Colorado Environmental Certification and Testing, Incorporated (CECTI) was established as a non-profit organization on January 17, 2001. Its formation was the culmination of the efforts of three parent organizations: the Rocky Mountain Section of the American Water Works Association (RMSAWWA), the Rocky Mountain Water Environment Association (RMWEA), and the Colorado Rural Water Association (CRWA). The non-profit was formed with the sole purpose of administering the water and wastewater treatment facilities operators certification program for the State of Colorado.

Each of the parent organizations appointed three persons to sit on the CECTI board for a three-year term. The terms are staggered to minimize the impact of turnover and to maintain continuity at terms end. The collective background of the current board includes experience in operations, maintenance, management, engineering and regulatory oversight. The Board members have the perspective of both large and small systems.

CECTI entered into an agreement with the State of Colorado via the Water and Wastewater Facility Operators Certification Board (WWFOCB) on February 12, 2001 to administer the treatment plant operators´ certification program beginning with the fall 2001 exam cycle.

25-9-104. Duties of the board.

(1) (a) The board shall elect a chair and secretary each year, establish rules in accordance with article 4 of title 24, C.R.S., setting forth the requirements governing certification for water and wastewater facility operators, including:
(I) Application for certification;
(II) Admission to the examinations;
(III) Setting and coordination of exam schedules;
(IV) Recording and issuing of certificates for the class of operator for which the applicant is found to be qualified;
(V) Renewal of certificates;
(VI) Issuance of certificates based on reciprocity;
(VII) Minimum standards of operator performance; and
(VIII) Standards for the accreditation of training programs.

(2) (a) The board may promote and assist in regular training schools and programs designed to aid applicants and other interested persons to acquire the necessary knowledge to meet the certification requirements of this article.
(b) The board shall ensure that an office is maintained for contact with operators and employers.
(c) The board shall ensure, through the use of subject matter experts, that all certification examinations test for information that is relevant to the knowledge that is necessary to operate the level of facility for which certification is sought.

(3)(a) The board shall establish classes of:
(I) Water treatment facility operators;
(II) Domestic wastewater treatment facility operators;
(III) Industrial wastewater treatment facility operators;
(IV) Water distribution system operators;
(V) Wastewater collection system operators;
(VI) Operators for small systems; and
(VII) Other persons who require and qualify for multiple certifications.
(b) In establishing each classification, the board shall differentiate the various levels of complexity to be encountered in water and wastewater facility operation and the qualifications for certification for each class. The board shall set minimum education, experience, examination, and ongoing training requirements for each class.

(4) Except as provided in section 25-9-104.4, the board shall establish for each water and wastewater facility a minimum class of certified operators required for its supervision.

(5)(a) The board shall establish a procedure whereby any decision of the board, the division, or nonprofit corporation contracting with the Board can be appealed to the board.
(b) The board may adopt rules as necessary to ensure the proper administration of the program.
(c) The board may promulgate rules to allow the division to immediately suspend or revoke a certification if immediate action is necessary to protect the public health or environment.

(6) The board may exercise other powers and duties as necessary within the scope of this article. The board shall promulgate rules to establish criteria for the discipline or reprimand of any water or wastewater facility operator and for the suspension or revocation of the certification of an operator. The criteria must include:

1. Willfully or negligently violating, causing, or allowing the violation of rules promulgated under this article or failing to comply with this article;
2. Submitting false or misleading information on any document provided to the department, the board, or any organization acting on behalf of the board;
3. Using fraud or deception in the course of employment as an operator;
4. Failing to conform with minimum standards in the performance of an operator’s duties; and
5. Engaging in dishonest conduct during an examination.

(7) Members of the board serve without compensation but are entitled to reimbursement for their necessary expenses.

(8) The board may exercise its powers and perform its duties and functions as if it were transferred to the department by a type 1 transfer under the “Administrative Organization Act of 1968”, article 1 of title 24, C.R.S.

25-9-105.
Water treatment facility operator.

1. Persons who by specifically relevant examination, education, and experience are found to be qualified for certification as water treatment facility operators or water distribution system operators shall be certified as having the minimum qualifications required for each of the respective classes as established by the board by rules promulgated in accordance with article 4 of title 24, C.R.S.

25-9-106.
Domestic wastewater treatment facility operator.

1. Persons who by specifically relevant examination, education, and experience are found to be qualified for certification as domestic wastewater treatment facility operators or wastewater collection system operators shall be certified as having the minimum qualifications required for each of the respective classes as established by the board by rules promulgated in accordance with article 4 of title 24, C.R.S.

25-9-105.
Water treatment facility operator.

1. Persons who by specifically relevant examination, education, and experience are found to be qualified for certification as water treatment facility operators or water distribution system operators shall be certified as having the minimum qualifications required for each of the respective classes as established by the board by rules promulgated in accordance with article 4 of title 24, C.R.S.

25-9-106.
Domestic wastewater treatment facility operator.

