FDEP acceptance of diplomas by their operator certification program is mainly contingent upon whether or not a school is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting body. Public high schools in state are usually accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools (SACS) and are overseen by the Florida Department of Education. The General Education Development (GED) is solely developed and maintained by one organization. That organization is the American Council on Education (ACE). ACE oversees the GED program for all 50 states. Each state receives its delegated authority from ACE to administer the GED program locally. ACE does not permit any GED to be taken online. All examinations are scheduled, proctored examinations with the need to provide positive identification.

Many of the online high school programs have little to no oversight and are not accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting body. Just because an online school claims to be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting organization, it’s not always true. The consumer is ultimately responsible for doing his or her research by looking further into each claim made by these schools.

The following websites contain good lists of nationally recognized accrediting organizations. There are quite a few of them out there.

The first organization for you to check out is the Council on Higher Education and Accreditation (CHEA). CHEA is more like a clearing house for all nationally recognized accrediting organizations. You can find them at http://www.chea.org/. They also have some good articles on their website about diploma mills. But for more specific information, check out detailed list of accrediting organizations.pdf for a detailed list of accrediting organizations.

Also, you may look at accrediting organizations recognized by the at US Department of Education (USDE). This website also has a searchable database. However, you may not see some high schools in this database because it is primarily for Post Secondary education (college).

The Florida Department of Education also has a list of accrediting organizations for private or faith based schools. Please visit http://www.floridaschoolchoice.org/Information/Private_Schools/accreditation.asp for this list.

The Commission on International Trans-Regional Accreditation (CITA) is also a good reference to use when searching for accreditation. You can find their web site at http://www.citaschools.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1 CITA also falls under the parent corporation of AdvancED which also oversees NCA CASI and SACS CASI. Check them out at http://www.advanc-ed.org/schools_districts/

For diplomas that are received from outside of the US, FDEP refers those to a nationally recognized translation and evaluation company named , Josef Silney & Associates Inc.. They will evaluate the educational level of the diploma received and provide the applicant with a documented evaluation. If an out of country diploma is evaluated by Josef Silney, and determined to equivalent to a US high school diploma, FDEP will accept it.

This information was provided by:

Ron McCulley
Program Administrator
Operator Certification Program
8509245-8384

The Florida Water & Pollution Control Operators Association,
in cooperation with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection,
Florida Water Environment Association, & Orange County, Florida,
presents two new courses:

Biosolids Management
Orange County Eastern Facility
1621 South Alafaya Trail
Orlando, FL 32828
March 1 & 2, 2010
(8 AM – 4 PM)
Subjects covered:
Biosolids introductions
Public relations
WERF Biosolids Programs
Renewable energy
Biosolids Technologies
Biosolids and Landfills
Alternative Biosolids uses
FDEP Biosolids Permitting
FDEP Civil Enforcement
FDEP Criminal Enforcement

Biosolids Technician
Orange County Eastern Facility
1621 South Alafaya Trail
Orlando, FL 32828
March 3, 4, & 5, 2010
(8 AM – 4 PM)
Subjects covered:
FDEP Chapter 62-640, Rule Updates
Biosolids Nutrient Management Plans
Biosolids Public Relations
FDEP Biosolids Permitting
FDEP Civil Enforcement
FDEP Criminal Enforcement
Personal Safety & First Aid
Biosolids Drying
Biosolids Site Review and Visit
FDOT Vehicle inspection
Alternative Biosolids Uses

The courses provide Continuing Education Credit for
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators
and
Professional Engineers*!

Class size is limited to 50 students per course,
so please enroll as soon as possible!

Applications may be obtained from the FW&PCOA Training Office:
Phone: (321) 383-9690
E-mail: training@fwpcoa.org

For the course application form, please see the attached document.


* FBPE Provider #0004370

Water Distribution System Operator Licensing – Are you Ready?
By Tim McVeigh, FW&PCOA President

It’s hard to believe that almost two years have passed since the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) amended Florida Administrative Code (FAC) Chapters 62-699 and 62-602, to require water suppliers to employ licensed water distribution system operators by May 1, 2011, and to provide rules for issuing these licenses. Time sure does fly by, and before we know it, May 1, 2011, will be at our doorstep! Are you ready to meet the water distribution system operator licensing requirement?

Throughout my discussion, I will refer to Chapters 62-699 and 62-602, FAC, and one may access these rules online at http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/rulesnum.htm#62-600.

Licensing Requirements

Rule 62-699.310(1), FAC, states, “Beginning May 1, 2011, suppliers of water shall employ only persons appropriately licensed under Chapter 62-602, FAC, to be in on-site charge of any water distribution system operation and maintenance activity that may affect water quality or quantity…” For water distribution systems, “on-site charge” means the person exercises supervisory control at a location where operation and maintenance activities on distribution system pipe, pumps, and tanks are taking place. This is a person who may act alone or as the supervisor of an operation and maintenance field crew.

