State Water Board Lowers Wastewater Operator Certification Fees

Regulations

In recent year’s the State Water Board’s Office of Operator Certification (OOC) has built a financial budget surplus from the collection of wastewater operator certification fees. The OOC has now taken steps to reduce certification exam and renewal fees so their financial surplus will be eliminated over the next 5 years.

On November 16th the Office of Administrative Law approved the proposed Emergency Regulations for the Wastewater Operator Certification Program (WWOCP), according to a spokesperson for the Office of Operator Certification. The new, lower fees went into effect on November 16th.

Changes to the wastewater operator fee schedule include:

• Approximately 25% reduction for all certification fees across the board
• New 25% discount for operators who are dual certified – they hold both a drinking water (D or T) and wastewater certification from the State Water Board
• New reduction for the re-examination fees

In an announcement the Office of Operator Certification said:

The Water Board approved a resolution on September 19, 2017 to amend Section 3717 of Chapter 26 of Division 3 of Title 23 of the California Code of Regulations to alter the WWOCP fee schedule. The Office of Administrative Law, approved the new Fee Schedule on November 16, 2017. As of November 16, 2017, Emergency Regulation changes went into effect.

If you have questions about the State Water Board wastewater operator certification program please contact OOC at (916) 341-5648, or e-mail them at: [email protected].

CWEA has two representatives on the State Water Board’s Wastewater Advisory Committee who participated in discussions about the new fee schedule. They are:

• Jeff Carson, Dublin San Ramon Sanitary District
• Chander Latuelle, Inland Empire Utilities Agency

Resources:

• New wastewater operator fee scheduled (pdf)
• OOC announcement about new fee schedule (pdf)