Drinking water operations: training and certification

The Law

Drinking water operators in Ontario test, treat and disinfect our water to ensure its safe to drink.

To work as a drinking water operator in a municipal system or a regulated non-municipal system, you must have a valid certificate.

Source law

You can find a complete set of rules related to this activity:

• Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002
• Ontario Regulation 128/04

Ontario Drinking Water Operator Code of Ethics

The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks’ Drinking Water Operator Code of Ethics provides the foundation for ethical drinking water operational practices. It reminds operators and water quality analysts of the importance of integrity in their work and it enhances professionalism in performing their operational duties to provide safe drinking water.

Certified drinking water operators and water quality analysts are expected to act honestly, competently and with integrity with a view to protect public health and the environment, as required under the regulation for the certification of drinking water system operators and water quality analysts (O. Reg. 128/04). In order to ensure ethical conduct, the ministry is authorized to take disciplinary action if an operator or water quality analyst has failed to meet these requirements, and to maintain the integrity of the operator certification program.

The Ontario Drinking Water Operator Code of Ethics is provided below in the following two sections:

• Operator Requirements Under Provincial Law
• Ethical Work Practices

Operator requirements under provincial law

As set out in the Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002, the people of Ontario are entitled to expect their drinking water to be safe.

The certification of drinking water operators in Ontario is governed by the Certification of Drinking Water System Operators, Water Quality Analysts Regulation (O. Reg. 128/04) and the Drinking Water Systems Regulation (O. Reg. 170/03). Both regulations are made under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

The Director under Ontario Regulation 128/04 entrusts and expects certified drinking water operators to:

• exercise care, diligence and skill in respect of the operations and maintenance of drinking water systems
• act honestly, competently and with integrity, with a view to ensuring the protection and safety of the users of drinking water systems
• hold a valid operator certificate appropriate to their role and the type of regulated drinking water subsystem(s) in which they operate

Ethical work practices

Ethical work practices help to ensure the ongoing protection of public health and the environment. Operators are expected to act honestly, competently and with integrity.  

If you hold a drinking water operator or water quality analyst certificate, or are applying for a certificate to work within a drinking water system in Ontario, you will be required to acknowledge and attest to the following:

I am expected to:

• operate with professionalism, respect, and honesty and exercise care and diligence to help ensure the delivery of safe and reliable drinking water to the citizens of Ontario whom I serve
• strive to fully meet and/or exceed the public’s and my employer’s expectations for excellent service
• uphold the drinking water operator profession to the best of my abilities by conducting myself with integrity
• perform operational work with the degree of skill and competency that is required by the type and classification of my drinking water certification(s)
• diligently maintain logs and records that are legible, accurate and that reflect the regulatory work I have conducted, so they can be relied upon by other operators, employers, regulators, and others as circumstances may warrant
• seek guidance and information from the Overall Responsible Operator or Operator-in-Charge, as applicable, when needed to help ensure the best course of action
• comply with legislation, regulations, related guidance material, standard operating procedures, directives and any other code(s) of conduct or policies required by law or by my employer, to help ensure effective operations
• hold a valid and appropriate operator certificate when performing operational duties that are required by law to be performed by a certified operator
• make available to the owner or operating authority of the subsystem where I work a valid certificate of qualification so that it can be conspicuously displayed at my workplace or at the premises from which the subsystem is managed
• interact with peers, apprentices, tradespeople, members of other professions or occupations, and all other persons I encounter in my place of work in a manner that:
  • demonstrates courtesy, honesty, integrity, good faith, and respect
  • is professional and civil
  • shares my knowledge with other operators
  • abstains from acts of discrimination and harassment
  • avoids any abusive behavior towards any individual

• satisfy my duties related to training, including by:
  • seeking training to improve my knowledge and competency in operations
  • making efforts to learn about emerging issues and technologies
  • completing any required training to support my certification and recertification
  • following approved workplace training requirements

• satisfy my duty to act lawfully, including by:
  • complying with all legislation relevant to my employment as a drinking water operator, the supervision of others, and the drinking water subsystem within which I may operate
  • not accepting gratuities

• maintain a professional relationship with the Certification Program Administrator, the Ontario Water Wastewater Certification Office and the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, including by:
  • being honest when completing and submitting any application form, information or documents to support the assessment of my application(s), evaluation(s), or examination process(es)
  • responding to any communications promptly, completely, and in the form requested
  • cooperating with the Certification Program Administrator as circumstances dictate

Types of operator certificates

There are different types of certificates you need to get to operate in different water systems. You must earn a certificate in the system you want to work in.

The higher the level of certificate, the more education and experience you need.

