Oklahoma Administrative Code › Title 252 - Department of Environmental Quality › Chapter 710 - Waterworks and Wastewater Works Operator Certification › Subchapter 1 - General Provisions › Section 252:710-1-4 - Definitions

Current through Vol. 41, No. 20, July 1, 2024
In addition to the definitions contained in the
				  Environmental Quality Code (27A O.S. § 2-1-101
et seq
.),
				  and the Waterworks and Wastewater Works Operator Certification Act (59 O.S.
				  § 1101
et seq
.), the following words and terms, when used
				  in this Chapter, shall have the following meaning, unless the context clearly
				  indicates otherwise:
"Act"
means the Waterworks and Wastewater Works
				  Operator Certification Act, 59 O.S.§ 1101
et seq.
"Associated laboratory"
means any laboratory,
				  not directly owned by or located on the premises of a waterworks or wastewater
				  works facility, that performs required laboratory tests for the
				  facility.
"Available"
means on-site or able to be
				  contacted as needed to initiate the appropriate action in a timely manner.
"Certificate year"
means July 1 through June
				  30.
"Certification of competency"
means a
				  certification issued by the DEQ pursuant to this Chapter.
"Class associated examination"
means an operator
				  certification examination which is given at the end of a classroom instruction
				  for the level of certification taught. Only class participants may take a class
				  associated exam. In addition, the applicant shall have submitted an approved
				  examination application.
"Classroom training"
means DEQ approved
				  professional development training taking place in a classroom or practical
				  learning environment and attended in person by class participants.
"Code"
means the Oklahoma Environmental Quality
				  Code, 27A O.S. § 2-1-101
et seq.
"Collection system"
means pipes or conduits,
				  pumping stations, force mains and all other facilities used to collect or
				  conduct wastewater to a treatment works.
"DEQ"
means the Oklahoma Department of
				  Environmental Quality.
"DEQ approved training"
means training that has
				  been evaluated and approved by DEQ in advance of the scheduled training date
				  with DEQ assigning a class identification number upon approval.
"Direct supervision"
means the on-site
				  supervision or direction provided by a certified operator of a registered
				  helper during which the certified operator is present at all times. A
				  registered helper must work under direct supervision.
"Distribution and Collection Technician"
means a
				  person who works solely on distribution and collection lines and is not in
				  responsible charge.
"Distribution system"
means any combination of
				  pipes, tanks, pumps or other equipment which delivers water from the source(s)
				  and/or treatment facility(ies) to the consumer.
"Distribution system complexity"
means pressure
				  zones, booster stations, storage tanks, fire protection, chlorination,
				  nonresidential consumers, cross connection potential, and/or demand
				  variations.
"Environmental professional"
means an individual
				  with an undergraduate degree related to and practicing in the fields of
				  biological sciences, biology, engineering, physical science, hydrology,
				  geology, mathematics, environmental science, chemistry, microbiology,
				  toxicology, or civil, chemical, sanitary or environmental engineering.
"General course"
means a DEQ approved training
				  class or classes that directly relate to waterworks, wastewater works,
				  waterworks laboratories or wastewater works laboratories and that meet the
				  requirements of OAC
				  252:710-3-36
				  for content and clock hours, to be utilized solely for the purpose of
				  professional development and certification renewal.
"General supervision"
means supervision or
				  direction provided by a certified operator to a temporary certified person and
				  requires that the certified operator be available to help or advise but during
				  which the certified operator need not be present at all times. While under
				  general supervision, a certified person may work alone.
"Groundwater system"
means a waterworks where
				  all water is obtained from dug, drilled, bored or driven wells or infiltration
				  lines not under the influence of surface water contamination, but not springs
				  which are a surface water supply.
"Laboratory operator"
means an individual who is
				  in general supervision of a laboratory which performs laboratory analyses for
				  waterworks and wastewater works and who is responsible for the accuracy of the
				  laboratory tests and reports for the facility, but who does not operate the
				  waterworks or wastewater works unless appropriately certified as an operator
				  for that type facility.
"Lagoon"
means a soil or lined basin, either
				  below or above ground level, which is designed, maintained and/or operated to
				  store, recycle and/or treat municipal/domestic wastewater or stormwater.
"Minor public water supply system"
means a water
				  system that does not meet the definition of a Public Water Supply System. Minor
				  public water supply systems are regulated by OAC 252:624.
"OAC"
means Oklahoma Administrative Code.
"Open examination"
means an operator
				  certification examination which may be taken by an individual whose experience,
				  training, and education exempts the individual from in-class participation for
				  the level of certification being tested. Applications must be submitted and
				  approved by DEQ prior to examination.
"Operator"
means any person who is at any time
				  responsible for the operation of a wastewater works or waterworks or associated
				  laboratories. "Operator" shall not ordinarily apply to an official exercising
				  official general administrative supervision, but shall apply to any properly
				  certified person who can, through a direct act or command, affect the quality
				  of the water or wastewater.
