Julie Gillenwater, Division of Drinking and Groundwater, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
Karen Mancl, Professor Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University
A certified operator is a trained professional who has passed a State of Ohio examination. The certified operator is on the front lines protecting the public health. In a small community with a small staff, certified operators are special people. They need to be:
All public water systems, both community and nontransient, noncommunity, serving more than 250 people must have a certified operator. A nontransient, noncommunity public water supply serves places where people work, such as a school or a business. Even a water system that purchases water from another water system for more than 250 people must have at least a certified Class I distribution operator.
The water source, groundwater or surface water, will determine the level of certification required in an operator. Public water systems that draw groundwater for at least 250 people must be overseen by at least a certified Class I water operator. Systems that serve as few as 25 people that use surface water or treat groundwater with precipitative softening must have a certified operator. Higher classifications for distribution and water operations are required for more complex water systems.
Operator certifications are granted by the State of Ohio, therefore, they are not tied to an individual water system. Operators, once certified, can move from water system to water system. With this in mind, it is important for a community to compensate professional certified operators at a competitive level. All too often certified operators for small systems choose to accept positions at larger facilities with higher salaries and better benefits.
A person working in the maintenance department of a rural school system goes to the effort to work through the training and passes the exam to become a Class I operator. She is then put in responsible charge of the water systems for five schools in the district. After one year of oversight and operations of these five water systems serving 1,500 students, teachers, and staff, a job for a Class I operator opens up at a nearby city system. The job offers double the salary, improved insurance benefits, and two weeks vacation. The school district loses their certified operator and after notifying Ohio EPA they are put on a compliance schedule to find a properly certified replacement operator.
Because certified operators are professionals, they must keep up-to-date. Professional publications, meetings, conferences, and training sessions are all important in the development of a certified operator. The State of Ohio requires that certified operators obtain a minimum number of continuing education contact hours at professional training events to maintain their certification.
Typical Classification of Drinking Water Systems Serving 250-3,300 People
 |
Water Source | |
|---|---|---|
| Treatment Technology | Groundwater | Surface Water |
| Disinfection only | Class I | — |
| Iron removal | Class I or II | — |
| Ion exchange softening | Class I or II | — |
| Conventional surface water treatment | — | Class II or III |
| Precipitation softening | Class I or II | Class II or III |
Operator Qualifications and Training Requirements
|
Class I | Class II | Class III |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum education | High school graduate or GED | ||
| Recommended training | OTCO Water I | OTCO Water II | OTCO Water II |
| Experience varies w/formal education | 12 months | 12-36 month | 12-60 months |
| (for HS grad) | (12 months) | (36 months) | (60 months) |
| Testing | Difficulty increases w/level of certification | ||
| Continuing education—hours | 12 in 2 years | 24 in 2 years | 24 in 2 years |
| Renewal | $15 every two years | ||
| Testing fee | $45.00 | $55.00 | $65.00 |