Footnote 1 under the tables in subparagraphs 62-699.310(2)(f)1. and 2., FAC, defines water distribution system operation and maintenance activities that may affect water quality or quantity as: “cleaning (swabbing, pigging, scraping, or air-purging) existing water mains; tapping, depressurizing/dewatering, or disinfecting existing water mains; dewatering, cleaning, or disinfecting existing finished-water storage tanks; and manually operating existing pumps, or adjusting existing automatic pump controls or automatic control valves, as necessary to regulate water distribution system flows or pressures.”

Rule 62-699.310(2)(f), FAC, further requires that the lead or chief operator of a Level 1 water distribution system, serving 100,000 or more persons, must be a Level 1 water distribution system operator; the lead or chief operator of a Level 2 water distribution system, serving at least 10,000 persons and less than 100,000 persons, must be a Level 2 water distribution system operator; and the lead or chief operator of a Level 3 water distribution system, serving at least 1,000 persons and less than 10,000 persons, must be a Level 3 water distribution system operator. The population counts cited above exclude persons served by a regulated consecutive system receiving water from that system.

For Level 1, 2, and 3 water distribution systems, the person in on-site charge of any water distribution system operation and maintenance activity that may affect water quality or quantity must be least a Level 3 water distribution system operator. Whenever these types of activities are taking place, there must be an on-site licensed operator in charge at all times.

For a discussion of the staffing requirements for a Level 4 system, please see rule 62-699.310(2)(f), FAC.

In summary, not every person working on a water distribution system needs to be licensed – just those persons who are lead or chief operators of a system and those who are in on-site charge of any operation and maintenance activity that may affect water quality and quantity.

Now that we have determined who must have a water distribution system operator license, let’s look at the rules provided in Chapter 62-602, FAC, that one must follow to obtain the license.

Education Requirement

First and foremost, a person seeking a water distribution system operator license must have a valid high school diploma or a valid General Educational Development (GED) document. You will be required to submit a copy when you register to attend the FWPCOA training courses, when you apply for the Florida exam (62-602.270, FAC), and when you apply for your license (62-602.300, FAC). If you are submitting a diploma from a foreign country, you must also provide a translation to the English language.

If you have misplaced your high school diploma or GED, I advise you to seek a replacement copy from the school district granting the diploma or the administrator issuing the GED.

The FDEP screens each high school diploma or GED submitted with an exam or license application and will accept only valid documents issued by accredited institutions. The department will not accept documents issued by “online” and correspondence schools that are not equivalent to a high school diploma. If you need to get your GED, there are many reputable programs offered for free at vocational-technical schools or adult education centers in your local area.

Florida Exam Exemption

Persons who completed an FDEP-approved water distribution system operation and maintenance training course successfully before October 15, 2007, may apply directly for a Florida water distribution system operator license (62-602.300(9), FAC). Persons holding an FWPCOA water distribution system operator voluntary C, B, or A certificate issued before October 15, 2007, may therefore apply for a water distribution system operator license Level 3, 2 or 1, respectively. The transfer applies to the highest-level training certificate that one possesses. You must apply, however, before May 1, 2011! Please proceed directly to the discussion on the licensure process.

Florida Exam Process

For water distribution system operator examinations, rule 62-602.270(b), FAC, requires that applicants must successfully complete an FDEP-approved training course for the level of the examination applied for no more than five years before the examination. The entry level is Level 3, followed by Level 2, and then Level 1.

There is a Level 4 water distribution system operator classification, but since there is no licensing prerequisite for Level 3, most persons start the training, exam and licensing process at Level 3.

Speaking of licensing prerequisites, Rule 62-602.270(d), FAC, requires that the exam applicant must possess an active Level 3 water distribution system operator license to take the Level 2 exam, and possess an active Level 2 water distribution system operator license to take the Level 1 exam. You may not skip a level!

Persons applying for a water distribution system operator exam must complete an FDEP application (available at http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/wff/ocp/docs/distribution-exam-app.pdf). Closely follow all the instructions provided on the application.

Retain a copy of the application and attachments for your records. Enclose the exam fee of $75 ($20 for wards of the state) with the application and mail the application package to the FDEP at the address listed on the application.

Once the FDEP receives and accepts the exam application, the department will mail an examination approval letter to the applicant with information on how to contact Applied Measurement Professionals Inc. (AMP) to schedule a date and time for the exam. AMP administers the computer-based exam at several H&R Block offices throughout the state. A handbook for the computer based testing process is available online at http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/wff/ocp/docs/OCP_ExamHandbook.pdf.

Upon completion of your exam, you will receive your exam results the same day at the test center. If you achieve a passing score of 70 percent or higher, you can then proceed with the steps to apply for the water distribution system operator license.

If you do not pass the exam, you will receive an application to reapply for the exam. You must wait at least 60 days before retaking the exam. After you have reapplied to the FDEP, you will receive an approval letter, as before, to contact AMP.