Water operator

Some certificates allow you to operate in more than one system:

• water treatment certificates in Classes I – IV allow you to operate a water distribution and water distribution and supply system, a limited surface water system and a limited groundwater system
• water distribution and supply certificates in Classes I – IV also allow you to operate a water distribution system and a limited groundwater system
• OIT water treatment certificate allows you to operate a limited surface water or limited groundwater system under the supervision of an overall responsible operator or operator-in-charge
• OIT water distribution/water distribution and supply certificate allows you to operate a limited groundwater system under the supervision of an overall responsible operator or operator-in-charge

See: certification guide for operators

Become a drinking water operator

Operator-in-Training certificate

The first step to becoming a certified drinking water operator is to get your drinking water Operator-in-Training (OIT) certificate. The certificate allows new operators to gain the required one year of experience in order to become a Class I operator.

To obtain an OIT certificate, you must:

• have your Ontario Secondary School Diploma or equivalent
• pass the Operator-in-Training or Class I exam
• pay the exam and certificate fee

The certificate is valid for 36 months..

Guidelines: grade 12 equivalency

Register: OIT exam

Apply for your OIT certificate

After you’ve passed your exam, you need to complete and submit an OIT Certificate and Licence Issuance form with payment to get your certificate.

Application form: OIT certificate

Entry-Level Course for Drinking Water Operators

You must take the Entry-Level Course for Drinking Water Operators to:

• renew an expiring OIT certificate for another 36 months; or
• obtain a Class 1 certificate (see Upgrade Your Certificate for more information about additional requirements).

This 2 week course is available through the Walkerton Clean Water Centre. The course is divided into two parts:

• Part 1: 1 week correspondence, self-study — followed by a test
• Part 2: 1 week classroom training — followed by a test

The course includes, but is not limited to subjects, such as:

• protecting the health of the public
• regulations governing water quality
• disinfection and treatment
• water distribution
• sampling

To register for the entry-level course contact the course administrator:

Walkerton Clean Water Centre
519-881-2003
Toll free: 1-866-515-0550
Or email: inquiry@wcwc.ca

Entry-Level Drinking Water Operators Course
Entry-Level Course at-a-glance
Certification guide

Exemptions

The Entry Level Course is included in the curriculum of environmental programs at some Ontario colleges.

Students who graduate from the programs are not required to take the Entry-Level Course for Drinking Water Operators.

To learn if you’re exempt, contact your college or the:

Ontario Water and Wastewater Certification Office
416-231-2100
Toll free: 1-877-231-2122
Or email: info@owwco.ca

Upgrade your certificate

To become a certified Class I drinking water operator, you must:

• hold, or have previously held, an  Operator-in-Training certificate
• complete the entry-level drinking water operator course
• work at least 1 year in a municipal drinking water system
• pass the applicable Class I examination

If you are a drinking water operator and you want to upgrade your existing certificate, you must meet the requirements for that certificate, including meeting examination, experience and post-secondary education requirements (depending on the Class of certificate).

For example, if you currently have a Class II certificate and want a Class III certificate, you must meet the requirements for a Class III certificate.

You can’t apply for a certificate that is more than one class above your own. For example, if you have a Class II certificate you can apply for a Class III certificate, but not a Class IV certificate.

Application form: drinking water certificate

Guideline: obtaining experience for contractors

Guideline: experience as a drinking water operator

Renew your certificate

To renew your certificate (Class I - IV), you are required to complete the Mandatory Certificate Renewal Course 2021-2023 offered by the Walkerton Clean Water Centre.

You must also:

• complete the annual continuing education and on-the-job training requirements
• have 3 months of experience in the past 3 years working as a drinking water operator — or related experience
• pay the fee

You may complete your annual training at any time during the 3 year period in which you hold a certificate. For example:  if you operate in a Class 2 system, you must complete an average of 35 hours of training every year. You can complete the entire 105 hours in the first year and 0 hours in years 2 and 3.

Application form: drinking water certificate renewal

Course: Mandatory Certificate Renewal Course 2021-2023

Walkerton Clean Water Centre
519-881-2003
Toll free: 1-866-515-0550
Or email: inquiry@wcwc.ca

Renew an expired certificate

If your certificate expires and you wait less than 1 year to replace it, you must:

• meet the regular requirements to renew your certificate
• pay a late renewal fee, as well as the normal renewal fee

If your certificate expires and you wait over 1 year to replace it, you must:

• meet the qualifications in Regulation 128/04 for that type of class – this includes passing the certification exam
• complete the Mandatory Certificate Renewal Course 2021-2023 (if a certificate has been expired for 10 or more years additional training may be required)
• pay a late renewal fee, as well as the regular renewal fee

Course: Mandatory Certificate Renewal Course 2021-2023

Experience as a drinking water operator

Guide: renewal of certificates and training requirements

Small, non-municipal drinking water operators

If you operate or perform operational tests on small or non-municipal drinking water systems specialized training and certification are available which address the needs of these types of systems.

