e) An operator's classification may be changed by the Board if the operator is employed at a water plant or distribution system that has been incorrectly classified by the Department for one year or more. The operator must hold a valid certificate equal to the incorrect plant or system classification and 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 for each one (1) semester hour, or one and one half (11/2) quarter hours, 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 water treatment plant operator.

(b) For parts (1)(a)2., (1)(b)1., (1)(c)1., (1)(d)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 water treatment plant operator.

(4) Work Experience

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

Operation and/or maintenance of:

Pretreatment systems

Coagulant feed systems

Filtration systems

Fluoride feed systems

Stabilization feed systems

Hypochlorination systems

Gas chlorination systems

Pumps and/or motors

Laboratory Control Tests

Interpretation and plant adjustments

(b) An operator applying for a Grade IV water treatment system certification may be granted partial credit by the Board for up to sixty percent (60%) of any approved operating experience obtained in a wastewater system.

(c) The Board may approve the distribution 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

Booster stations

Fire hydrants

Valves

Storage tanks

Distribution system flushing

Pipeline installation

Tap installation

Leak detection

Leak repairs

Cross connection control

(5) Summary of Water Treatment Plant and Distribution System Operator Education and Experience Requirements

Water 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 Water Plant	*60 months	12 Months	36 Months	36 Months
*Regardless of the substitution allowances, a minimum of 1 year of actual work experience is required
Grade III	Gained at a Grade III Water Plant	12 Months		3 Months
	Gained at a Grade II and Gained at a Grade III	12 Months 6 Months		3 Months

Grade II	Gained at a Grade I or II Water Plant	12 Months		3 Months

Grade I	Gained at a Grade I Water Plant or SWS	12 Months		3 Months

Grade SWS	Gained at a Small Water System (SWS)	3 Months

Distribution System Operators

Classification	Experience		Maximum Training or College Classwork Substitution	Maximum Related Work Substitution
	Experience needed with:	HS Education

Grade II	Gained at a Distribution I or II System	12 Months	3 Months

Grade I	Gained at a Distribution I or II System	12 Months	3 Months

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.