Sec.22a-416-1. General

(a) Sections 22a-416-1 to 22a-416-10, inclusive, of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies shall be known as the Wastewater Treatment Operator Regulations.

(b) Definitions

For purposes of Sections 22a-416-1 to 22a-416-10, inclusive of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies:

(1) "Advisory committee" means the advisory committee appointed under section 22a-416-10 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies;

(2) "Applicant" means an individual who files an application;

(3) "Application" means an application for operator certification under the Wastewater Treatment Operator Regulations;

(4) "Biological wastewater treatment process" means the process by which metabolic activities of bacteria and other microorganisms break down complex organic materials into simple, more stable substances;

(5) "BOD₅" means the amount of oxygen utilized by bacteria in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter over five days;

(6) "Certificate" means a certificate issued by the commissioner stating that the operator named therein has met the minimum requirements for the operator classification specified in such certificate;

(7) "Certification" means the issuance of a certificate;

(8) "Class" and "Classification" are interchangeable;

(9) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Environmental Protection as defined in subsection (b) of section 22a-2 of the general statutes;

(10) "Chief Operator" means the operator who has ultimate supervisory responsibility for the operation and maintenance of a wastewater treatment facility, is responsible for signing the discharge monitoring reports and is responsible for the daily on-site supervision, process control direction and overall performance of such facility;

(11) "Contact hour" means one hour of instruction on a topic determined by the commissioner to be related to wastewater treatment facility operation;

(12) "Continuing education unit" (CEU) means ten contact hours of participation in an organized higher education rogram approved by the commissioner for wastewater treatment operators;

(13) "Day" means calendar day;

(14) "Department" means the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection;

(15) "Direct responsible charge experience" for a chief operator or shift operator means experience as an on-site daily supervisor of the operation of a wastewater treatment facility with responsibility for, without limitation, process control direction. Operation of individual process units alone does not constitute direct responsible charge experience. "Direct responsible charge experience" for a process control operator means experience as on-site daily responsibility for process control direction of a wastewater treatment facility;

(16) "Discharge monitoring report" means the monthly report required by subsection (j) of section 22a-430-3 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies;

(17) "Domestic wastewater" means wastewater discharged from residences or from employee or public washrooms in institutions, businesses, or industrial establishments;

(18) "Domestic wastewater process" means any process of treating any volume of wastewater consisting wholly or partially of domestic wastewater;

(19) "Examination" means an examination for operator certification under subsection (b) of section 22a-416-5 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies;

(20) "Foreign certificate" means a certificate issued by a state, territory or possession of the United States other than Connecticut, stating that the holder thereof has met the minimum qualifications for a wastewater treatment facility operator required by such state, territory, or possession;

(21) "G.E.D." means a general equivalency diploma obtained by passing a general educational development test or its equivalent as recognized by the issuing state board of education;

(22) "Higher education" means post-high school education or training, including but not limited to training courses, seminars, workshops, conferences, and college level courses, related, in the commissioner's sole judgement, to wastewater treatment facility operation;

(23) "Industrial wastewater" means wastewater other than domestic wastewater, discharged from institutions, businesses, or industrial establishments that is amenable to treatment by means of biological wastewater treatment;

(24) "In the field" refers to employment at a wastewater treatment facility or employment which, in the commissioner's sole judgement, is related to the operation of a wastewater treatment facility; examples of such employment include start-up services, technical assistance, operator training or the administration of a wastewater treatment facility;

(25) "MGD" means million gallons per day;

(26) "Misconduct" means behavior by an applicant in the course of an operator certification examination which conduct interferes with administration of such examination including but not limited to, talking or otherwise making noise during examination, cheating, and use of unauthorized material;

(27) "Monthly operating report" means the monthly report required by subsection (j) of section 22a-430-3 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies;

(28) "Operator" means any individual who operates, is contracted to operate, or is employed by an entity or contractor to operate equipment at a wastewater treatment facility so as to affect treatment processes;

(29) "Operator experience" means an individual's experience of satisfactorily performing the duties of an operator at a wastewater treatment facility while employed at any such facility;

(30) "Operator-in-training" means an applicant who has satisfied all of the requirements for certification under the wastewater treatment operator regulations except for the minimum experience requirements of subdivision (c)(5) of section 22a-416-4 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies;

(31) "Operating shift" means a regular period of time at a wastewater treatment facility when operators are present and make process control changes;

(32) "Owner" means the owner in fee simple of a wastewater treatment facility, provided that if the owner contracts with another person to operate such facility, the contractor shall be deemed the owner for the purposes of the wastewater treatment operator regulations;

(33) "Population equivalent" means the estimated population that contributes or will contribute a given amount of BOD5 or suspended solids to wastewater. For the purpose of determining a population equivalent, estimated population shall be calculated assuming 0.17 pounds of BOD5 per capita per day or 0.20 pounds of suspended solids per capita per day;

(34) "Process control direction" means direction of the operation of the biological wastewater treatment process at a wastewater treatment facility;

(35) "Process control operator" means the operator who, subject to the authority of the chief operator, is responsible for process control direction;

(36) "Reciprocal certificate" means a certificate issued pursuant to subdivision (c)(5) of section 22a-416-5 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies;

(37) "Satisfactory evidence" means certified copies of official transcripts, diplomas, course descriptions, foreign certificates, or other documents acceptable to the commissioner;

(38) "Shift operator" means the operator, subject to the authority of the chief operator, who has supervisory responsibility for the operation and maintenance of a wastewater treatment facility during any operating shift;

(39) "Supervisory responsibility" means daily routine responsibility for managing personnel and operations at a wastewater treatment facility;

(40) "Wastewater" means domestic or industrial wastewater;

(41) "Wastewater treatment facility" means an arrangement of structures and equipment, including solids handling equipment, whose purpose is to treat domestic wastewater or industrial wastewater by means of a biological wastewater treatment process. A domestic wastewater disposal system for a category I or II discharge as defined in subparagraphs (b)(2)(A) and (b)(2)(B) of section 22a-430-1 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies is not a wastewater treatment facility; and

(42) "Watchman shift" means a regular period of time at a wastewater treatment facility during which one or more operators are present but do not make any independent process control changes or conduct any other independent activities which could affect the quality of air, solids, or liquids discharged from the facility.

(Effective June 25, 1984; Amended June 5, 2000)