Office of Drinking Water Quality

Drinking Water Operator Certification Program

MINIMUM RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES OF A CERTIFIED OPERATOR FOR A PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM (PWS)

PWS Type:
Small community water systems and Non-Transient Non-Community Water Systems

An operator shall perform the following duties as applicable at a public water system at which that individual is designated a certified operator:

• Be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the public water system.
• Conduct routine visual inspections of the system’s source, source water protection area, storage facilities and chemical addition systems.
• Develop and maintain an accurate site plan showing the water source and distribution system.
• Have familiarity with all aspects of the treatment and distribution operation of the water system.
• Be responsible for setting, measuring, and recording of all chemical additions.
• Be responsible for monitoring, operating, and maintaining process control to meet specified water quality standards.
• Order chemicals and fill chemical feed tanks as necessary.
• Calculate and test chlorine levels.
• Clean, flush, disinfect and test the water distribution system and storage tanks as needed.
• Collect or oversee the collection of water samples as specified by the state regulatory agency.
• Ensure that all sample are analyzed by a certified laboratory for the appropriate contaminant(s) and delivered to the laboratory to allow sufficient time for testing.
• Notify the state regulatory agency and public water system owner or responsible person of a violation within specified time frames.
• Notify owner or responsible person of any violation of the state regulations and issue public notices when necessary.
• Review the sample monitoring schedule and locations quarterly.
• Inspect systems within 24 hours of fecal or second Total Coliform positive results or other water system failures.
• Ensure the accuracy of water meters and other flow measuring devices.
• Attend all inspections conducted by regulatory agency personnel.
• Keep abreast of changes in the drinking water regulations and safety regulations.
• Respond to consumer complaints promptly.
• Maintain a complaint log.
• Attend training programs for certification renewal.
• Have oversight of source water protection, watershed protection, and other activities associated with chemical waivers or otherwise required by regulatory agency.
• Carry out all required reporting requirements including submitting a complete monthly report to the regulatory agency.
• Keep complete and accurate water system records.
• Develop and maintain a public water system Operational and Maintenance (O&M) Manual.
• Investigate water quality and quantity problems and take corrective measures as needed.
• Prepare an annual consumer confidence report (community systems only).
• Oversee and monitor all repairs performed on the system.
• Record quantity of water pumped from the source at least monthly.
• Be responsible for eliminating or protecting the distribution system against cross connections.

CONTRACT SERVICES: A public water system may contract for the services of a certified operator to perform all or some of the duties listed above. A contracted certified operator should spend approximately one hour per on-site visit to perform the various duties listed above. This time may vary from system to system as will the frequency of visits depending on the specific need of each system. In some cases, the certified operator can supervise the operation without being present on a daily basis provided the certified operator has a person working with the system on a daily basis under his or her supervision.

For systems with Standby disinfection and no treatment:
Estimated Time – the annual estimated time required to perform all the duties and responsibilities listed above is approximately 36-48 hours.

For systems with Disinfection process, chemical treatment or no treatment:
Estimated Time – the annual estimated time required to perform all the duties and responsibilities listed above is approximately 180-360 hours.

05/06