Oregon Administrative Rules › Chapter 340 - DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY › Division 49 - REGULATIONS PERTAINING TO CERTIFICATION OF WASTEWATER SYSTEM OPERATOR PERSONNEL › Section 340-049-0010 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 63, No. 7, July 1, 2024
As used in these regulations unless otherwise required by
				context:
(1) "Average Dry Weather
			 Flow" (ADWF) means the design average dry weather flow capacity of the
			 wastewater treatment system in gallons per day or Million Gallons per Day
			 (MGD), as approved by the Department.
(2) "Certified" means an individual holds a
			 valid operator certificate for wastewater treatment system or wastewater
			 collection system operation issued by the State of Oregon, Department of
			 Environmental Quality.
(3)
			 "Commission" means the Environmental Quality Commission.
(4) "Continuing Education Unit (CEU)" means a
			 nationally recognized unit of measurement for assigning credit for accredited
			 education or training that provides the participant with advanced or post high
			 school learning. One CEU equals 10 contact hours of participation in an
			 organized continuing education experience under responsible sponsorship,
			 capable direction and qualified instruction.
(5) "Contract Operations" means the
			 wastewater system owner has a written contract with another wastewater system
			 owner, an operations services company, or a certified operator for supervising
			 the operation of its wastewater treatment system or wastewater collection
			 system.
(6) "Department" means the
			 Department of Environmental Quality.
(7) "Director" means the Director of the
			 Department of Environmental Quality or any official designee of the
			 Director.
(8) "Industrial Waste"
			 means liquid wastes from an industrial or commercial process discharged into a
			 wastewater system for conveyance and treatment.
(9) "NPDES Permit" means a waste discharge
			 permit issued in accordance with requirements and procedures of the National
			 Pollutant Discharge Elimination System authorized by Section 402 of the Federal
			 Clean Water Act and OAR 340, division 45.
(10) "Operating Experience" means the routine
			 performance of duties, tasks and responsibilities at a wastewater treatment
			 system or wastewater collection system, or in a related field as allowed under
			 OAR
			 340-049-0030(5),
			 that affect wastewater system performance or effluent quality.
(11) "Operator" or "Wastewater System
			 Operator" means any person engaged in the routine on site performance of
			 duties, tasks and responsibilities in the operation of a wastewater treatment
			 system or a wastewater collection system. This term does not include officials,
			 managers, and engineers, directors of public works or equivalent whose duties
			 do not include the actual "hands-on" operation or supervision on site of
			 wastewater system facilities or operators.
(12) "Oral Examination" means an examination
			 administered by the Department where the applicant provides verbal answers to
			 the written examination for the type and grade of certification the applicant
			 is seeking.
(13) "Population" means
			 the design population of the wastewater system represented as the number of
			 people or the population equivalent the system is designed to serve. Equivalent
			 population ordinarily is determined based on 70 gallons per person per day
			 average dry weather flow (ADWF) or 0.17 lbs. BOD5 per person per day, whichever
			 is greater.
(14) "Provisional
			 Certificate" means a temporary and conditional certificate issued by the
			 Department to a person meeting the requirements in OAR
			 340-049-0030(2)(a)
			 or (3)(a).
(15) "Post High School Education" means
			 relevant continuing professional, technical or academic education acquired
			 through accredited programs such as short schools, correspondence or distance
			 learning courses, armed services training, trade schools, community colleges,
			 colleges, universities, formalized workshops, or seminars for which a CEU,
			 community college or college credit, or the equivalent is earned and acceptable
			 to the Department. Each year of relevant post high school education is equal to
			 45 CEUs, or 30 semester or 45 quarter hours of community college, college or
			 university credit.
(16) "Shift
			 Supervisor" means the operator delegated authority by the system owner for
			 executing the specific practice and procedures for operating the wastewater
			 treatment system or wastewater collection system when the system is operated on
			 more than one daily shift.
(17)
			 "Supervise" means to have full and active responsibility for the daily on site
			 technical operation of a wastewater treatment system or wastewater collection
			 system.
(18) "Supervisor" means the
			 operator delegated authority by the system owner for establishing and executing
			 the specific practice and procedures for operating the wastewater treatment
			 system or wastewater collection system in accordance with the policies of the
			 owner of the system and any permit requirements.
(19) "Wastewater" or "sewage" means the
			 water-carried human or animal waste from residences, buildings, industrial
			 establishments or other places, together with such groundwater infiltration and
			 surface water as may be present. The admixture of domestic and industrial waste
			 or other by-products, such as sludge, is also considered wastewater or
			 sewage.
(20) "Wastewater Treatment
			 System" or "Sewage Treatment System" means any structure, equipment or process
			 for treating and disposing of, or recycling or reusing wastewater and sludge
			 (including industrial waste) that is discharged to the wastewater
			 system.
(21) "Wastewater Collection
			 System" or "Sewage Collection System" means the trunks, arterials, pumps,
			 pump/lift stations, piping and other appurtenances necessary to collect and
			 carry away wastewater or other liquid waste treatable in a community or private
			 wastewater treatment facility.
(22)
			 "Wastewater System" means "Sewage Treatment Works" defined in ORS 448.405 as
			 any structure, equipment or process required to collect, carry away and treat
			 domestic waste and dispose of sewage as defined in ORS 454.010. Typically,
			 components of a wastewater system include a wastewater collection system and a
			 wastewater treatment system.
(23)
			 "WPCF Permit" means a Water Pollution Control Facilities permit to construct
			 and operate a collection, treatment and/or disposal system with no discharge to
			 navigable waters. A WPCF permit is issued by the Department in accordance with
			 the procedures of OAR 340, divisions 45 and 71.
Stat. Auth.: ORS 448.410, 468.020 & 468B.030
Stats. Implemented: ORS 448.405 - 448.430, 448.992, 468B.010  - 468B.020 & 468B.030