"Operating experience"
means the time spent at a
				  plant or system in performance of operational dutieswith the appropriate level
				  of certification.
"Operating shift"
means that period of time
				  during which operator decisions that affect public health are necessary for
				  proper operation of the system.
"Operational assistance"
means providing
				  regulatory or consulting technical assistance to water/wastewater works
				  systems.
"O.S."
means Oklahoma Statutes.
"Owner"
means:
(A) a sole proprietor;
(B) a homeowners' association;
(C) the controlling or managing partner of a
				  partnership;
(D) the major stockholders of a corporation; or
(E) a government entity including the State of Oklahoma,
				  municipalities, counties, or districts, and all sub-divisions thereof.
"Professional development hours (PDH)"
means
				  hours of DEQ approved training that may be used to meet the requirements of OAC
				  252:710-1-7 for
				  certification renewal.
"Public Water Supply (PWS) system"
means any
				  system providing water for human consumption through pipes or other constructed
				  conveyances, if such system has at least fifteen (15) service connections or
				  regularly serves an average of at least twenty-five (25) individuals daily at
				  least sixty (60) days per year, whether receiving payment for same or not.
				  Multi-family dwellings, manufactured home communities, mobile home parks,
				  recreational vehicle (RV) parks, and correctional facilities, which are
				  constructed, inspected and maintained under a State or locally approved
				  plumbing code, purchase water from a permitted water system, do not provide
				  treatment, and do not resell water, are not classified as a Public Water Supply
				  system. The following are the categories of Public Water Supply systems:
(A)
"Community water system"
means any PWS system
				  that serves at least fifteen (15) service connections used by year-round
				  residents or regularly serves at least twenty-five (25) year-round
				  residents.
(B)
"Non-community water system"
means any PWS
				  system that serves an average of at least twenty-five (25) individuals at least
				  sixty (60) days per year but is neither a community water system nor a
				  non-transient non-community water system.
(C)
"Non-transient non-community (NTNC) water
				  system"
means any PWS system that is not a community water system and
				  that regularly serves at least twentyfive (25) of the same persons over six (6)
				  months per year.
"Purchased water system"
means a water supply
				  system which buys its water from a waterworks and has a mastermeter.
"Reciprocity"
means a recognition by DEQ of the
				  validity of a certification granted by another state, so long as that state
				  recognizes certifications issued by DEQ as well.
"Registered helper"
means a person under direct
				  supervision who assists in the performance of work that may affect the quality
				  of either water or wastewater and is properly registered as provided in
				  252:710-5-55.
"Responsible charge"
means making decisions
				  regarding the daily operational activities of
(A) a public water system, water treatment facility and/or
				  distribution system that will directly impact the quality and/or quantity of
				  drinking water; or
(B) a wastewater system, wastewater treatment facility and/or
				  collection system.
"Shared operator"
means a person contracted
				  and/or hired by one or more municipalities, sewer improvement districts, water
				  or sewer public trusts, rural water or sewer districts, consortium of small
				  publicly owned water supply or wastewater systems, substate planning districts
				  or the Oklahoma Rural Water Association to operate two or more small system(s)
				  pursuant to the requirements set forth in
				  252:710-7-2.
"Small drinking water system"
means a waterworks
				  with a population of five hundred (500) or less that meets the definition of a
				  PWS.
"Small wastewater system"
means a nonindustrial
				  wastewater treatment system which has an average flow of five thousand (5,000)
				  gallons per day or less
"Standard course"
means a DEQ approved training
				  class or classes that directly relate to waterworks, wastewater works,
				  waterworks laboratories or wastewater works laboratories and that meet the
				  requirements of OAC
				  252:710-3-36
				  for content and clock hours, completed in preparation for an operator
				  certification examination.
"Superintendent"
means an operator in direct
				  responsible charge of day to day operations of an entire plant, distribution
				  system or collection system.
"Supervisor"
means an individual who directs and
				  inspects the work of operators, helpers or plumbers/contractors.
"Temporary operator"
means a person holding a
				  temporary certification who may perform the duties of a certified operator
				  under the general supervision of an appropriately certified operator.
"Treatment facility complexity"
means difficulty
				  in controlling water quality, potential effect to the consumer and/or safety of
				  the operator.
"Validated examination"
means an examination
				  that is independently reviewed by subject matter experts to ensure that the
				  examination is based on a job analysis and related to the classification of the
				  system or facility.
"Wastewater treatment works"
means wastewater
				  treatment systems and facilities used in the collection, transmission, storage,
				  pumping, treatment or disposal of liquid or waterborne wastes.
"Water treatment facility"
means any place(s)
				  where a community water system or nontransient noncommunity water system alters
				  the physical or chemical characteristics of the drinking water. Chlorination
				  may be considered as a function of a distribution system.
Added at 17 Ok Reg 2024,
				  eff 6-12-00; Amended at 24 Ok Reg 1556, eff
				  6-15-07