California Code of Regulations › Title 23 - Waters › Division 3 - State Water Resources Control Board and Regional Water Quality Control Boards › Chapter 26 - Wastewater Treatment Plant Classification, Operator Certification, and Contract Operator Registration › Article 1 - General Provisions › Section 3671 - Definitions

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 28, July 12, 2024
The following definitions shall apply to this
					 chapter:
"Activated sludge treatment" means a wastewater treatment
					 process in which predominantly biodegradable pollutants in wastewater are
					 adsorbed and/or absorbed by a suspended mass of living aerobic organisms called
					 "activated sludge." The suspended mass is subsequently separated from the
					 treated wastewater by sedimentation either for further use in the process or
					 for disposal.
"Appellant" means a person who appeals a discretionary
					 decision made by the Office of Operator Certification regarding:
1) denial of an application for an operator,
				  provisional operator, or operator-in-training certificate or the renewal or
				  reinstatement of an operator or operator-in-training certificate;
2) denial of an application for a contract
				  operator registration or a contract operator credential or the renewal of a
				  contract operator registration or a contract operator credential;
3) denial of an application for an exemption
				  or the renewal of an exemption, or the revocation of an exemption for a Class I
				  wastewater treatment plant;
4)
				  denial of a request for approval to use a lone operator or a provisional
				  operator; or
5) the results of an
				  examination.
"Applicant" means:
1) a person who files an application for an
				  examination;
2) a person who files
				  an application for an operator, provisional operator, or operator-in-training
				  certificate or the renewal or reinstatement of an operator or
				  operator-in-training certificate;
3) a person who files an application for a
				  contract operator registration or a contract operator credential or the renewal
				  of a contract operator registration or a contract operator
				  credential;
4) an owner who files
				  an application for an exemption or the renewal of an exemption for a Class I
				  wastewater treatment plant;
5) a
				  chief plant operator who requests approval to use a lone operator; or
6) an owner who requests approval to use a
				  provisional operator.
"Associate's degree" means a degree issued by a college or
					 university accredited to award associate's degrees by the Western Association
					 of Schools and Colleges or another accrediting organization recognized by the
					 California Postsecondary Education Commission or the United States Department
					 of Education, for the completion of a program of study equivalent to the first
					 two years of a baccalaureate degree.
"Bachelor's degree" means a baccalaureate degree issued by
					 a college or university accredited to award bachelor's degrees by the Western
					 Association of Schools and Colleges or another accrediting organization
					 recognized by the California Postsecondary Education Commission or the United
					 States Department of Education.
"Biological filtration treatment" (biofiltration) means a
					 wastewater treatment process in which predominantly biodegradable pollutants in
					 wastewater are adsorbed and/or absorbed by masses of living aerobic organisms
					 attached to stationary support media as the wastewater trickles over the media.
					 Settleable material that may have sloughed from the media surfaces is
					 subsequently separated from the treated wastewater by a sedimentation process
					 for disposal.
"Certifying body" means a state other than California, a
					 territory, or an Indian tribe or unit thereof, that certifies or registers any
					 person performing duties at a facility that treats wastewater in a state other
					 than California, in a territory, or on land under the jurisdiction of an Indian
					 tribe, provided the duties are comparable to the duties of an operator or
					 contract operator at a wastewater treatment plant. "Certifying body" includes
					 entities designated by an Indian tribe to administer the tribe's certification
					 and/or contract registration program.
"Chief plant operator" means any of the following:
(1) the operator responsible for the overall
				  operation of a wastewater treatment plant including compliance with effluent
				  limitations established in the wastewater treatment plant's waste discharge
				  requirements and ensuring that operators-in-training are supervised directly as
				  required by section
				  3682; or
(2) the provisional operator who is solely
				  responsible for the operation of a Class I wastewater treatment plant whose
				  owner has received approval to use a provisional operator in accordance with
				  section 3680.2.
"Contract operator" means a person who enters into a
					 contract with an owner to operate one or more wastewater treatment
					 plants.
