OWWCO oversees operator certification in Ontario, administering exams, processing applications and renewals. There are approximately 10,000 operators, with 4,300 receiving new certificates and 4,500 renewing annually. Operators start as OITs, and can upgrade to Level 1 with experience. Higher levels require more experience, education, and hours as operator-in-charge. OWWCO works closely with the MOECC and operators to continuously improve the certification program.

1. I N T E S P T L I T
here are approxi-
mately 10,000
operators in
Ontario, many
holding multiple
types of certifi-
cates and licences.
Every year,
approximately
4,300 certificates are issued to new
operators, and to operators upgrading
to a higher class level. At the same
time, approximately 4,500 operator
certificates and licences are renewed.
Since April 2009, the Ontario
Water Wastewater Certification Office
(OWWCO) has been administering
the certification and licensing program
on behalf of the Ministry of the
Environment and Climate Change
(MOECC). For an operator, the
certification/licensing* process most
often begins with the taking of an
Operator in Training (OIT) exam.
Applicants must submit the appropriate
fee as well as proof of their high school
diploma or equivalent with their
examination registration form. “Once
they have their OIT and one year of
operations experience, operators can
apply to upgrade to a Level 1 certificate/
licence,” explains Brian Murphy,
current Program Manager of OWWCO.
“Water operators also require the Entry
Level Drinking Water Operator course
to apply for their Level 1.” There are
different requirements for applying to
upgrade to a Level II, including passing
an exam, earning a certain amount of
experience, and obtaining a specific
number of continuing education credits.
In addition to this, Levels III and IV also
require a minimum number of hours as
an operator-in-charge.
OWWCO is responsible for
reviewing applications, processing
payments and administering certification
exams, while the content of the exam
is approved by the MOECC. Regular
exam sessions are held across the
province 12 months of the year. At each
exam session, all the different types of
exams can be written. Monthly sessions
are offered in the Greater Toronto Area
(GTA) with exams held every three or
four months in other areas. “Our goal
is that every month there is always an
exam being held within a three hour
drive,” says Murphy, adding that this
is a little more challenging to achieve in
Northern Ontario. An exam schedule is
available on the OWWCO website.
Proctors hired by OWWCO
invigilate the three-hour exams, which
are then marked with the results sent to
the operators. According to the official
guidelines, operators can expect to
receive their results within 30 days. In
reality, the results are usually available
within a week. “That’s our operational
goal,” says Murphy. Since its inception
in 2009 OWWCO has strived to
shorten all timelines and find efficiencies
associated with operator certification.
For example, students enrolled at
certain colleges, may be able to write a
proctored electronic exam at the college
and see their results immediately.
Murphy explains that operators
must renew their certificate/licence
every three years. In order to renew
their drinking water certificate, opera-
tors must provide proof that they have
completed the mandatory renewal
course from the Walkerton Clean Water
Centre (the course is available both on
site and through correspondence).
Operators renewing their drinking
water certificate must also provide
proof that they have completed the
required number of Director-Approved
Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
and on-the-job training hours. A
specific number of CEUs and on-the-
job training hours are required for each
level of certification/licensing. Training
required for wastewater operators is not
required to be Director-Approved.
When upgrading a certificate/
licence, all post-secondary training is
taken into consideration. Even when
not directly related to an operator’s
duties, training may qualify for a
portion of a CEU. If they are uncertain,
operators can contact OWWCO to
confirm the degree of recognition for
which the training qualifies. OWWCO
applies criteria established by the
MOECC to determine whether a course
or training session qualifies as a CEU.
“Every time an operator upgrades
one of their licences or certificates, we
do a full CEU assessment of all the cer-
tificates they have given to us and that
we have on file,” says Murphy. “We are
able to send them that information any
time they wish.”
Along with successfully completing
the exam and obtaining a specific
number of CEUs, achieving each level of
certification requires a certain amount
of experience, including a specified
number of hours as Operator-in-Charge
(OIC) for levels III and IV. OWWCO
verifies that the experience component
has been completed in a classified
facility. In addition to administrating
operator and water quality analyst
certification, OWWCO is responsible
for reviewing applications and issuing
certificates of classification to drinking-
water subsystems and wastewater
facilities on behalf of the MOECC,
which sets policy and criteria.
One of OWWCO’s other
responsibilities is maintaining operator
access to the Water Wastewater Operator
Certification System (WWOCS). All
operators can obtain a user ID and
password to access their records on the
OVERSEEING OPERATOR CERTIFICATION
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2. website. The system stores important
information such as exam marks and
Director-Approved CEUs acquired,
as well as an operator’s certificate/
licence expiry dates. OWWCO does
send out renewal notices to operators
but it is ultimately the responsibility of
all operators to keep track of renewal
deadlines of their certificates/licences.
As well, OWWCO works with
municipalities who have staff to help
operators with filling and submitting
forms. “Only a few municipalities have
a compliance person,” notes Murphy.
“We certainly like it when they do. It is
great to have a point person who under-
stands the certification program and
deals directly with us to address the
many questions and situations opera-
tors might have.”
Operators can order resource
material from OWWCO and can also
call the customer service information
telephone line directly. Murphy enjoys
this part of his work. Having worked in
the Examination, Renewal and Upgrade
departments, as well as invigilating
exams, he has had plenty of interaction
with operators over the years. Even
as Program Manager, he sometimes
responds directly to operator inquiries.
“What I try to do for operators is to
explain what their next step will be,”
he says.
Because of its direct contact with
operators and related stakeholders,
OWWCO also plays an important
role in identifying operator certifica-
tion issues and raising them with
the MOECC. “In many ways we are
the Ministry’s ear to the operating
industry,” says Murphy. “We have an
excellent working relationship with the
Ministry and this helps to ensure that
operators get a consistent answer to
their certification questions.”
The Ministry is responsible for
setting policy and providing overall
direction for the future of the licencing
and certification program. The Direc-
tor, who is an employee of the Minis-
try, also approves the issuance of each
operator certificate. As administrator,
OWWCO also plays an important role
in the future of the program – and the
industry – by ensuring that operators
receive excellent service.
The Ministry and OWWCO work
closely with operators to make sure
the program addresses the needs of
the operators, today and tomorrow.
Through the Operator Certification
Working Group, associations such as
the WEAO and the Ontario Water
Works Association have a voice in
decisions related to the program.
“All significant administrative and
policy decisions are vetted through
the Working Group to ensure operator
perspectives are taken into account,”
notes Murphy.
OWWCO has consistently received
very positive feedback from its twice-
annual customer satisfactions surveys.
Suggestions from the surveys have also
influenced many program improve-
ments. The goal is to continue improv-
ing operators’ understanding of the
OWWCO maintains membership in the Association of Boards of Certification
(ABC) on behalf of the Ministry. Ontario’s certification program is based on
the model provided by ABC www.abccert.org. ABC is an association that
provides guidance and resources to certification authorities across North
America. Ontario uses the ABC Canadian Standardized Exam or variations
of the standardized exam.
program while reducing the complexity
of administrative requirements for the
certification and licensing process.
If the staff at OWWCO ever needs
inspiration to fulfill its mission of con-
tinuous improvement, they need look
no further than the people they serve.
“It’s a type of employment in which
you are continuously learning,” says
Murphy. “Just like for the operators,
for us, the learning never stops.”
*According to the respective regulations
that govern their practice, wastewater
operators obtain ‘licences’ while water
operators obtain ‘certificates.’ Technically,
these two terms are interchangeable.
I
Flow
Ebb
If the challenge involves water, we’re up for it.
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