Learn more about the training and certification requirements for different types of systems

Limited systems operators

If you hold a Limited System certificate, you can operate any of the following types of drinking water systems:

• small municipal residential systems  (groundwater)
• non-municipal year-round residential systems
• large non-municipal non-residential systems serving a designated facility such as a daycare or school
• large municipal non-residential systems serving a designate facility

Operators who hold the applicable Class 1 to 4 drinking water certificates and drinking water Operators-in-Training working under the supervision of an Overall-Responsible-Operator or Operator-in-Charge, can operate limited systems as well.

Certification is required by regulations 170/03 and 128/04 of the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Learn how to become a limited systems operator or how to renew your certificate.

Trained persons

If you are a ‘trained person’, you can operate drinking water systems serving designated facilities (for example, schools or daycares) within these drinking water systems:

• small, non-municipal, non-residential system
• small, municipal, non-residential system
• non-municipal seasonal residential system

To become a trained person, you must complete and pass the Operation of Small Drinking Water Systems course.

This course is offered by the Walkerton Clean Water Centre.

Walkerton Clean Water Centre
519-881-2003
Toll free: 1-866-515-0550
Or email: inquiry@wcwc.ca

To maintain the status of a Trained Person you must complete a course from the list of Director -approved courses for Trained Persons. You may also re-take the Operation of Drinking Water Systems course through the Walkerton Clean Water Centre. Visit the Ontario Water and Wastewater Certification Office  website for more information.

Learn more: becoming a trained person

Supervised persons

If you are a ‘supervised person’ you can test chlorine residual and turbidity in certain drinking water systems.

These systems include:

• municipal systems
  • a small residential system a small non-residential system
  • serving a designated facility a large non-residential system
  • serving a designated facility
• non-municipal systems
  • a small non-residential system – serving a designated facility
  • a large non-residential system – serving a designated facility
  • a year-round residential system
  • a seasonal system serving a designated facility.

To become a supervised person, you must:

• be trained by a certified drinking water operator, who documents your training
• work under the supervision of a certified drinking water operator
• immediately advise the certified drinking water operator of all test results

For a supervised person: Steps to become a supervised person

For an operator: Training manual for supervised persons conducting operational checks

Certified outside Ontario

All provinces have signed the Canadian Reciprocity Agreement. This agreement allows licences and certificates to be easily transferrable from province to province.

Ontario will accept a valid certificate of a drinking water operator from another province or territory.

To have your certificate recognized in Ontario, you must:

• complete the Reciprocity Application section of the Drinking Water Certificate and Wastewater Licence Application form
• submit a photocopy of the certificate you received from the other province
• pay the fee

Application form: Reciprocity

Exception

If you hold any of these 3 certificates, you must complete the required Entry Level Course — or training considered equivalent — before being issued a Class I Ontario certificate:

• Class I Water Treatment
• Class I Water Distribution
• Class I Water Distribution and Supply

Certified outside Canada

If you hold a certificate from a jurisdiction outside of Canada please contact the Certification Office for details on obtaining an Ontario certificate.

Guideline: Recognition of Education Received in Other Jurisdictions – Other Than Canada and the US

Ontario Water and Wastewater Certification Office
416-231-2100
Toll free:  1-877-231-2122
Or email: info@owwco.ca

Exams

Before you can apply to become a certified drinking water operator, you must pass a certification exam (pass is 70%).

You can only write an exam one class higher than the class of the certificate you now hold and must wait a minimum of 90 days from the date you write your exam to take the next class level exam or to re-write an exam, after failure.

The Ontario Water and Wastewater Certification Office administers exams and certification on behalf of the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.

Please contact the Certification Office, if you want to:

• register for an exam
• prepare for an exam (for example, study guides and exam aids)
• write an exam
• get a list of exam dates and locations

The Certification Office will send you a letter and information about:

• the exam to be written
• date and time of the exam
• location of the exam — map included
• materials you’ll need to bring to the exam – personal photo ID and calculator
• documents you’ll need to submit to get your certificate, once you’ve passed the exam
• ministry’s Water and Wastewater Operator Certification and Exam Code of Conduct

You must also bring the following items to the exam or you will not be allowed to write it on your scheduled date:

• the confirmation letter from the Certification Office
• a signed Water and Wastewater Operator Certification and Exam Code of Conduct
• a government-issued photo ID
• a document with your address

Ontario Water and Wastewater Certification Office
416-231-2100
Toll-free at 1-877-231-2122
Or email: info@owwco.ca

Examination Registration form

Fees

Please include payment of any applicable fee(s) when you submit your application form.
You can pay by either:

• credit card
• cheque — payable to the “Minister of Finance”

Fees (effective January 1, 2016)

*Paid by owner

**Paid by course provider