"Conventional treatment pond" means a pond in which
					 biological oxidation of organic matter occurs through the natural transfer of
					 oxygen in the wastewater. A pond that uses surface aerators solely to control
					 odors shall be considered a conventional treatment pond unless the effluent
					 receives disinfection before it is discharged.
"Design flow" means that amount of flow for which the
					 wastewater treatment plant was designed.
"Designated operator-in-charge" means an operator appointed
					 by the chief plant operator pursuant to section
					 3680(b) to be
					 responsible for the overall operation of a wastewater treatment plant,
					 including compliance with the applicable waste discharge requirements, when the
					 chief plant operator is unable to carry out the responsibilities of the
					 position of "chief plant operator" as defined in this section. The designated
					 operator-in-charge shall report to the chief plant operator.
"Direct supervision" means the supervising operator shall
					 oversee and inspect the work performed by an operator-in-training and provide
					 training to ensure the safe and proper execution of the operator-in-training's
					 duties. Direct supervision shall be carried out by an operator at the same or
					 higher grade level as the operator-in-training. The supervising operator shall
					 be present at the wastewater treatment plant or otherwise available to consult
					 with, and provide assistance to, the operator-in-training in order to ensure
					 the safe and proper execution of the operator-in-training's duties.
"Disinfection" means a wastewater or water treatment
					 process that uses physical or chemical processes to treat the effluent to
					 inactivate or destroy pathogens remaining in wastewater after primary,
					 secondary, or tertiary treatment. "Disinfection" includes the removal of
					 chlorine if it is required by the wastewater treatment plant's waste discharge
					 requirements.
"Division" means the unit of the State Water Board in which
					 the Office of Operator Certification is located.
"Extended aeration treatment" means a modification of the
					 activated sludge treatment process which utilizes long aeration periods to
					 promote aerobic digestion of the biomass.
"Full time" for purposes of qualifying experience means any
					 of the following:
(1) an average of 40
				  hours worked per week by an operator or operator-in-training at a wastewater
				  treatment plant while performing job duties that meet the definition of
				  qualifying experience. Any used paid vacation or sick leave earned as a result
				  of hours spent performing job duties that meet the definition of qualifying
				  experience may be counted toward full-time employment. In no case, however, may
				  an operator or operator-in-training be considered to be working full time if he
				  or she spends less than 1,800 hours per year performing duties defined as
				  qualifying experience;
(2) less
				  than an average of 40 hours worked per week by an operator or provisional
				  operator at a wastewater treatment plant if the operator or provisional
				  operator is solely responsible for the operation of a wastewater treatment
				  plant; or
(3) less than an average
				  of 40 hours worked per week by an operator-in-training at a wastewater
				  treatment plant if the operator-in-training works as the only
				  operator-in-training under the direct supervision of an operator who is solely
				  responsible for the operation of the wastewater treatment plant and who is
				  working less than an average of 40 hours per week.
"Indian tribe" means an Indian entity recognized by, and
					 eligible to receive services from, the United States, and included in the list
					 of the entities periodically published by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the
					 Federal Register.
"Lone operator" means an operator, at a grade level lower
					 than the designated-operator-in-charge, approved by the Office of Operator
					 Certification pursuant to section
					 3681 to work alone at a wastewater
					 treatment plant. An operator-in-training shall not be a "lone operator."
"Management course" means a course that teaches supervision
					 and management skills including oral communication, technical writing, public
					 administration, business management, and finance. Operators may earn
					 educational points for completion of management courses pursuant to section
					 3685(b).
"Modified treatment pond" means a pond in which either the
					 biological oxidation of organic matter is enhanced by the addition of aeration
					 or the effluent receives disinfection before discharge.
"Office of Enforcement" means the unit of the State Water
					 Board responsible for enforcement of the Wastewater Treatment Plant
					 Classification, Operator Certification, and Contract Operator Registration
					 Program pursuant to article 9 and article 12.
"Office of Operator Certification" means the unit of the
					 State Water Board that administers the Wastewater Treatment Plant
					 Classification, Operator Certification, and Contract Operator Registration
					 Program.
"Operates" means actions or decisions to control the
					 performance or outcome of one or more wastewater treatment processes. The term
					 also includes the supervision of other operators acting or making decisions to
					 control the performance or outcome of one or more wastewater treatment
					 processes.
