Training requirements for drinking water operators

Important: It may be useful to read this guide together with Ontario Regulation 128/04. This resource is to be used for guidance purposes only. It is intended to explain the training requirements for renewal of a drinking water and water quality analyst certificate under Ontario Regulation 128/04. It also provides information on the certificate renewal process. Training providers can find further guidance on approval of continuing education in the Director approved drinking water continuing education guide for training providers.

This guide should not be considered legal advice. In the event of a conflict between this guide and the requirements of the legislation, the legislation shall govern.

Part A: information on certification and training requirements

Drinking water operator certificates and water quality analyst^{footnote 1[1]} certificates are valid for three years. During the three-year period, an operator is required to complete the required training. The purpose of the training is to ensure that certified operators maintain and enhance their knowledge pertaining to the operation of drinking water systems and remain knowledgeable on current trends in the industry.

Operators and water quality analysts must complete their annual training requirements whether or not they intend to renew their certificate. For example, these requirements apply if you intend to upgrade your certificate before it expires. Every operator, including operators who hold operator-in-training certificates^{footnote 2[2]}, and certified water quality analysts who are employed in a subsystem, must complete their annual training requirements.

What to do if your  certificate is about to expire

• A renewal notice is sent as a courtesy to your mailing address on file in the Water Wastewater Operator Certification System (WWOCS) three months prior to your certificate expiry. Read your renewal notice to determine if you are required to submit training documentation.
• Check your expiry date. Your renewal application should be submitted at least one month prior to the expiry date.
• Verify three months of direct or related experience (to be signed by your supervisor).
• If requested on your renewal notice, provide a summary of your training completed during the previous three years.
• If you do not receive a renewal notice and are unsure of what to include with your application, contact the Program Administrator.
• Submit your renewal fee.

Certificate period

Your training must be completed during the three-year duration of a certificate (certificate period) from the date your certificate was issued to the expiry date printed on the certificate. Training may be completed at any time during the three-year certificate period. For example, you may obtain training throughout the term of the certificate or in only one year of the period.

If you complete more training than is required in a certificate period, the excess training may not be used for the next renewal cycle. Likewise, training completed after you submit your application for renewal but before the expiry of your certificate may not be used for the next renewal cycle.

Training requirements

The number of hours required to be completed during a certificate period is based on the highest class of drinking water system which you operate. If you do not operate a drinking water system, the required hours of training are based on the highest class of certificate you hold. See Table A for a summary of the hours of training that are required.

To renew a certificate you are required to complete three types of training:

1. The Mandatory Renewal Course
2. Continuing education
3. On-the-job practical training

1. Mandatory Renewal Course

The Mandatory Renewal Course must be completed during the certificate period. This course is offered through the Walkerton Clean Water Centre and covers topics on the latest trends and issues in the drinking water industry. The course is revised once every three years.

The Mandatory Renewal Course is seven (7) hours in duration. These hours may be used to meet your continuing education requirement.

2. Continuing education

Continuing Education consists of formal training which has been approved by the authorized ministry Director under Ontario Regulation 128/04^{footnote 4[4]}. A list of approved training may be found on the operator certification Program Administrator’s website. Only courses on the approved list can be used to meet the continuing education requirements^{footnote 5[5]}

Rules for continuing education

• The seven hours obtained by completing the mandatory renewal course may be used to meet the continuing education requirement.
• Only training completed during the certificate period may be used. Any training completed prior to obtaining a certificate cannot be used.
• Conferences sponsored by the Ontario Water Works Association, Ontario Municipal Water Association, Aboriginal Water Wastewater Association of Ontario and the American Water Works Association which are on the approved list may be used to meet up to 25% of the continuing education requirement (See Table B). Any hours in excess of the 25% may be applied to the on-the-job practical training requirement. For example, if you attended 15 hours of conferences and work in a Class III system, you may apply 10 hours to continuing education and 5 hours to on-the-job practical training.
• Course hours are rounded down to the nearest full hour. For example, if training is 4.5 hours in duration, the course would be credited with 4 hours of continuing education.
• Courses are credited a maximum of seven hours per day.
• In order to claim hours for a Continuing Education course you must have successfully passed the course.
• The same course may only be credited once in any three year certificate period.

