Oregon Administrative Rules › Chapter 340 - DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY › Division 49 - REGULATIONS PERTAINING TO CERTIFICATION OF WASTEWATER SYSTEM OPERATOR PERSONNEL › Section 340-049-0015 - General Requirements

Current through Register Vol. 63, No. 7, July 1, 2024
(1) Each
			 owner of a wastewater system with an Average Dry Weather Flow (ADWF) of 0.075
			 MGD (75,000 gallons per day) or greater design capacity must have its system
			 supervised full-time by one or more operators who hold a valid certificate for
			 the type of system, wastewater treatment or wastewater collection, and at a
			 grade equal to or greater than the wastewater system classification as defined
			 in OAR-340-049-0020  and
			 340-049-0025.
(2) Any wastewater treatment system or
			 wastewater collection system owner with a system having more than one daily
			 shift must have its shift supervisor, if any, certified at no more than one
			 grade lower than the wastewater system classification. The system owner is not
			 required to have a shift supervisor if another properly certified operator is
			 available to supervise operation of the system.
(3) Each owner of a wastewater system with an
			 ADWF less than 0.075 MGD (75,000 gallons per day) design capacity must have its
			 system supervised on a part-time or full-time basis by one or more operators
			 who hold a valid certificate for the type of system, wastewater treatment or
			 wastewater collection, and at a grade equal to or greater than the wastewater
			 system classification.
(4) These
			 rules shall not apply to owners of subsurface sewage disposal systems as
			 defined under ORS 454.605 and installed or constructed under a permit in
			 accordance with 454.655. Based on complexity of the wastewater system, the
			 Department may require an owner of a NPDES or WPCF permitted wastewater system
			 using subsurface sewage disposal with a ADWF greater 0.0025 MGD (2,500 gallons
			 per day) to have its system supervised by one or more operators certified in
			 accordance with these rules.
(5)
			 Each wastewater treatment and wastewater collection system owner must notify
			 the Department in writing of the name of all operators, including shift
			 supervisors, if any, delegated authority by the owner to supervise the
			 operation of its system in accordance with these rules. The written notice must
			 be filed with the Department's Water Quality Division, Operator Certification
			 Program, and include the operator's certificate type, grade, and expiration
			 date.
(6) The system supervisor or
			 shift supervisor is not required to be on site at all times. The system
			 supervisor must be available to the wastewater system owner and to any other
			 operator, and able to immediately respond on site. A shift supervisor must be
			 available and able to immediately respond on site during an assigned
			 shift.
(7) An operator holding a
			 valid Grade I Provisional wastewater treatment or wastewater collection
			 certificate may be designated by a system owner to supervise the operation of a
			 Class I wastewater treatment or wastewater collection system
			 respectively.
(8) The wastewater
			 system owner may re-designate or replace designated operators responsible for
			 supervising system operation with other properly certified operators at any
			 time and must notify the Department in writing within 30 days of replacement or
			 re-designation of operators.
(9) A
			 wastewater treatment or wastewater collection system may not be without an
			 operator as required in Sections (1) or (3) of this rule for more than 30 days.
			 During this period, the system owner must ensure an operator is certified for
			 the type of system at no more than one grade lower than the system
			 classification, and is available to the system owner and to any other operator.
			 This operator must also be delegated authority by the system owner to supervise
			 the operation of the system.
(10)
			 When compliance with requirements in Sections (1) or (3) of this rule is not
			 possible or practicable because the system supervisor is not available or the
			 position is vacated unexpectedly, and another certified operator is not
			 qualified to assume supervisory responsibility, the Director may grant a time
			 extension for compliance with the requirements in response to a written request
			 from the system owner. The Director will not grant an extension longer than 120
			 days unless the system owner documents the existence of extraordinary
			 circumstances.
(a) The request must justify
			 the need for the time extension and include at least the following:
(A) The date the system supervisor position
			 or availability was or will be vacated;
(B) A time schedule to recruit, hire, or
			 otherwise make available and designate another qualified operator;
			 and
(C) The name of an interim
			 supervisor and the supervisor's certificate type, grade and expiration
			 date.