"Operator" means a person who operates a wastewater
					 treatment plant and who possesses a valid, unexpired operator certificate. The
					 term "operator" includes a person who possesses a valid, unexpired operator
					 certificate, but who is not currently employed in a position for which an
					 operator certificate is required.
"Operator-in-training" means a person who has been issued
					 an operator-in-training certificate by the State Water Board and who is
					 acquiring qualifying experience at a wastewater treatment plant under the
					 direct supervision of an operator at the same or a higher grade level as the
					 operator-in-training.
"Owner" means a person who owns a wastewater treatment
					 plant.
"Person" means an individual, entity, firm, association,
					 organization, partnership, business trust, corporation, limited liability
					 company, company, city, county, district, the state, and the United States, to
					 the extent authorized by federal law.
"Petitioner" means a person who petitions the State Water
					 Board seeking review of a Final Division Decision issued by the Deputy Director
					 of the Division or a Final Office of Enforcement Decision issued by the
					 Director of the Office of Enforcement.
"Preliminary treatment" means a wastewater treatment
					 process to remove or reduce the size of solids that could damage equipment or
					 reduce effectiveness of other treatment processes.
"Primary treatment" means a wastewater treatment process
					 that allows substances in wastewater that readily settle or float to be
					 separated from the water being treated.
"Provisional operator" means a person who is solely
					 responsible for the operation of a Class I wastewater treatment plant that has
					 received written approval from the Office of Operator Certification to use a
					 provisional operator in accordance with section
					 3680.2 and who possesses a valid,
					 unexpired provisional operator certificate.
"Qualifying experience" means experience acquired by an
					 operator, provisional operator, or operator-in-training while operating a
					 wastewater treatment plant as defined in this section. "Qualifying experience"
					 includes experience acquired by a water treatment plant operator while
					 operating a water recycling treatment plant in accordance with section
					 3670.1. The term may include the
					 performance of minor maintenance related to the servicing, adjustment, or
					 regulation of equipment necessary to maintain reliable operation of wastewater
					 treatment processes.
"Qualifying experience credit" means credit awarded in lieu
					 of qualifying experience pursuant to section
					 3684. "Qualifying experience"
					 includes experience acquired by a water treatment plant operator while
					 operating a water recycling treatment plant in accordance with section
					 3670.1. Qualifying experience
					 credit is equivalent to qualifying experience and may be used to meet the
					 experience requirements for operator certification pursuant to section
					 3687.
"Regional Water Board" means a California Regional Water
					 Quality Control Board.
"Requestor" means a person who requests that the Director
					 of the Office of Enforcement reconsider a proposed disciplinary action
					 letter.
"Satellite plant" means a wastewater treatment plant that
					 is physically separated from the main wastewater treatment plant, but that has
					 the potential to affect the operation of, or effluent quality from, the main
					 wastewater treatment plant. To qualify as a satellite plant, both the main
					 wastewater treatment plant and the satellite plant shall be owned by the same
					 person and shall be classified as one wastewater treatment plant. The owner's
					 employee organization chart, job descriptions, and duty rosters for wastewater
					 treatment plant personnel shall include a chief plant operator who is
					 responsible for the overall operation of both the main wastewater treatment
					 plant and the satellite plant.
"Science course" means a course in mathematics, physics,
					 engineering, chemistry, or biology. Operators may earn educational points for
					 completion of science courses pursuant to section
					 3685(a).
"Secondary treatment" means a wastewater treatment process
					 that goes beyond primary treatment to remove colloidal and dissolved organic
					 matter and further remove suspended matter, usually by biological processes
					 such as activated sludge and biological filtration treatment.
"Sequencing batch reactor" means a wastewater treatment
					 system that uses a variation of the activated sludge process in which aeration
					 and sedimentation or clarification occur in a single tank in sequential stages.
					 A programmable logic controller is used to monitor the time associated with the
					 process stages to achieve specific treatment objectives.