1. Persons who by specifically relevant examination, education, and experience are found to be qualified for certification as domestic wastewater treatment facility operators or wastewater collection system operators shall be certified as having the minimum qualifications required for each of the respective classes as established by the board by rules promulgated in accordance with article 4 of title 24, C.R.S.

25-9-106.2.
Industrial wastewater treatment facility operator.

1. Persons who by specifically relevant examination, education, and experience are found to be qualified for certification as industrial wastewater treatment facility operators shall be certified as having the minimum qualifications required for each of the respective classes as established by the board by rules promulgated in accordance with article 4 of title 24, C.R.S.

25-9-106.3.
Multiple facility operator.
Persons who by specifically related examination, education, and experience are found to be qualified for certification in more than one category of facility operators shall be certified as having the minimum qualifications required for such applicable multiple facility operator classes as the board may establish by rules promulgated in accordance with article 4 of title 24, C.R.S. Such classes of multiple facility operators shall be designed to minimize the number of separate examinations and separate operator certifications that must be held by persons working for small systems, persons in the private sector performing work for a municipality or industry, and other categories and classes where a multiple facility operator certification would be efficient and meet the goals of this article. Such multiple facility certifications may contain conditions established by the board restricting the certification to specific facilities, types of facilities, or activities.

25-9-106.

5. Education and experience -substitution allowed.

Water and wastewater facility operator applicants must have a high school diploma or have successfully completed the GED as defined in section 22-33-102 (4.5), C.R.S.; except that experience or relevant training may be substituted for the high school diploma or GED. Education, training as established under section 25-9-104 (2), and cross-experience may be substituted for experience requirements for certification as a water facility operator, as a water distribution system operator, as a domestic wastewater facility operator, as a wastewater collection system operator, as an industrial wastewater treatment facility operator, or as a multiple facility operator; except that at least fifty percent of any experience requirement shall be met by actual on-site operating experience in a water facility or a wastewater facility, as the case may be. For the lowest classification of operator in each category, the board may establish rules allowing complete substitution of education for experience for any applicant who passes the applicable examination. For purposes of this section, “cross-experience” means that experience as a wastewater treatment facility operator may be substituted for experience requirements for certification as water treatment facility operator and vice versa. the board promulgated in accordance with article 4 of title 24, C.R.S., for certification shall be admitted for examination.

(2) When an individual desires certification in a field other than the field in which the individual has experience, the individual’s experience shall be evaluated by the board or as directed by the board. The certificate issued is to be based upon the knowledge demonstrated by the applicant through examination and the individual’s verified record of work experience in water and wastewater facility operation.

(3) Certificates shall be awarded by the board or at the direction of the board for a period of three years only to those applicants successfully meeting all of the requirements.

(4)(a) Certificates shall be renewed upon payment of the required renewal fee and a showing that the applicant for renewal has met the requirements established by the board for ongoing training.

(b) If any operator fails to renew the operator’s certification before the expiration date of such certification, such certification is expired. If a certification expires because of failure to renew before the expiration date of such certification, the operator may renew the certification up to two years after the expiration date upon paying the required renewal fee and meeting the applicable ongoing training requirements for the certification being renewed. If an operator does not renew a certification within two years after the expiration date of such certification, the certification is automatically revoked and an applicant for recertification must meet all the requirements for certification as a new applicant.

(5) The board, upon application therefore, may issue a certificate, without examination, in a comparable classification to any person who holds a certificate in any state, territory, or possession of the United States or any country, providing the requirements for certification of operators under which the person’s certificate was issued do not conflict with the provisions of this article and are of a standard not lower than that specified by regulations adopted under this article. Where there is a question as to the level of certification that should be granted, the board may authorize special examination or other procedures to confirm the appropriate certification level.

LEVELS FOR  WATER, WASTEWATER AND INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER ARE:
A, B, C, D, AND T.  T IS FOR TRANSIENT NON-COMMUNITY (WATER-ONLY LEVEL).

LEVELS FOR WATER DISTRIBUTION AND WASTEWATER COLLECTION ARE:
1, 2, 3, AND 4.

Hands-on” experience requirements as a facility operator for all types of water and wastewater facilities are as follows:
Class A/4 (highest level) – 4 years;
Class B/3 – 3 years;
Class C/2 – 2 years;
Class D/1 – (entry level),
Small System, and Small Wastewater System – NONE prior to exam
Transient Non-Community Water System – None.

At least 50% of the experience must be as an operator with the facility type selected on your exam application. Cross-experience; i.e., operator experience with one or more of the other facility types, may be used for up to 50% of the experience requirement at any level. College education in a related field may be substituted with proof, i.e., copy of degree/transcripts, submitted with application, for up to 50% of the experience requirement for any level.

For more information contact Operators Certification Program Office, 2170 S Parker Rd., Ste. 290, Denver, CO 80231
Ph: 303-394-8994 or Fax: 303-394-3450