What every new operator and system should know
by Fred Baumert, Training Director

Kansas has a high percentage of water and wastewater systems which serve communities having low population. Many small system operators fall into the "one-horse town" category, and there is a relatively high turnover rate among this class of workers. It is not uncommon to meet James Jones, the Operator-In-Training of XZY water system at a training session in May, and meet his replacement, Sally Smith, at a training session in November. Whenever this situation occurs for whatever reason, the new operator or the owner of the system has numerous questions.

While we do our best to provide answers, KRWA often refers specific questions to the staff of the Technical Services Section of the Kansas Department of Health & Environment (KDHE). They are the authority. I'd like to thank Teresa Schuyler and Darrel Plummer at KDHE for contributing to this article. Darrel works in compliance monitoring for public water systems; Teresa works in the operator training and certification program. She can be reached at 785-296-5511.

Basic KDHE operator requirements

Let's begin with the basic ground rules spelled out in the publication Operator Certification: Requirements for Water and Wastewater Treatment Facilities by KDHE's Bureau of Water.

First, the State of Kansas, through KDHE, administers a mandatory water and wastewater operator certification program. The program was begun in 1975 as a result of laws passed by the Kansas Legislature in response to the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. The laws require all water supply systems and wastewater systems to be under the supervision of an operator certified by KDHE. The agency administers and provides for five certification levels for water operators and five certification levels for wastewater operators. The operator must be at, or above, the classification level required for the system for which the operator works.

It is not true that all people who work in water or wastewater systems must be certified. They do not. The law says that each system shall be under the supervision of an operator certified by KDHE. By the same token, there's no denying that the certification program has been a stimulus for many operators to obtain training who otherwise might not have been allowed to attend or who would not have taken the initiative on their own.

Achieving certification requires study, training and on-the-job experience. After one year of employment by a water or wastewater utility, the individual must pass a written examination to become listed as a certified operator in Kansas.

Ten hours of training are required during every two years for Class I-IV water and wastewater operators. Ten hours of training are required every four years for Small System operators. Note that the Small System training requirement is expected to increase within the next year as a result of the 1996 Amendments to the SDWA.

What's an Operator-In-Training (OIT)?

If a water supply system or wastewater treatment facility loses its only certified operator, the owner may: 1) contract with another certified operator, or; 2) hire a non-certified individual as an Operator-In-Training (OIT). KDHE will provide names of certified operators upon request of a utility looking for a candidate operator.

The person hired as an OIT is expected to learn how to physically operate and manage the system by obtaining experience "on the job." KDHE requires that the owner notify it within 30 days of hiring a new operator. As soon as possible after completing one full year of work as an OIT, the operator is supposed to take the appropriate certification examination. Note that the OIT of a Class III system may be required to take the Class I exam and then work up through the grades if the individual doesn't have enough experience for the higher level exam.

Beyond these requirements, water or wastewater systems are encouraged to contact KRWA when a new operator begins work. KRWA can provide technical assistance on site and help the new operator set priorities for his or her new responsibilities. KRWA can provide training information and furnish operator certification study guides.

The following subheads are typical questions.

What is a Small Water System?

Kansas water supply systems fall into five categories which are for the most part differentiated by population served and treatment processes. The five categories are Small System, and Classes I through IV.

A Small Water Supply System is one that meets either of these criteria: a) a distribution system only, or; b) a groundwater system which serves less than 501 people and provides no water treatment beyond the required chlorination.

All water supply systems in Kansas that purchase all of their water from other utilities are considered "distribution system only" systems, regardless of population served. An example is the City of Reserve, which purchases all its water from Brown County RWD 1; Reserve serves 100 or so customers. On the other end of the spectrum is Bourbon Consolidated RWD 2, which purchases the majority of its water from the City of Fort Scott and purchases a smaller amount of water from Public Wholesale Water Supply District 5. Bourbon Cons. RWD 2 is anything but small in the physical sense, serving a population of approximately 8000 people through 2600 meters and more than 700 miles of pipeline. Nevertheless, KDHE classifies Bourbon Cons. RWD 2 as a Small Water Supply System because it meets the "distribution system only" standard.