Some courses may indicate the length of the course as a continuing education unit (CEU). Generally, one CEU equals 10 hours of classroom instruction or 10 hours of continuing education.

3. On-the-job practical training

On-the-job practical training is not pre-approved by the Director. Generally, this type of training would include:

• formal training which has not been approved as continuing education
• structured learning received in the workplace

In order for a learning event to be considered on-the-job practical training, it must meet the following criteria:

• Be a structured learning event involving contact between the learner and instructor. Contact implies two-way communication, such as the instructor:
  • providing feedback to the participant in the form of answers to questions
  • providing comments on participant’s demonstration of learning
  • monitoring the learner’s progress
• Have documented learning objectives that state what learners will know and/or be able to do as a result of taking the training.
• Be delivered by a trainer with expertise in the subject matter. A trainer is considered to have expertise in the subject matter if he or she has obtained:
  • formal education on the subject matter
  • specific training on the subject matter
  • at least three years direct experience on the subject matter
• Be on a subject directly related to the duties typically performed by an operator. Refer to Topics accepted for on-the-job practical training and  Topics not accepted for on-the-job practical training for more information.

Types of activities accepted as on-the-job practical training

Class I to IV operator and water quality analyst certificates

Activities accepted

• Instruction/discussions on health and safety
• Facilitated review of emergency procedures within the place of work, risk assessment, contingency planning
• Demonstrations and/or instruction on operational duties including health and safety provided by suppliers, supervisors or other operators
• Facilitated review of operating procedures or the DWQMS operational plan
• Training on workplace procedures or equipment
• In-person classroom training
• Online or computer-based training
• Viewing of videos with a facilitator
• Attending Ontario Water Works Association/ Ontario Municipal Water Association technical committees on subjects dealing with research, operational processes or regulatory issues (maximum 12 hours per certificate cycle)
• Providing instruction or presentations to other operators on approved subjects (preparation time is not accepted)

Activities not accepted

• Business meetings
• Time spent performing the duties of a drinking water operator or water quality analyst outside of a structured learning event
• Time spent conducting or participating in an inspection
• Non-facilitated viewing of videos (for example, recordings of conference presentations or webinars)
• Reading of operating manuals, operating procedures or trade magazines
• Professional writing (for example, reports, operating procedures, journal or magazine articles, etc.)
• Participation in general committees
• Mentoring/job-shadowing (although training on workplace procedures or equipment during a job-shadow may be counted if properly documented)
• Time spent attending tradeshows at conferences or other events^{footnote 7[7]}

Limited groundwater and surface water certificates

Activities accepted

The same activities provided above for Class I to IV operator and water quality analyst certificates, plus:

• review of inspection results with a water inspector
• viewing of related videos
• reading of system specific operational manuals/instructions/emergency procedures (maximum 9 hours per certificate cycle)

Activities not accepted

The same activities provided above for Class I to IV operator and water quality analyst certificates, except those activities listed as accepted for limited groundwater and surface water certificates.

Rules for on-the-job practical training

• If an exam or test is included, the participant must pass the exam or test to be able to count the hours.
• Excess continuing education hours may be used to meet the on-the-job practical training requirements, without limit.
• A maximum of seven hours of training may be counted per day. Some exceptions may apply — contact the Program Administrator for details.
• Hours are rounded down to the nearest quarter hour.
• The same course may only be used once in any three year certificate period.
• The number of hours claimed must be consistent with the training record or documentation provided for the course unless the portions of the course are not being claimed or are not applicable. For example, if a training record states that a training course is six hours you may not claim seven hours.

For a training course to be eligible for On-the-job Practical Training, you must provide the following information with your renewal application (see Appendix A for a training summary template):

• date of training course/event
• topic(s) of training/course name if applicable
• name of training provider (name of the organization or instructor)
• course duration (in hours or continuing education units)
• telephone number/contact information of training provider

Failure to provide this required information may lead to delays in the processing of your application.