Licensure Process

To apply for a water distribution operator license, one must meet the requirements specified in subparagraphs 62-602.600(6), (7) or (8), FAC, for license levels 3, 2, and 1, respectively. Persons who successfully completed an FDEP-approved training course before October 15, 2007 and wish to transfer their voluntary water distribution system training certificate for a license must meet the requirements stated in 62-602.600(9), FAC.

There is an experience requirement for each license level that one must attain before applying for the license, and the experience must be in accord with rule 62-602.250(7), FAC. For a Level 3 license, one must have 2,080 hours of applicable experience; for a Level 2 license, one must have 6,240 hours of applicable experience; and for a Level 1 license, one must have 10,400 hours of applicable experience. One may use regular and overtime hours worked to attain the experience requirement.

One has four years after passing the Florida exam to apply for his or her license, allowing applicants time to attain the required experience, if needed.

Persons applying for a water distribution system operator license must complete an FDEP application (available at http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/wff/ocp/docs/dist-license-application.pdf). Closely follow all the instructions provided on the application.

The lead operator of the water distribution system or the applicant’s supervisor must verify the applicant’s employment experience. If a licensed operator does not verify the employment experience, an applicant for a water distribution system operator license must provide a reference from a peer who is either a licensed water treatment plant operator or a licensed water distribution system operator to verify the type of experience of the applicant (62-602.420(2), FAC).

Retain a copy of the application and attachments for your records. Enclose the license fee of $50 ($20 for wards of the state) with the application and mail the application package to the FDEP at the address listed on the application.

The FDEP will notify the applicant within 30 days of his or her application status. Once the FDEP approves the license application, the operator will receive his or her license and a wall certificate within two to four weeks.

License Renewal Process

All active licenses remain active until the end of the current biennial period. The FDEP establishes the biennial period from May 1 of an odd-numbered year through April 30 of the following odd-numbered year, a two-year period.

An exception is for operator licenses that initially became effective within the 12-month period immediately preceding the end of a biennial period. In this case, the license will expire at the end of the following biennial period (62-602.700(1), FAC).

A water distribution system operator must renew his or her license by April 30 in odd-numbered years, or as stated on the license, to continue performing the duties of an operator. Ninety days prior to the renewal deadline, FDEP will mail a renewal notice to the operator at his or her last known address. It is critical, therefore, for an operator to keep the FDEP notified of all address changes!

To renew a water distribution system operator license, no matter what level of licensure, an operator must obtain 0.5 continuing education units (CEUs) during the two-year period immediately preceding the renewal date (62-602.710(4)(c), FAC). The FDEP designates this two-year period as the “renewal cycle.” One hour of classroom contact time is equivalent to 0.1 CEU, so within the two-year renewal cycle, a water distribution system operator must take the equivalent of five hours of continuing education training.

A warning, however: An operator may not take the same course for continuing education credit for back-to-back renewal cycles! Be careful and keep copies of continuing education certificates.

The FWPCOA provides continuing education courses through several delivery methods. These include the FWPCOA Online Institute at http://go.flextraining.com/FLC8518/, the “CEU Challenge” that appears in monthly issues of the Florida Water Resources Journal, and regional seminars – check with your regional director or newsletter. Be sure to look for continuing education courses with the “DS” designation for courses approved for water distribution system operator continuing education credit!

A course taken to meet the exam requirement for the next level of licensure may be used for continuing education credit. The operator, however, must take the course during the renewal cycle (62-602.710(4), FAC).

The fee to renew a water distribution system operator license is $50; however, if the operator does not renew his or her license by the expiration date, the FDEP determines the license to be inactive.

The FDEP charges $150 to renew licenses that are inactive for up to one year, nine months after the expiration date, and charges $200 to renew licenses that are inactive longer than one year, nine months after the expiration date and requires an additional 0.5 CEU for the renewal. The message here is to stay on top of your continuing education and renewal requirements!

The FDEP determines an inactive license that remains non-renewed by the end of the current biennial licensure period as null and void. This means the person holding a null and void license will have to go through the licensing process again!

Summary

Sure seems a like a lot of rules to follow—but remember, the licensed operator is responsible for the proper operation and maintenance of a water distribution system to assure the health and well being of the population served by the system. The FDEP developed these rules to assure that the operator has the training and knowledge to assume these responsibilities and the continuing education to maintain this level of assurance in the future.

For more information on water distribution system operator certification, refer to the FDEP handbook at http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/wff/ocp/docs/water-distribution-handbook.pdf. For assistance with exam and license applications, and license renewal requirements, contact the FDEP Operator Certification Program office at 850-245-7500 or visit the department’s Web site at http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/wff/ocp/index.htm.

The Florida Water & Pollution Control Operators Association will present Utility Customer Relations Level I, II and III courses at the 2010 Spring State Short School. For more information on these courses, please click on the attached document.

The FW&PCOA will conduct the annual Spring State Short School at Hillsborough Community College - Plant City Campus from March 29 to April 2, 2010. For more information on the school, including courses being offered, tuition fees, classroom schedules, continuing education for treatment plant operators and water distribution system operators, Professional Development Hours for engineers, registration information, and course applications, please see the attached document for the school catalog.