Small systems meeting the "groundwater system serving less than 501 people and chlorinates only" standard is, by definition, much easier to understand.

How Many Small Water Systems are there in Kansas?

As of Jan. 9, 2001, there are 922 Community Water Systems in the state, serving 2,429,156 people. Approximately 62%, or 575 of the 922 systems, are classified as Small Systems. The Small Systems consist of 254 cities, 231 RWDs, 45 mobile home parks, 17 improvement districts and/or homeowner associations, and 45 "other." "Distribution only" systems account for 314 of the 575 Small Systems. The remainder (261) are groundwater systems serving less than 501 people. Again, this is the count of those classified as "Small Systems." Kansas has more than 231 RWDs for example.

What are the differences between Class I through IV Water Supply Systems?

Without going into great detail, Class I - IV Water Supply Systems differ according to population served and treatment process. Groundwater systems which chlorinate only are assigned classification numbers which correspond with increasing population served. Water treatment plants, whether groundwater or surface water source, are also assigned classification numbers corresponding to increasing population numbers. Treatment processes vary with the quality of raw water and include: iron and manganese removal; softening; coagulation sedimentation and filtration; recarbonation; and chemical addition other than chlorine. Class I - IV systems account for 347 of the total of 922 Community Water Supply Systems in Kansas.

In addition to the 922 Community Water Systems, there are two other types of Public Water Supply Systems in the state. They are: 1) 69 "Non- Transient, Non-Community water systems, consisting of schools, day care facilities, industrial or manufacturing facilities, etc., and 2) 107 Transient, Non- Community water systems, consisting of motels, parks, airports, campgrounds, truck stops, etc. All Non-Community systems require the services of a Certified Water Operator of the appropriate classification.

Does KRWA provide special training sessions for OIT's?

Not at the present time. KRWA's training sessions are geared for all operators. As such KRWA's training is helpful to new operators but KRWA presently has no specialized training program just to prepare a new operator to take a certification examination.

What is a Small Wastewater System?

Kansas wastewater systems are classified by five categories determined by population served and treatment process. The categories are Small System, and Classes I through IV.

A Small System wastewater system is one which utilizes non-discharging ponds and which serves any population. Small wastewater systems typically meet increasing population requirements by adding ponds or increasing pond size. Kansas presently has 437 small wastewater systems.

Are all stabilization pond systems considered Small Wastewater Treatment Systems?

No. Discharging ponds may also be used to serve any population. The fact that they discharge, however, differentiates then from the Small Systems. All discharging pond systems have what is referred to as a "discharge permit," and are classified as Class I Wastewater Treatment Facilities. There are 324 discharging waste stabilization pond systems in Kansas.

What are the differences between Class I through IV Wastewater Systems?

Class I-IV wastewater treatment facilities differ according to population served and treatment process. The treatment processes differ as to "mechanical plant" design. Such plants are referred to as Secondary Facility or Advanced System. Secondary Facilities utilize biological treatment technology such as trickling filters, rotating biological contactors and activated sludge. Advanced Systems utilize chemical, biological or physical treatment to provide nutrient removal beyond secondary treatment, or effluent clarification. (The exception is Class I facilities that utilize discharging ponds, above.)

The total number of wastewater systems in Kansas is 1384. Of this number, 623 are mechanical plants or other waste facilities such as industrial cooling water, boiler blowdown, etc.

I hope that you find this information helpful in your understanding of the various classifications of water and wastewater utilities and operator certification. Please call KRWA if we can provide any further information. Also, I encourage you to consider attending the annual conference & exhibition at Wichita, March 27 - 29.




From March 2001 issue of The Kansas Lifeline © 2001 KRWA

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