"Solids treatment" means a wastewater treatment process
					 used to stabilize solids that have been removed from wastewater by using
					 biological, chemical, or thermal treatment methods. "Solids treatment" includes
					 using physical processes at a wastewater treatment plant to further reduce the
					 volume of stabilized solids.
"State Water Board" means the State Water Resources Control
					 Board.
"Tertiary treatment" means a wastewater treatment process
					 that goes beyond secondary treatment, which may include filtration,
					 coagulation, and nutrient removal.
"Waste discharge requirements" means waste discharge
					 requirements issued pursuant to article 4, chapter 4, division 7 of the Water
					 Code or chapter 5.5 of division 7 of the Water Code.
"Water quality objectives" means the limits or levels of
					 water quality constituents or characteristics established for the reasonable
					 protection of beneficial uses of water or the prevention of nuisance within a
					 specific area.
"Wastewater treatment course" means a course that teaches
					 operators the skills to operate a wastewater treatment plant including water
					 quality control, wastewater treatment, wastewater engineering, wastewater
					 chemistry, and sanitation microbiology. Operators may earn educational points
					 for completion of wastewater treatment courses pursuant to section
					 3685(a).
"Wastewater treatment plant" means any of the
					 following:
(1) A facility owned by a
				  state, local, or federal agency and used in the treatment or reclamation of
				  sewage or industrial wastes;
(2) A
				  privately owned facility used in the treatment or reclamation of sewage or
				  industrial wastes, and regulated by the Public Utilities Commission pursuant to
				  sections 216 and
				  230.6 of, and chapter 4
				  (commencing with section
				  701) of part 1 of division 1, of
				  the Public Utilities Code; or
(3) A
				  privately owned facility used primarily in the treatment or reclamation of
				  sewage, and for which the State Water Board or a Regional Water Board has
				  issued waste discharge requirements.
"Wastewater treatment plant" includes water recycling
					 treatment plants. The term, "wastewater treatment plant" does not include
					 onsite sewage treatment systems as defined in section
					 13290 of the
					 Water Code.
"Wastewater treatment process" means a process that
					 improves the quality of wastewater before it is discharged from a wastewater
					 treatment plant, and includes the use of preliminary, primary, pond, secondary,
					 or tertiary treatment for liquid-solids separation of wastewater; the use of
					 disinfection to inactivate or destroy pathogens in wastewater; and the use of
					 solids treatment for solids stabilization and volume reduction before removal
					 from the wastewater treatment plant site.
"Water recycling treatment plant" (water reclamation plant)
					 means a wastewater treatment plant that receives and further treats secondary
					 and/or tertiary effluent from another wastewater treatment plant for the
					 purpose of meeting the uniform statewide recycling criteria established
					 pursuant to section
					 13521 of chapter 7 of division 7
					 of the Water Code for the use of recycled water.
"Water treatment plant" means a facility that uses
					 sedimentation, coagulation, filtration, disinfection, conditioning, softening,
					 fluoridation, removal of tastes and odors, corrosion control, algae control,
					 and/or aeration to reduce or remove contaminants that are present in water for
					 the purpose of making water suitable for drinking.
1. Amendment
					 of subsections (i) and (m) filed 5-28-86; effective thirtieth day thereafter
					 (Register 86, No. 26).
2. Amendment filed 6-24-92; operative 6-24-92
					 (Register 92, No. 26).
3. New subsections (i) and (j) and subsection
					 redesignation filed 7-28-94; operative 8-29-94 (Register 94, No.
					 30).
4. Amendment of subsections (a), (b), (f), (g), (m), (x), and
					 (y)(2) and new subsection (z) filed 3-27-98; operative 4-26-98 (Register 98,
					 No. 13).
5. Change without regulatory effect amending subsection
					 (c), adopting new subsection (n) and relettering subsections filed 2-20-2007
					 pursuant to section
					 100, title 1, California Code of
					 Regulations (Register 2007, No. 8).
6. Amendment filed 1-28-2013;
					 operative 4-1-2013 (Register 2013, No. 5).
Note: Authority cited: Section
						1058, Water
						Code. Reference: Chapter 9 (commencing with Section
						13625), Division 7, Water
						Code.