Drinking Water Operator Certification
What a Class A Operator Needs To Know
Class A applicants are expected to have a mastery of all subjects listed under Class B, C, D, and E, plus a practical familiarity with treatment plant design, water utility management, security, safety, and public health. Ability to make a wide range of advanced water utility calculations is expected.
Topics listed with an asterisk (*) may have some level of calculation involved.
Source Water
Characteristics
- Bacteriological
- Biological
- Chemical
- Physical
Monitor and Evaluate
- Sample site plan
- Sanitary surveys
- Inspect springs
- Surface water, stratification effects on treatment, and water quality
Perform Security and Administrative Duties
- Administer compliance program
- Administer emergency preparedness plan
- Administer safety and security program
- Coordinate emergency response with other organizations
- Coordinate employees activities
- *Develop budget, finance, and rates
- Develop operation and maintenance plan
- Organize work/Plan activities
- Promote customer service, public information program
- Record compliance information
- *Record facility operation information
- Record maintenance information
- Respond to customer concerns/complaints
- Write reports (internal, state, federal)
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Monitor/Evaluate/Adjust Treatment Processes
Chemical Treatment/Addition Process
- Advanced oxidation - hydrous manganese oxide (HMO)
- *Chemical addition
- *Chlorine disinfection-hypochlorite, gas
- Chlorine dioxide disinfection
- Corrosion control
- Corrosion studies
- Excess lime softening
- *Fluoridation
- Ozone disinfection
- pH adjustment
- Ultraviolet disinfection
Coagulation and Flocculation Process
- Chemical coagulants
- Coagulation aids
- Clarification/sedimentation process
- *Flocculation tanks
- Rapid mix units
Clarification/Sedimentation Process
- Sedimentation basins, short-circuiting, overflow rates
- Sludge - characteristics, handling, disposal
- Suspended matter, colloidal particles
- Temperature effects
- Tube sedimentation
- Upflow solids-contact clarification
Filtration Process
- Backwash aids
- Cartridge filters
- Direct filtration
- Filter aids
- Gravity filtration
- Microscreens
- Pressure or greensand filtration
Other Treatment Processes
- Aeration
- Discharge to lagoons
- *Disposal to sanitary sewer
- Granular activated carbon/Powdered activated carbon
- *Ion Exchange/softening, brine disposal
- *Iron/manganese removal
- *Lime-soda ash softening
- Mechanical dewatering
- Membrane filtration
- Packed tower aeration
- Reverse Osmosis
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Operate Equipment
- Blowers and compressors
- Cathodic protection devices
- Chemical feeders
- Chlorinators
- Computers
- Drives
- Electronic testing equipment
- Engines
- Gates
- Generators
- Hydrants
- Hydraulic equipment
- Instrumentation
- Motors
- Off-gas equipment
- Pneumatic equipment
- Pumps-centrifugal, diaphragm
- SCADA system/RTU/Telemetry/GIS
- Tools, power and hand
- Valves
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System Design
- Assess System Demand
- Flushing program
- Perform pressure readings
- Read Blueprints, readings, and maps
- Select materials
- Select pipes
- Size mains
- System Layout
- System Map
- Write plans (Operation & Maintenance)
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Evaluate and Maintain Equipment
- Blowers and compressors
- Cathodic protection devices
- Check speed of equipment
- Chemical feeders
- Chlorinators
- Corrosion Control Equipment
- Drives/Prime movers
- Engines
- Filters
- Fittings
- Gates
- Generators
- Hydrants
- Hydraulic equipment
- Inspect equipment for abnormal conditions
- Instrumentation
- Intake structures
- Measure temperature of equipment
- Motors
- Off-gas equipment
- Perform preventative maintenance on:
- Pipes
- Plant building and grounds
- Pneumatic equipment
- Pumps
- Read charts
- Read meters
- Read pressure gauges
- Storage facilities
- Treatment units
- Valves
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Laboratory Analysis
Collect Samples, Perform Analyses, and Interpret Results
- *Alkalinity
- *Chlorine dosage/demand/residual
- *Fluoride concentration
- Aluminum
- Carbon Dioxide
- Coliforms
- Conductivity
- Cryptosporidium
- CT values
- Disinfectant by-products (trihalomethanes)
- Dissolved oxygen - effects of temperature
- Giardia Lamblia
- Hardness
- Inorganic (heavy metal) chemicals
- Iron/Manganese
- Jar test
- Lead/Copper
- Microbiological
- Nitrate and nitrification
- pH
- Phosphate
- Polymers - anionic, cationic, and nonionic
- Radiological parameters
- Settleable solids
- Synthetic Organic Chemicals/Volatile Organic Chemicals (SOCs/VOCs)
