WAC 246-292-050   Minimum certification requirements for public water systems.  (1) Owners shall have at least one certified operator in responsible charge of the daily operational activities of their system as follows:

     (a) A water treatment plant operator (WTPO) shall be responsible for the operation of:

     (i) A purification plant with a Class 2 rating or higher;

     (ii) Any purification plant using complex filtration technology; or

     (iii) Any unfiltered Group A surface water or GWI system with one hundred or more services in use at any one time.

     (b) A basic treatment operator (BTO) shall be responsible for the operation of:

     (i) A public water system with a Class 1 purification plant rating; or

     (ii) An unfiltered Group A surface water or GWI system with less than one hundred services in use at any one time.

     (c) A water distribution manager (WDM) shall be responsible for the operation of a Group A water system:

     (i) Serving a population greater than two hundred fifty people.

     (ii) A Class 2 purification plant rating or higher; or

     (iii) Any purification plant using complex filtration technology.

     (d) A water distribution specialist (WDS) shall be responsible for the operation of:

     (i) Group A community or NTNC water systems serving a population of two hundred fifty people or less.

     (ii) Group A TNC systems classified as significant noncompliers (SNCs) and not required to provide treatment other than simple disinfection if serving a population of two hundred fifty people or less.

     (2) Owners required to develop a cross-connection control program in accordance with WAC 246-290-490 shall ensure that a cross-connection control specialist (CCS) is responsible for:

     (a) The system's cross-connection control program;

     (b) Initial inspection of premises served by the system, for cross-connections; and

     (c) Periodic reinspection of premises served by the system, for cross-connections.

     (3) Owners shall ensure that a backflow assembly tester (BAT) is responsible for inspecting, testing, and monitoring backflow prevention assemblies in accordance with WAC 246-290-490.

     (4) A WTPO and WDM shall be certified at a level equal to or higher than the water system's classification rating assigned by the department in accordance with WAC 246-292-040.

     (5) The certified operator in responsible charge of each operating shift shall be certified at a minimum of one level lower than the classification of the purification plant or distribution system.



[Statutory Authority: Chapter 70.119 RCW and Safe Drinking Water Act, Public Law 104-182; 64 F.R. 5916 - 5921. 01-02-070, § 246-292-050, filed 12/29/00, effective 1/29/01. Statutory Authority: Chapter 70.119 RCW. 94-04-004, § 246-292-050, filed 1/20/94, effective 2/20/94. Statutory Authority: RCW 43.70.040. 91-02-049 (Order 121), recodified as § 246-292-050, filed 12/27/90, effective 1/31/91. Statutory Authority: RCW 70.119.050. 78-10-053 (Order 1343), § 248-55-060, filed 9/22/78.]