The summary must be signed by either a(n):

• overall responsible operator (ORO)
• authorized designate of ORO
• manager or supervisor of ORO
• training coordinator if authorized by the ORO to do so

In addition, the employer is required to maintain additional information for at least 5 years (see Table D on page 14).

Topics accepted for on-the-job practical training:

Treatment and distribution

• Operation of drinking water systems
• Drinking water treatment processes, equipment
• Distribution system maintenance (flushing, cleaning, tapping, repair)
• Leak detection
• Water storage
• Pump operation/pumping station operation

Legislative requirements and operating procedures

• Acts, regulations, policies, standards and guidelines governing Ontario’s drinking water systems
• Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) standards, policies and procedures related to drinking water
• Ontario or American Water Works Association (AWWA) procedures
• Site specific standards or operating procedures (for example, DWQMS, standard operating procedures)

Health and safety

• Health and safety directly related to the duties of an operator
• Fundamental health and safety (first aid, fire safety, electrical safety)
• Mental health (recognizing and addressing mental health issues, coping with stress)
• Operational and tool safety (handling chemicals,  equipment safety, PPE training)
• Safety in the operator work environment (for example, traffic control, trenching, confined space, working at heights)

Water quality

• Chemistry, physics and other applied sciences related to the operation of a drinking water system
• Water quality (chemical, physical and biological characteristics of water)
• Microbiology/drinking water pathogens
• Sampling and laboratory techniques
• Monitoring

Basic concepts

• Source water protection
• Disinfection (theory, practice, equipment, chemicals)
• Applied engineering related to drinking water treatment or distribution
• Applied mathematics
• Hydraulics
• Well operation and hydrogeology

Operational support

• Drinking water equipment maintenance/preventative maintenance
• SCADA and process control
• Computer programs directly related to drinking water systems
• Cross connection control
• Backflow prevention
• Residuals management
• Drinking water subsystem record-keeping (logs, work orders, etc.)

Management of systems

• Training on system’s DWQMS (but not work to develop the DWQMS)
• Drinking water system management
• Management/supervision of water system staff (leadership, coaching, mentoring, etc.)
• Emergency management (regulatory framework, risk assessment, mitigation strategies, emergency exercises, etc.)
• System security (physical security, cybersecurity, access control, surveillance, etc.)
• Customer relations/communications (for example, customer service, drinking water advisories, notifications, media releases)
• Professional responsibility of an operator (operator ethics, ORO and operator-in-charge (OIC) duties and responsibilities, etc.)

Professional effectiveness

• Conflict management (prevention, conflict resolution, etc.)
• Problem solving (strategies, methods, barriers, etc.)
• Project management concepts (initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and control, completion)
• Effective communication (written / oral communications, presentation, feedback, etc.)
• Risk management decision making (techniques, process, strategies, principles, etc.)

Other topics not listed above may be approved by the Director.

Topics not accepted for on-the-job practical training

• Operation of wastewater facilities and storm water systems
• Generic computer training (word processing, spreadsheets, programming, presentation software, etc.)
• Health and safety not directly related to the duties of an operator (for example,  ergonomics, violence prevention, opioid response)
• Wellness training (for example, work-life balance, burnout, sleep habits)
• General human resources or corporate policy
• Labour relations and collective bargaining
• Other topics not directly related to the duties typically performed by a drinking water operator or water quality analyst

Credit for trainers, instructors and presenters

You may receive hours of training for teaching or instructing continuing education or on-the-job practical training.

The following types of activities may be eligible for training hours:

• presenting in a classroom, conference, workshop or seminar
• presenting in a webinar
• developing on-line course material

If you teach the same course more than once during a certificate period, you may only claim the hours for that course once. The number of hours you will be credited is equal to the number of hours of instruction participants receive. For example, if a course is 35 hours in duration and an operator delivers a 15 hour section of the course, only 15 hours may be claimed. Preparation time prior to instructing cannot be claimed.

Development of on-line learning modules will be credited at the same number of hours it takes for a participant to complete the on-line module. Writing articles for trade magazines or journals cannot be accepted towards meeting your training requirements.

