Office of Drinking Water Quality

Drinking Water Operator Certification Program

Policy for the Approval of Operator Training Courses

The purpose of this policy is to establish the minimum criteria for approving operator training courses to be used as credit towards the certification renewal training requirements. This document outlines the requirements and procedures for obtaining Board approval to award training contact hours for drinking water operator certification courses to be used towards meeting the certification renewal requirements. All applications for approval should be submitted to the Board a minimum of ninety (90) days prior to the date the training is to occur.

There are four methods in which a training program may be approved by the Board to issue training credits to be used towards certification renewal:

1. The individual or organization conducting training has been approved by the Board to issue training contact hours for a specific training course.
2. The organization conducting the training has had their training program approved by the Board for issuing training contact hours.
3. The training program or specific training is cosponsored or sanctioned by an organization which has had their training program approved by the Board for conducting training and issuing training contact hours towards certification renewal.
4. The organization conducting the training is an accredited college or university and the course is in a drinking water supply related field.

1.    CRITERIA FOR THE APPROVAL OF A SPECIFIC TRAINING COURSE

Any individual or organization wishing approval to conduct a renewal training course for water supply operators shall submit the following to the Board for review:

1. the date, location of the training and description of the training facility;
2. the name, address and telephone number of person(s) to contact regarding the training;
3. the course outline showing the topic(s) to be presented and time allotted for each (including beginning and ending times).
4. the criteria for determining the successful completion of the course;
5. a copy of the instruction materials, including a copy of handouts, overheads, videotapes, etc. if appropriate.
6. the name, address, and background information or resume of instructor(s) which shows the instructor’s competence in the subject matter and ability to communicate the program content at an appropriate level;
7. instructors affiliation with the drinking water field;
8. a copy of the certificate of completion being issued to the attendees containing the following information

1. attendee’s name;
2. name of course;
3. renewal credits issued:
4. date the course was held:
5. name of the course instructor and affiliation.

9. a copy of the attendance roster to be used containing the following information:
   
   1. name of the course;
   2. training contact hours to be issued;
   3. date the course was held;
   4. location of the course;
   5. name of course instructor(s);
   6. names of the attendees and certificate numbers
       
10. number of contact hours to be issued
    1. Contact hours are based upon actual contact time in the training. All breaks and meal times must be noted on the agenda and will not count toward contact hours.
       
    2. No credit will be given prior to the completion of any training course. Participants must attend and stay for the entire session to complete the program satisfactorily. the completion date of a multi-day course is the last day of the course.
       
    3. Contact hours will be issued in increments of one-half (0.5) hours. Any approved training issuing continuing education units (CEUs) will be given credit at the rate of ten (10) contact hours per one (1.0) CEU.
        
11. Once a course has been approved, the course information does not have to be resubmitted for subsequent sessions of that course provided that there are no major changes in the course content, time allotted, instructor or material used. Any revisions must be submitted to the Board ninety (90) days in advance of any subsequent sessions of an approved course

2.    CRITERIA FOR THE APPROVAL OF TRAINING PROGRAMS

Organizations involved in a drinking water supply related field conducting training may apply to the Board for approval of their training program. If granted, this approval will allow the organization to issue training contact hours for training courses without individual course pre-approval. To obtain training program approval, the organization must submit to the Board for review their training criteria which should include the following information:
 

1. a mission statement that outlines the functions, structure, processes, and philosophy which guides the operations of the continuing education of training program;
    
2. a policy to insure the instructor(s) competence in the subject matter and ability to communicate the program content at an appropriate level;
    
3. a written policy for determining the successful completion of a training course;
    
4. a written policy on maintaining records, preparing attendance rosters and issuing certificates of completion. Reference sections 1.8, 1.9 and 1.10 of this policy;
   
5. An annual training curriculum and/or agenda and course syllabi must be submitted to the Board by the end of each calendar year. Agenda’s must include the number of training contact hours to be issued for each training course.
   
6. Any changes or modifications to the information submitted to the Board for training program approval shall be submitted to the Board for review and approval ninety (90) days before the date of the training.

3.     SANCTIONED OR CO-SPONSORED TRAINING

Training, seminars, or workshops conducted by individuals may issue credits towards certification renewal if their training courses are cosponsored or sanctioned by an organization that has had their training program approved by the Board. The credits shall be jointly issued with the sanctioning or co-sponsoring organization. The co-sponsoring or sanctioned organization must ensure that both the administrative and program criteria are followed for issuing training contact hours to be used towards certificate renewal. Permanent records for each participant who successfully completes the training must be established and maintained by the organization co-sponsoring or sanctioning the training.

If not specified by the association, the number of training contact hours issued for approved conferences and symposiums held by the American Water Works Association, New England Water Works Association, and Rhode Island Water Works Association shall be equal to the number of hours attended with a maximum of five (5) contact hours per day.
 

4.    UNIVERSITY AND COLLEGE COURSES

Courses taken in a drinking water related field at an accredited college or university can be approved for credit towards the renewal training requirements. Courses should be in the areas of sanitary, civil, chemical or environmental engineering, environmental science, public health, biology, chemistry, mathematics or other drinking water related fields. Course credits will be approved at the rate of one (1) semester credit hour is equivalent to fifteen (15) training contact hours.
 

1. To ensure that a course will be approved by the Board for credit towards the renewal training requirements, the operator should request approval, in writing, ninety (90) days prior to the start of the course. The request should include the following

2. name of college or university offering course;
3. title of the course;
4. copy of the course material to be covered;
5. date the course is to be taken;
6. number of semester credit hours to be issued;
   

2. Credit will only be given for the successful completion of the course with a passing grade as determined by the college or university