- Temperature
- Turbidity
- Virus inactivation
- Zeta potential - meaning, calculation
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Perform Safety Procedures
- Chemical handling
- Confined space entry
- Contamination
- Electrical hazards
- Excavation
- Fire safety
- First aid
- General safety and health
- Lifting
- Lockout-tagout
- Natural disasters
- Pathogens
- Personal hygiene
- Personal protective equipment
- Respiratory protection
- Slips, trips, and falls
- Spill response
- Traffic /work zone
- Trenching and shoring
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Comply with Part 141 National Primary Drinking Water Regulations
- Subpart A - General definitions
- Subpart B - Maximum contaminant levels
- Subpart C - Monitoring and analytical requirements
- Subpart D - Reporting and recordkeeping
- Subpart E - Special regulations
- Subpart G - National drinking water regulations-MCL, max disinfect
- Subpart H - Filtration and disinfection
- Subpart I - Control of lead and copper
- Subpart K - Treatment techniques
- Subpart L - Disinfectant residuals, byproducts, and precursors
- Subpart O - Consumer confidence reports
- Subpart P - Enhanced filtration and disinfection
- Subpart Q - Public notification of Drinking Water violations
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Knowledge of Minnesota Specific Needs
- Certification Laws of Minnesota
- MDH/10-States Design Standards
- Sanitary surveys
- Source water protection plans
- Vulnerability assessment
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Knowledge of:
- Approved backflow methods and devices
- Blueprint reading
- Cathodic protection
- Chemical properties
- Cold weather operation
- Corrosion control process
- Disinfection concepts, design parameters
- Disinfection process
- Emergency plans
- Facility operation and maintenance
- Fire flow requirements
- Function of recordkeeping system
- General chemistry and biology and physical science
- *General electrical and mechanical, and hydraulic principles
- Hydrology
- Joints, restraints, and thrust blocks
- Laboratory equipment and techniques
- Lubricant and fluid characteristics
- Monitoring and reporting requirements
- Normal characteristics of water
- Normal chemical range
- Operation and maintenance practices
- Personal protective equipment
- Pipe fittings, material, type and size
- Pneumatics
- Principles of measurement, instruments
- Principles of finance
- Principles of general communication
- Principles of management and supervision
- Principles of public relations
- Process control instrumentation
- Proper chemical application, handling, and storage
- Proper lifting procedures
- Proper safety procedures
- Proper sampling procedures
- Public notification requirements
- Quality control/quality assurance practices
- Recordkeeping policies
- Regulations and standards
- Safe Drinking Water Act
- Safety procedures
- Safety regulations
- Standard methods
- Start-up and shutdown procedures
- Tools – hand and power
- Types/purpose of storage tanks
- Water treatment concepts and processes
- Watershed protection
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Ability to:
- *Adjust chemical feed rates
- Adjust equipment
- *Adjust flow patterns
- *Adjust process and system units
- Assign work to proper trade
- Assess likelihood of disaster occurring
- *Calculate dosage rates
- Calibrate equipment
- Calibrate instruments
- Communicate written and verbally
- Confirm chemical strength
- Demonstrate safe work habits
- Determine what information needs to be recorded
- Diagnose/troubleshoot process and system units
- Differentiate preventative/correct maintenance
- Discriminate normal/abnormal equipment conditions
- Evaluate facility performance
- Evaluate operation of equipment
- Evaluate process units
- Follow written procedures
- Generate a written safety program
- Identify potential safety hazards
- Inspect pumps
- Interpret and transcribe data
- Interpret Material Safety Data Sheets
- Maintain normal operating conditions
- Measure chemical weight/volume
- *Monitor electrical and mechanical equipment
- Select and operate safety equipment
- *Order necessary spare parts
- Perform advanced math
- Perform general maintenance and repairs
- *Perform laboratory calculations
- *Perform physical measurements
- *Perform process control calculations
- Perform impact assessments
- Prepare chemicals
- Recognize normal/abnormal analytical results
- Recognize unsafe work conditions or potential safety hazards
- Record information
- Review reports
- Report findings
- Translate technical language into common terminology
- Use hand and power tools
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