Drinking Water Operator Certification
Welcome to the National Environmental Services Center's (NESC) Drinking Water Operator Certification Web page. The NESC recognizes the significance of operator training and education because the health of a community relies on having competent drinking water treatment operators. This site provides resources about drinking water operator certification.
Drinking water operator certification not only establishes minimal professional standards, it also gives drinking water operators the knowledge and understanding they need to provide safe, adequate drinking water supplies to their customers. In turn, system customers can have confidence in the drinking water treatment system, because they know that the person responsible for supplying drinking water is a skilled professional.
Drinking water operator certification requirements vary from state to state. Make sure you check with the primacy agency in your state to get accurate information about the requirements you will need to be familiar with.
State-by-State Information
Drinking water operator certification is managed on a state-by-state basis and each state has somewhat different rules. The Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA) provides links to each state's primacy agency for specific information about your state's requirements. Access this information on the ASDWA Links page.
Use the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Web site to find your state's primacy agency on their Local Operator Certification Information interactive map. This Web site offers many other resources. Information can be found in their Ground Water & Drinking Water section called Operator Certification.
The NESC houses many of the resources that operators need to be prepared for certification exams, including:
NESC Products
These products were developed by the National Drinking Water Clearinghouse staff, a program of the NESC. Please note that shipping charges may apply. The PDF files are free to download.- "Acing the Test: How to Prepare for an Operator Certification Exam" (On Tap Winter 2008 Volume 7, Issue 4): On Tap magazine, published by the National Environmental Service Center, offers articles of interest to America's small communities concerning drinking water. Anyone who has ever faced taking an exam knows that being prepared is the largest part of the battle. The lead story in this issue gives some great advice on how to prepare for the operator certification test. Additional articles cover the rehabilitation of some Texas colonias and advice for homeowners on weathering drought conditions. The download includes the full issue.
Free, available online only. [ Download pdf / 6.1 MG ] - "Basic Water and Wastewater Formulas" (Tech Brief Fact Sheet 2008) : Operators obtaining or maintaining their certification must be able to calculate complex formulas using various conversion factors. This Tech Brief provides basic examples of these formulas. Various conversion tables are included.
Product # DWFSOM103 / 60 cents [ Download pdf / 412 KB ] - Tech Brief Fact Sheets Package: Order the whole collection of Tech Brief Fact Sheets. The NESC Tech Briefs are four-page fact sheets included in OnTap magazine. Each fact sheet provides concise technical information about a drinking water treatment technology or issue relevant to small systems. The documents are written for drinking water professionals, particularly small system operators. Tables and illustrations are provided as are sources for more information. The package holds all the current Tech Briefs in print and new selections can be added to the package as they become available.
Product # DWPKOM36 / Price varies and shipping charges apply. [ Visit our Tech Brief Web page. ] - Water and Wastewater Treatment Formula Pocket Cards 2007: This laminated pocket card lists several formulas useful to water and wastewater treatment operators, such as backwash rate, chlorine dosing, detention time, flow, and solution strength. A list of conversion factors is included.
Product # DWPCOM84 / Free [ Download pdf / 124 KB ] - "Planning for a Changing Workforce" (On Tap Summer 2005 Volume 5, Issue 2): Within the next several years,many workers will retire. Is your system prepared to deal with this exodus? The download includes the full issue.
Free, available online only. [ Download pdf / 3.6 MG ] - "Employees Keep the Water Flowing: How do we keep the employees?" (On Tap Fall 2002 Volume 2, Issue 3): Water treatment workers are increasingly moving from job to job and system
to system as they find better
pay and better working conditions
at nearby facilities. Many
workers leave the water business
altogether for different
jobs and higher pay in other
industries, leaving their system
without a certified operator.
Free, available online only. [ Download pdf / 216 KB ] - Tribal Drinking Water Operator Certification Program: Having a certified operator is a key factor in protecting public health, and regulations promulgated under the Safe Drinking Water Act require that tribal public water systems must be operated by qualified personnel. This document describes the guidelines for operator training and certification, including classification of systems, facilities, and operations; operator qualifications; program implementation; operator certification renewal; recertification; stakeholder involvement and program review; and submittal requirements for certification of a program.
Product # DWBLOM86 / $1.95
Montana Water CDs
These educational training products, developed by the Montana Water Center (MWC), are available for free online. They are also distributed free in the United States by the NESC. Note that shipping charges may apply. Downloads are available courtesy of MWC. Drinking water operators may be able to get CEUs for completing these trainings. Check with the primacy agency in your state.
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Operator Basics Training Series (2005) - This program/CD contains three courses and a "Water Exploration" showcase. Each course is designed to help prepare operators of small public water systems for certification. Certified operators may use this training to meet continuing education requirements if approved in your state -- please verify this with your certification agency prior to taking any of the courses.
Product # DWCDTR18 - Water Quality Expedition (2008) - This program/CD takes water system personnel and regulators on a virtual expedition through water quality issues. Subjects such as fate and transport, iron and manganese, hard water, nutrients, wastewater treatment, and emerging contaminants are covered in depth. Animated activities display processes by which waters gain physical, chemical and biological characteristics. Video Documentaries consult experts as they present first-hand knowledge of water quality research and issues.
Product # DWCDTR25 -
Virtual System Explorer (2006) - This program simulates small water system operations for workshop presentations on set-top DVD players and tracks user progress as a computer-based DVD. Users learn the basics of system operation, as well as how to recognize system deficiencies, perform a security risk assessment, and improve the financial and management capacity of a system. The three systems featured in this program are an untreated ground water system, a treated ground water system, and a surface water system. Continuing education credit may be available from your certification agency, but it must be approved in advance. Contact the accreditation agency in your state for more information.
Product # DWCDTR22 - Microbial Risk Assessment Tool (2005) - This tool is a user-friendly computational tool that helps small water systems assess (by component) their vulnerability to microbial contamination. The project goal is to foster technical and managerial capacity in small water systems drawing from springs, wells, surface waters or any combination of sources.
Product # DWCDTR21 -
Point-of-Use Reverse Osmosis (2004) - The purpose of the POU-RO Training Tool is to familiarize engineers and other water treatment professionals with the use of centrally managed, point-of-use reverse osmosis (POU-RO) systems in order to comply with the arsenic drinking water regulations.
Product # DWCDTR20 - Sanitary Survey Prep Course (2003) - This course is targeted toward new field staff responsible for inspection and evaluation of small water systems for sanitary risks and compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act. This is a good preparation tool to use before attending an advanced workshop.
Product # DWCDTR19
How to Order
- Call the NESC toll free at 1(800) 624-8301 or e-mail info@mail.nesc.wvu.edu and provide us with the title and product number provided.
Learn More
- If you'd like to learn more about becoming a certified water operator or if you have questions about more specific items such as certification exams, please contact our technical services unit toll free at (800) 624-8301 option 3.