Iowa Administrative Code › Agency 567 - Environmental Protection Commission › Title VI - Certification of Operators › Chapter 81 - Operator Certification: Public Water Supply Systems and Wastewater Treatment Systems › Rule 567-81.14 - Continuing Education

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 3, July 24, 2024
(1)
CEU requirements.
Continuing education must be earned during
				two-year periods between April 1 and March 31 of odd-numbered years. A Grade
				III or IV certified operator must earn two units or 20 contact hours per
				certificate during each two-year period. All other certified operators must
				earn one unit or 10 contact hours per certificate during each two-year period.
				Newly certified operators (previously uncertified) who become certified after
				April 1 of a two-year period will not be required to earn CEUs until the next
				two-year period. If an operator upgrades a certificate after April 1 of a
				two-year period and that upgrade increases the CEU requirement, the operator
				will not be required to meet the higher CEU requirement until the next two-year
				period but must fulfill the lower CEU requirement for that period. For those
				certified operators holding both a water treatment and a water distribution
				certification, no less than 25 percent of the required CEUs may be earned in
				any one area.
(2)
Certificate renewal.
Only those operators fulfilling the
				continuing education requirements before the end of each two-year period (March
				31) will be allowed to renew their certificate(s). The certificate(s) of
				operators not fulfilling the continuing education requirements shall expire on
				June 30 of each odd-numbered year.
(3)
CEU approval.
All
				activities for which continuing education credit will be granted must be
				approved by an accredited college, university, technical institute, or issuing
				agency, or by the department, and must be directly related to the subject
				matter of the particular certificate to which the credit is being applied. Any
				entity holding courses in Iowa for which continuing education credit is offered
				for water treatment, water distribution, or wastewater operator certification
				must provide at no cost to the department the opportunity for one staff member
				to audit the training and receive all training materials.
(4)
CEU extensions.
The
				director may, in individual cases involving hardship or extenuating
				circumstances, grant an extension of up to three months within which the
				certified operator may fulfill the minimum continuing education requirements.
				Hardship or extenuating circumstances include documented health-related
				confinement or other circumstances beyond the control of the certified operator
				which prevent attendance at the required activities. All requests for
				extensions must be made prior to March 31 of each biennium.
(5)
CEU reporting.
It is the
				certified operator's personal responsibility to maintain a written record and
				to notify the department of the continuing education credit earned during the
				period. The continuing education credits earned during the period shall be
				listed on the application for renewal.