WAC 173-230-061   Levels of certificates and qualifications.  (1) There are five levels of certification offered by the department to individuals who meet minimum qualifications. Those minimum qualifications include required levels of education and experience.

     (2)

Qualification Requirements for Operator Certification
Certification level	Education required	Experience required	Substitutions allowed for education	Substitutions allowed for experience
Operator-in-Training	High school diploma or GED	3 months	One year of excess operating experience may be used for one year of high school or two years of grade school.	May use 3 college credits or CEUs in course work related to wastewater treatment plant operation for experience.
Group I	High school diploma or GED	1 year	One year of excess operating experience may be used for one year of high school or two years of grade school.	None.
Group II	High school diploma or GED	3 years	One year of excess operating experience may be used for one year of high school or two years of grade school.	May use relevant work experience or credits or CEUs for one year and six months of the operating experience.
Group III	High school diploma or GED and 2 years of college (90 credits or CEUs)	4 years with at least 2 years operating experience at a Class II plant	May use excess operating experience for college at a rate of one year of excess operating experience for half of the college (one year). Three years of excess operating experience may be used for the second year of college.	May use relevant work experience and/or excess credits for 2 years of the operating experience.
Group IV	High school diploma or GED and 4 years of college (180 credits or CEUs)	4 years with at least 2 years at a Class III plant	May use excess operating experience for college at a rate of one year of excess operating experience for one year of college for up to half of the college (two years). Three years of excess operating experience may be substituted for one year of college. This rate may be used for the remaining two years of college.	May use excess operating experience for credits. May use related work experience and/or excess credits for 2 years of the operating experience.

     (3) Relevant work experience may be substituted for up to one-half of the operating experience required to qualify for the Group II, III and IV levels. This includes:

     (a) Environmental or operations consultant;

     (b) Environmental or an engineering branch of federal, state, county, or local government;

     (c) Wastewater collection system operator;

     (d) Water distribution system operator and/or manager;

     (e) Wastewater pump station operator; or

     (f) Water treatment plant operator.

     Other related work experience may include building and equipment maintenance, boiler operation, machinist, laboratory technician, engineering, welding, or other related fields on a case-by-case basis with a written description of the duties performed on the job by the applicant.

     (4) College credits substituted for an operating experience requirement cannot also be applied to the education requirement.



[Statutory Authority: Chapter 70.95B RCW. 99-24-117 (Order 98-18), § 173-230-061, filed 12/1/99, effective 1/1/00. Statutory Authority: RCW 70.95B.040. 87-22-006 (Order 87-36), § 173-230-061, filed 10/23/87. Statutory Authority: Chapter 70.95B RCW. 82-09-056 (Order DE 82-07), § 173-230-061, filed 4/16/82.]