Renewal Training For Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Certification
Certification Renewal Training Approval
A. General
Operators are required to complete a minimum number of training contact hours every five (5) years to renew their certificates. For operators that have expired, only the most recent five (5) years of training will be considered for renewal. The intent of this training requirement is to ensure that wastewater personnel maintain the necessary skills and knowledge to properly operate the facility. It's also important to keep abreast with new operational practices and changing treatment technology.
B. Types of Renewal Training
The required contact hours must be relevant to the operation, maintenance, or management of a wastewater plant. All training used for renewal must be approved by NYSDEC. We suggest that the organization or trainer providing the renewal training should receive approval prior to conducting the course or seminar. See below for a listing of some examples of the types of renewal training. For specific information on available renewal training contact:
NYSDEC
Bureau of Water Permits
625 Broadway,
Albany, NY 12233-3505
Phone: (518) 402-8111
Fax: (518) 402-8082
Email: [email protected]
Training provided by professional associations, equipment representatives/vendors, consulting firms/engineers, or an in-plant training coordinator/officer may be acceptable for renewal contact hours. The sponsoring organization must apply (see instructions below) using form Request for Approval of Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Renewal Training.
C. Application for Approval of Training
Those organizations requesting approval prior to conducting the training should submit the completed application with attachments as soon as possible but at least one month in advance of the starting date. The form should be completed by the training organization contact person or the instructor. The following list discusses some of the questions asked on the form:
- Discuss the relevancy of this training to wastewater treatment. How does it relate to the wastewater field? Please note that if this question is left blank. we may be unable to evaluate and approve the course.
- How is attendance monitored and verified? Attendance records must be maintained each day and should be used to calculate the total contact hours that are awarded to each student. Contact hours cannot be awarded for breaks or lunch. Full contact hours cannot be awarded for operators who were not present for the full training.
- How is satisfactory program completion determined? An evaluation method to determine trainee competency should be used. Common methods include skill demonstrations, quizzes, and tests.
- (Very Important). The instructor must submit:
a) Course Agenda with specific times for each presentation or session, or;
b) A Course Timeline (see back of application) - use extra sheets if more than two days and be sure to note break times.
Failure to provide a complete application with all requested information will result in a delay in the review of the application.
Special Note to In-Plant Trainers - Those plants requesting approval to conduct in-house training must have a designated training coordinator/officer who has completed a basic instructional technology program. To obtain information on approved instructional training programs contact NYSDEC, Bureau of Water Permits, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-3505. Attention: Samantha McCart. (518) 402-8111.
Credit for Training Delivered - Applicants may satisfy up to 50% of their required renewal training credits by delivering DEC-approved renewal trainings as an instructor. For example, a Grade 4A operator may be able to use up to 40 hours of the required 80 hours for training that they delivered. Credit is given for actual classroom delivery time. No credit is given for preparation time or breaks. No additional renewal training credit will be awarded for repeat delivery of the same training session. In other words, each DEC-approved course taught can only be counted once.
D. Course Completion Responsibilities
The course instructor or training organization contact person is responsible for providing the completed "Participant Roster" form to DEC. The organization or instructor is also required to issue a certificate or letter of completion to each student which has the following information:
- Students Name
- Training Course Title
- Dates of Training
- Location of Training
- Sponsoring Organization
- Name of Course Instructor
- Number of Contact Hours Assigned by NYSDEC
- Course Approval Number Assigned by NYSDEC
Please note that this information if audited annually. Training organizations who fail to meet these requirements may lose their approval from DEC to deliver wastewater operator renewal training.
Examples of Renewal Training
- Operations
- Maintenance
- Accounting
- Management
- Public Relations
- Laboratory Skills
- Mathematics
- Safety/First Aid
- Biology
- Collection Systems
- Chemistry
- Process Control
Units of Measurement for Courses
1 Continuing Education Unit (CEU) = 10 Contact Hours
1 College Credit Hour = 14 Contact Hours
Pre-Approved Renewal Training Courses
Click here for a list of pre-approved renewal training courses.
All of the courses that appear on this list do not require a Renewal Training Course number.