Renewal process

A renewal notice will be sent to operators three months prior to expiry. It is your responsibility to ensure that your address on file is current. If you have not received a renewal notice, please contact the Program Administrator.

When submitting an application for renewal, ensure that you have the required number of hours of training.

What to submit

Continuing education

Submit a course certificate or a signed letter from the training provider verifying successful completion of the course. The certificate/letter must include the course name, duration (in hours or continuing education units), date of course and name of the training provider.

Some municipalities have an agreement with the ministry which allows applicants to submit a summary of their training in place of copies of course certificates. Your supervisor or training coordinator will have further details if this applies to your municipality.

On-the-job practical training

Submit a completed summary sheet signed by your supervisor or training coordinator to verify that you have completed the training listed. The summary sheet must include the date of the training, subjects covered, training provider/instructor’s name and contact information, and the number of training hours.

Multiple certificate holders

If you hold more than one drinking water certificate, your training may not be checked each time you renew. For example, if you hold a Class I water treatment certificate and a Class II water distribution certificate, training will only be checked upon expiry of one of the certificates.

Your renewal notice will state if training records are required with your submission. You may also contact the Program Administrator to determine the next time your training will be verified.

What to keep on file

The owner or operating authoirty must maintain records of on-the-job practical training for all operators employed in the subsystem for five years from the date of trainingIt is recommended that operators retain continuing education course certificates and records of on-the-job practical training until they no longer hold an operator certificate.

What to do if you have not met your training requirements

If you have not completed the required training and have a valid reason (as outlined below), you may submit an application for renewal with a letter to the Director (c/o of the Program Administrator) requesting a temporary certificate renewal under Section 7(6) of Ontario Regulation 128/04. The Director may issue a certificate for up to six months, to give you more time to complete the required training, if they are satisfied you will do so within that period.

This letter must identify the reasons why you were unable to obtain the required training. Your supervisor is required to co-sign the letter.

The reasons the Director may accept include:

• extended illness (must be documented by a physician)
• severe operational issues which resulted in planned training being cancelled or postponed
• scheduled training was cancelled by the training provider
• submitted on-the-job practical training was not accepted
• operator was on an extended leave of absence during the last year of the certificate
• other reasons as approved by the Director

Poor record keeping or failure to plan the required training are not considered valid reasons for failing to complete the training. Operators who are unable to renew their certificate will not be legally allowed to continue to operate a drinking water system upon expiry of their certificate.

To request issuance of a temporary certificate renewal, submit the following:

• a renewal application form
• all applicable training records
• a letter signed by yourself and your supervisor that
  • requests that a temporary certificate renewal be issued
  • includes the reason(s) for failing to complete the required training

Expired certificates

If your drinking water certificate is expired for less than one year, you may renew it by paying the applicable late fee and submitting the required training and experience verification. If your certificate has been expired for more than one year, you will need to meet the qualifications for the certificate which will include rewriting the exam if you wrote it more than 5 years ago. Depending on your individual circumstances you may be required to restart your certificate at a Class I level.

Special circumstances

If you have been on long-term disability leave and are returning to work, please contact the Program Administrator. The ministry will assess the circumstances of your situation and determine if other options could be considered.

Part B: information for training providers

All continuing education courses must be pre-approved by the Director. The Director approved drinking water continuing education guide for training providers includes the criteria that must be met for Director approval of Continuing Education and explains how to submit an application for course approval.

Training providers shall not state or imply that the ministry endorses or approves the content of a course which has been approved.

Training providers may only advertise that a course has been approved after they have received confirmation from the Director.

Uploading participant completion into the ministry’s Water Wastewater Operator Certification System (WWOCS) is a requirement of continual approval. Course providers who do not upload results in a timely manner may have their approved courses removed from the course listing.

Course providers must maintain a policy regarding successful course completion which includes criteria for testing a participant’s mastery of the material and attendance requirements.

There is no pre-approval process for on-the-job practical training. It is recommended that operators and managers/supervisors contact the Program Administrator in advance of attending a training course/event if they are unsure if it meets the requirements for on-the-job practical training as provided in this guide.