Water & Wastewater
License Renewal

 

 

Important information for renewal of Water and Wastewater Operator Licenses

The regulations now require all New Jersey water supply and wastewater licensees to acquire Training Contact Hours (TCH'S) for license renewal. Class 3 and Class 4 licensees must complete 36 hours of training and Class 1 and Class 2 licensees must complete 18 hours of training over a three-year period. The Water and Wastewater Advisory Committee will approve, through NJDEP, courses for TCH credit. Any water and/or wastewater related courses approved by the International Association of Continuing education and Training (IACET) and which issues Continuing Education Units (CEU'S) will also be accepted for license renewal. (1CEU = 10TCHs). Certain other routine courses that you as employees are required to take are also approved (see list below).

Only courses taken October 1, 2000 or later will be acceptable for the October 1, 2003 license renewal. Individuals licensed for less than three years will not be required to obtain continuing education for license renewal. Course material is approved with regard to whether it applies to water (T, W), wastewater (S, C, N, CN, NN, NS), or both. Licensees holding both water and wastewater licenses must obtain the required number of TCHs for both water and wastewater licenses.

A list of NJDEP approved courses is posted on the Water Supply Administration's website at http://www.state.nj.us/dep/watersupply/course.htm
and the Division of Water Quality's website at http://www.state.nj.us/dep/dwq/pdf/operator.pdf.
Also, the Public Works Association of New Jersey (PWANJ), Rutgers University, the New Jersey Water Association (NJWA), the New Jersey Water Environment Association (NJWEA) and the Office of Continuing Professional Education (OCPE) at Cook College may be contacted for further information regarding course availability through those organizations.

Another change within the newly adopted amendments requires all public community and nontransient noncommunity water system owners to place their systems under the direct responsible charge of a licensed operator by October 1, 2003. The amendment also creates a Very Small Water System (VSWS) license. This license has less stringent certification requirements. It is only valid for community systems lacking treatment and having less than 101 service connections and any nontransient noncommunity systems without treatment, or one that disinfects and/or has other limited passive types of treatment. The VSWS training course is sixteen (16) hours and NJDEP is in the process of setting up courses throughout the state.

  • Beginning October 1, 200, Class 3 & 4 licensees need 36 TCHs for operator license renewal by October 1, 2003.

  • Beginning October 1, 2000, Class 1 & 2 licensees need 18 TCHs for operator license renewal by October 1, 2003.

  • TCHs are only applied toward license renewal for courses taken within each designated three (3) year training tracking period. (i.e. Oct. 2000 - Sept. 2003, Oct. 2003 - Sept. 2006, Oct. 2006 - Sept. 2009, etc.)

  • All approved water courses are acceptable for all water licenses. All approved wastewater courses are acceptable for all wastewater licenses. Certain Courses may be accepted for both water and wastewater licenses.

  • Licensees are responsible for retaining all certificates and/or other documents of course completion obtained during the 3 - year training tracking period.

Additional courses Licensees may obtain Training Contact Hours (TCHs) for Operator License Renewal

  • All training programs and courses approved by the Water and Wastewater Advisory Committee on Operator Training (WWAC) are acceptable.

  • All International Association for Continuing education and Training (IACET) approved courses are acceptable. (1CEU = 10TCHs)

  • All courses that have a NJDEP course identification number are approved for all future sessions of the course.

  • Rassing New Jersey water and wastewater licensing exam during the three (3) year training tracking period will merit (7) TCHs within the appropriate license catagory.

  • Membership in the NJAWWA and/or NJWEA is acceptable for 1 TCH for each year of membership. Membership in other organizations recognized by the WWAC is acceptable at the rate of 0.5 TCHs for each year of membership. No more than three (3) TCHs will be granted for membership for any three (3) year training tracking period.

  • Any Red Cross approved first aid or CPR course is acceptable for up to three (3) TCHs in any three (3) year training tracking period.

  • No more than 1/3 of required TCHs can be for safety training.

  • College credit that is directly relevent to the operation, maintenance and management of a water and/or wastewater system and addresses influences on water quality, public health or environmental protection is accepted as fifteen (15) TCHs for each credit hour.

  • Instructors shall not receive TCHs for training.

  • No credit shall be given for any course repeated within the three (3) year training tracking period.