Wastewater Treatment Operator Certification Continuing Education Fact Sheet

Nebraska Department of
Environmental
Quality

Fact Sheets

.
This information is
provided by the
Nebraska Department
of Environmental Quality
to assist the
public and regulated community.

10-021

09/2010

Wastewater Treatment Operator Certification Continuing Education Fact Sheet

This Fact Sheet is also available as an Adobe Acrobat (PDF) file.
File size is 47 KB

.
As a prerequisite for renewal of their certificate, each certified wastewater treatment operator must obtain a minimum of 20 hours (2 CEU’s) of training approved by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) during the two years prior to expiration of the certificate. Hours earned in excess of the required 20 hours earned in a two year interval may be carried over into the next two year interval up to a maximum amount of 10 hours (1 CEU).

A list of the total continuing education hours earned and eligible for certificate renewal in the current certificate renewal cycle for each operator is maintained by the Department (click here to view list). For non-compatible Industrial operators, at least three hours (0.3 CEU’s) of the required 20 hours must be training in operations of industrial facilities.

All training hours for initial qualification, as well as certificate renewal, shall be subject to review and approval by the NDEQ to ensure that the training is applicable to wastewater treatment facility operation and meets the training hour criteria. Identification of the approved training, assignment of training hours and verification of successful completion is the responsibility of the Department. Training records must be maintained by the operator and submitted to the NDEQ as part of the application for certificate renewal.

Qualified education programs include all wastewater courses and related technical courses, workshops, correspondence courses, and other education experiences approved by the NDEQ. Training may also be provided by wastewater operator personnel to other operators. This type of training may meet the training hour requirements as long as prior approval of the training to be provided is obtained from the Department. Examples of qualified programs and their eligible training hours include:

College level course for three quarter hours or two semester hours credit – 30 hours (3 CEU's);
One year of applicable post-high school education (45 quarter hours or 30 semester hours) – 450 hours (45 CEU's); and
Courses related to operation of wastewater treatment plants offered by the University of California at Sacramento – 40.5 or 90 hours (4.5 or 9.0 CEU’s).

Training submitted to the Department for approval must meet the following criteria:

Instruction should be provided by an operator certified at a level equal to or greater than the classification level of the facility whose operator is receiving instruction, or by a trainer that has submitted information demonstrating qualifications for specific training activities;
An outline of the training to be provided should be submitted and should include the time allotted to each main topic; and
A list of the teacher's objectives should be submitted documenting the essential points of the instruction, need-to-know information and the methods used to illustrate these principles.

Written evidence of successful completion of the training must be submitted to the NDEQ by the instructor within 30 days following the training and a copy provided to the operator for his/her training record.

Additional information on training or educational programs you wish to have reviewed for consideration for Department approved professional development hours for wastewater operator professionals can be found in the Guide to Submittal of Continuing Education Programs For Professional Wastewater Operator Certification.

Related pages and URL addresses on this web site:

DEQ’s main web site: www.deq.state.ne.us
Wastewater Treatment Facility Operator Training and Certification Program (main page): http://www.deq.state.ne.us/WasteWat.nsf/Pages/WTFOCT
Title 197: http://www.deq.state.ne.us/RuleAndR.nsf/Pages/197-TOC
List of Continuing Education hours: http://www.deq.state.ne.us/WasteWat.nsf/Pages/OCPCEH
Courses Approved for Continuing Education: http://www.deq.state.ne.us/WasteWat.nsf/Pages/OCPACEH
Guide to Submittal of Continuing Education Programs for Professional Wastewater Operator Certification: http://www.deq.state.ne.us/Publica.nsf/pages/10-024
The URL of this fact sheet: http://www.deq.state.ne.us/Publica.nsf/pages/10-021

Produced by: Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, P.O. Box 98922, Lincoln, NE 68509-8922; phone (402)471-2186. To view this, and other information related to our agency, visit our web site at www.deq.state.ne.us.

.

DEQ.NE.Gov Home Page

Security, Privacy & Accessibility Policy

Nebraska.gov

Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality
1200 "N" Street, Suite 400
P.O. Box 98922
Lincoln, Nebraska 68509
(402) 471-2186