North Carolina Administrative Code › Title 15A - Environmental Quality › Chapter 18 - ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH › Subchapter D - WATER TREATMENT FACILITY OPERATORS › Section .0200 - QUALIFICATION OF APPLICANTS AND CLASSIFICATION OF FACILITIES › Section 18D .0201 - GRADES OF CERTIFICATION

Current through Register Vol. 39, No. 2, July 15, 2024
(a) Applicants for
				  certification shall be at least 18 years old, possess a high school diploma or
				  general educational development equivalent (GED), and meet the following
				  educational and experience requirements:
(1)
				  GRADE C-SURFACE applicants shall have six months of acceptable experience at a
				  surface water facility and have satisfactorily completed a C -Surface school
				  approved by the Board.
(2) GRADE
				  B-SURFACE applicants shall:
(A) be a college
				  graduate with a bachelor's degree in the physical or natural sciences or be a
				  graduate of a two-year technical program with a diploma in water and wastewater
				  technology, have six months of acceptable experience at a surface water
				  facility, and have satisfactorily completed a B-Surface school approved by the
				  Board; or
(B) have one year of
				  acceptable experience at a surface water facility while holding a Grade
				  C-Surface certificate and have satisfactorily completed a B-Surface school
				  approved by the Board.
(3) GRADE A-SURFACE applicants shall have one
				  year of acceptable experience at a surface water facility while holding a Grade
				  B-Surface certificate and have satisfactorily completed an A-Surface school
				  approved by the Board.
(4) GRADE
				  D-WELL applicants shall have three months of acceptable experience at a well
				  water facility and have satisfactorily completed a C-Well or D-Well school
				  approved by the Board.
(5) GRADE
				  C-WELL applicants shall:
(A) be a college
				  graduate with a bachelor's degree in the physical or natural sciences or be a
				  graduate of a two-year technical program with a diploma in water and wastewater
				  technology, have three months of acceptable experience at a well water
				  facility, and have satisfactorily completed a C -Well school approved by the
				  Board;
(B) have six months of
				  acceptable experience at a well water facility and have satisfactorily
				  completed a C-WELL school approved by the Board; or
(C) hold either a Grade A-Surface
				  certification or a Grade A-Distribution certificate and have satisfactorily
				  completed a C-Well school approved by the Board.
(6) GRADE B-WELL applicants shall:
(A) be a college graduate with a bachelor's
				  degree in the physical or natural sciences or be a graduate of a two-year
				  technical program with a diploma in water and wastewater technology, have six
				  months of acceptable experience at a well water facility, and have
				  satisfactorily completed a B-WELL school approved by the Board; or
(B) have one year of acceptable experience at
				  a well water facility while holding a Grade C-Well certificate and have
				  satisfactorily completed a B-WELL school approved by the Board.
(7) GRADE A-WELL applicants shall
				  have one year of acceptable experience at a well water facility while holding a
				  Grade B-Well certificate and have satisfactorily completed an A-WELL school
				  approved by the Board.
(8) GRADE
				  D-DISTRIBUTION applicants shall have three months of acceptable experience at a
				  distribution system and have satisfactorily completed a C-Distribution or
				  D-Distribution school approved by the Board.
(9) GRADE C-DISTRIBUTION applicants shall
				  hold a certificate of completion of trench shoring training from a school
				  approved by the Board and shall:
(A) be a
				  college graduate with a bachelor's degree in the physical or natural sciences
				  or be a graduate of a two-year technical program with a diploma in water and
				  wastewater technology, have three months of acceptable experience at a Class C
				  or higher distribution system, and have satisfactorily completed a
				  C-Distribution school approved by the Board; or
(B) have six months of acceptable experience
				  at a Class D or higher distribution system and have satisfactorily completed a
				  C-Distribution school approved by the Board.
(10) GRADE B-DISTRIBUTION applicants shall:
(A) be a college graduate with a bachelor's
				  degree in the physical or natural sciences or be a graduate of a two-year
				  technical program with a diploma in water and wastewater technology, have six
				  months of acceptable experience at a Class B or higher distribution system,
				  have satisfactorily completed a B-Distribution school approved by the Board,
				  and shall hold a certificate of completion of trench shoring training from a
				  school approved by the Board; or
(B) have one year of acceptable experience at
				  a Class C or higher distribution system while holding a Grade C-Distribution
				  certificate and have satisfactorily completed a B-Distribution school approved
				  by the Board.
(11) GRADE
				  A-DISTRIBUTION applicants shall have one year of acceptable experience at a
				  Class B or higher distribution system while holding a Grade B-Distribution
				  certificate and have satisfactorily completed an A-Distribution school approved
				  by the Board.
(12) GRADE
				  CROSS-CONNECTION CONTROL applicants shall:
(A)
				  be a college graduate with a bachelor's degree in the physical or natural
				  sciences or be a graduate of a two-year technical program with a degree in
				  water and wastewater or civil engineering technology, and have satisfactorily
				  completed a cross-connection control school approved by the Board;
(B) have six months of acceptable experience
				  at Class D-Distribution or higher system or have one year experience in the
				  operations of cross connection control devices, and have satisfactorily
				  completed a cross-connection control school approved by the Board; or
(C) be a plumbing contractor licensed by the
				  State of North Carolina and have satisfactorily completed a cross-connection
				  control school approved by the Board.
(13) APPRENTICE applicants shall have met the
				  education requirement and satisfactorily completed a Grade B, Grade C, Grade D,
				  or cross-connection control school approved by the Board and shall have
				  correctly answered at least 70 percent of the questions on an examination
				  designed for the class of certification for which the applicant is applying.
				  The apprentice certification may be renewed annually for a maximum of five
				  years, pursuant to the continuing education and renewal requirements of this
				  Subchapter. An apprentice shall not act as a certified operator or an Operator
				  in Responsible Charge for a facility. An apprentice is eligible for Grade B,
				  Grade C, Grade D, or cross-connection control certification after meeting the
				  applicable experience requirements as set forth in this Rule and making
				  application to the Board.