Operator Certification Program

The Drinking Water Section (DWS) certifies public drinking water utility personnel for the operation of treatment plants and distribution systems. The goal of this program is to ensure that qualified personnel are operating public water supply systems. Certified employees minimize public health concerns, maximize the performance of the plant and system, assure safety of operators, improve compliance with regulations, optimize operational costs and protect the utility's infrastructure. Certification applicants must meet a combination of education, experience and examination requirements to become certified. These requirements are specified in Departmental regulations, which include provisions for renewal, reciprocity and enforcement.

Certification is based on meeting the minimum competency levels in these regulations and does not include an evaluation of any other factor such as a person's background, history, work performance, health, etc..

• Certification of Public Water System Operators

• Certified operator contacts, operator responsibilities and resources

• Certificate renewal and training information

• Examination dates, reference materials and applications

For general information on certification, national certification issues and links to other state certification programs, visit the Association of Boards of Certification web site.

It is the DWS's position to encourage the Public Water Systems (PWS) to have background checks performed on its operators.

• Background check of certified operators and operator applicants