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 567-81.1 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 3, July 24, 2024
In addition to the definitions in Iowa Code section
				  455B.211, the
				  following definitions shall apply to this chapter.
"Activated sludge system"
means a biological
				  wastewater treatment process in which a mixture of wastewater and sludge floc,
				  produced in a raw or settled wastewater by the growth of microorganisms, is
				  agitated and aerated in the presence of a sufficient concentration of dissolved
				  oxygen, followed by sedimentation. Examples include, but are not limited to,
				  conventional activated sludge systems, extended aeration activated sludge
				  systems, oxidation ditches, and sequencing batch reactors.
"Advanced aerated lagoon system"
means an
				  aerated lagoon system that has been augmented by adding other treatment
				  processes. Examples include, but are not limited to, covered lagoon systems
				  with enhanced aeration and mixing, the addition of fixed film processes to the
				  lagoon process, or the utilization of algal-based treatment processes.
"Aerated lagoon system"
means a lagoon
				  system which utilizes aeration to enhance oxygen transfer and mixing in the
				  cell.
"Aeration"
means the process of initiating
				  contact between air and water. Examples include, but are not limited to,
				  spraying the water in the air, bubbling air through the water, or forcing the
				  air into the water by pressure.
"Average daily pumpage"
means the total
				  quantity of water pumped during the most recent one-year period of record
				  divided by 365 days.
"Chlorination"
means the addition of a
				  chlorine compound or chlorine gas to water to inactivate pathogenic
				  organisms.
"Classification"
means the type of plant or
				  distribution system: wastewater treatment plants, water treatment plants, or
				  water distribution systems.
"Coagulation"
means a process using
				  coagulation chemicals and mixing by which colloidal and suspended materials are
				  destabilized and agglomerated into flocs.
"Community water system (CWS)"
means a
				  public water supply system which has at least 15 service connections used by
				  year-round residents or regularly serves at least 25 year-round
				  residents.
"Continuing education unit (CEU)"
means ten
				  contact hours of participation in an organized education experience 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.
"Directly related post-high school
				  education"
means post-high school education in chemistry,
				  microbiology, biology, math, engineering, water, wastewater, or other
				  curriculum pertaining to plant and distribution system operation.
"Director"
means the director of the
				  department of natural resources or a designee.
"Direct responsible charge (DRC)"
means,
				  where shift operation is not required, accountability for and performance of
				  active, daily on-site operation of the plant or distribution system, or of a
				  major segment of the plant or distribution system. Where shift operation is
				  required, "direct responsible charge" means accountability for and performance
				  of active, daily on-site operation of an operating shift, or a major segment of
				  the plant or distribution system. A city manager, superintendent of public
				  works, city clerk, council member, business manager, or other administrative
				  official shall not be deemed to have direct responsible charge of a plant or
				  distribution system unless this person's duties include the active, daily
				  on-site operation of the plant or distribution system. On-site operation may
				  not necessarily mean full-time attendance at the plant or distribution
				  system.
"Direct surface water filtration"
means a
				  water treatment system that applies surface water and groundwater under the
				  influence (influenced groundwater as defined in rule
				  567-40.2 (455B)) directly to the
				  filters after chemical treatment consisting of coagulation and flocculation or
				  chemical treatment consisting of coagulation. This type of system eliminates
				  the sedimentation unit process.
"Disinfection"
means a process which
				  inactivates pathogenic organisms in water by chemical oxidants or equivalent
				  agents.
"Electrodialysis"
means the demineralization
				  of water by the removal of ions through special membranes under the influence
				  of a direct-current electric field.
"Fixed film biological treatment"
means a
				  treatment process in which wastewater is passed over a media onto which are
				  attached biological organisms capable of oxidizing the organic matter, normally
				  followed by sedimentation. Examples include, but are not limited to, trickling
				  filters, rotating biological contactors, packed towers and activated
				  filters.
"Fluoridation"
means the addition of
				  fluoride to produce the optimum fluoride concentration in water.
"Grade"
means one of seven certification
				  levels, designated as A, W, I, IL, II, III, or IV.
"Ion exchange"
means the process of using
				  ion exchange materials such as resin or zeolites to remove undesirable ions
				  from water and substituting acceptable ions, for example, ion exchange for
				  nitrate removal or ion exchange for softening.
"Issuing agency"
means a professional,
				  technical/educational organization authorized by the department to provide
				  continuing education for certification renewal or upgrade in accordance with
				  the commitments and guidelines detailed in the written issuing agency agreement
				  and procedures.
"Military service"
means honorably serving
				  on federal active duty, state active duty, or national guard duty, as defined
				  in Iowa Code section
				  29A.1; in the
				  military services of other states, as provided in
				  10
				  U.S.C. Section 101(c); or in
				  the organized reserves of the United States, as provided in
				  10 U.S.C. Section
				  10101.
"Military service applicant"
means an
				  individual requesting credit toward certification for military education,
				  training, or service obtained or completed in military service.
"Nontransient noncommunity water system
				  (NTNC)"
means a public water system other than a community water
				  system which regularly serves at least 25 of the same persons four hours or
				  more per day for four or more days per week for 26 or more weeks per
				  year.
"Operating shift"
means a specified period
				  of time when an operator is present to conduct testing or evaluation to control
				  operations of the plant or distribution system, to make process control
				  changes, and to be responsible for the repair or maintenance of a plant or
				  distribution system. An operating shift may include on-call shifts.
"Operator-in-charge"
means a person or
				  persons on site in direct responsible charge for a plant or distribution
				  system. A city manager, superintendent of public works, city clerk, council
				  member, business manager, or other administrative official shall not be deemed
				  to be the operator-in-charge of a plant or distribution system unless this
				  person's duties include the active, daily on-site operation of the plant or
				  distribution system. On-site operation may not necessarily mean full-time
				  attendance at the plant or distribution system.
"Plant"
means those facilities which are
				  identified as either a water treatment plant, defined as that portion of the
				  water supply system which in some way alters the physical, chemical, or
				  bacteriological quality of the water, or a wastewater treatment plant, defined
				  as the facility or group of units used for the treatment of wastewater from
				  public sewer systems and for the reduction and handling of solids removed from
				  such wastes.
"Population equivalent"
for a wastewater
				  treatment plant means the calculated number of people who would contribute the
				  same biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) per day as the system in question,
				  assuming that each person contributes 0.167 pounds of five-day, 20°C, BOD
				  per day.
"Post-high school education"
means credit
				  received for completion of courses given or cosponsored by an accredited
				  college, university, technical institute, or issuing agency. Courses offered by
				  regulatory agencies may also be recognized as post-high school education. One
				  year of post-high school education is 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours or
				  45 CEUs of credit.
"Primary treatment"
means a treatment
				  process designed to remove organic and inorganic settleable solids from
				  wastewater by the physical process of sedimentation.
"Public water system certificate"
means a
				  certificate issued by the department certifying that an operator has
				  successfully completed the certification requirements of this chapter. The
				  certificate specifies the grades and classifications for which the certificate
				  is valid.
"Reverse osmosis"
means the process in which
				  external pressure is applied to mineralized water against a semipermeable
				  membrane to effectively reduce total dissolved solids (TDS) and radionuclides
				  content as the water is forced through the membrane.
"Rural water district"
means a water supply
				  incorporated and organized as such pursuant to Iowa Code chapter 357, 357A or
				  358.
"Shift operator"
means the operator on site
				  who has responsibility for making process control changes and adjustments to
				  the operation, repair, and maintenance of a plant or distribution system during
				  any operating shift. Duties include testing or evaluation to control operations
				  of the plant or distribution system.
"Stabilization"
means the addition of
				  chemical compounds to water to maintain an ionic equilibrium whereby the water
				  is not in a depository or corrosive state.
"Veteran"
means an individual who meets the
				  definition of "veteran" in Iowa Code section
				  35.1(2).
"Waste stabilization lagoon"
means an
				  excavation designed and constructed to receive raw or pretreated wastewater in
				  which stabilization is accomplished by several natural self-purification
				  processes. This definition includes both anaerobic and aerobic lagoons.
"Wastewater treatment plant"
means the
				  facility or group of units used for the treatment of wastewater from public
				  sewer systems and for the reduction and handling of solids removed from such
				  wastes.
"Water distribution system"
means that
				  portion of the water supply system in which water is conveyed from the water
				  treatment plant or other supply point to the premises of the consumer,
				  including storage facilities and pumping stations. For the purposes of this
				  chapter, a water distribution system does not include individual service lines
				  to the premises of the consumer, which are not under the control of the
				  system.
"Water supply system"
means the system of
				  pipes, structures, and facilities through which water for a public water supply
				  is obtained, treated, sold or distributed for human consumption or household
				  use.
"Water treatment plant"
means that portion
				  of the water supply system which in some way alters the physical, chemical, or
				  microbiological quality of the water.