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Does my Business Need a Certified Water Pollution Control Operator?

If your business operates a wastewater treatment or pretreatment works for which a permit is required by 35 Ill. Adm. Code 309 (e.g. National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), Construction, Operating, or Joint Construction and Operating Permit), at least one person on your operational staff must be certified by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency as competent as a wastewater treatment works operator. The operation of the wastewater treatment works must be under the direct supervision of a properly certified wastewater treatment works operator. A wastewater treatment works includes those constructions or devices used for treating, or disposing of wastewater or for the recovery of byproducts from such wastewater.

Facility Classification Classification Definition Required CWO Certification Level
Group 1 all wastewater treatment works having a 1.0 MGD DAF or greater, excluding lagoon systems and primary treatment systems Class 1
Group 2 activated sludge systems having a DAF of less than 1.0 MGD Class 1 or Class 2
Group 3 fixed film processes, recirculating sand filter systems and Imhoff tank systems having a DAF of less than 1.0 MGD, and all primary treatment systems Class 1, Class 2, or Class 3
Group 4 lagoon treatment systems and septic tank systems permitted by the Agency Class 1, Class 2, Class 3, or Class 4
Group K industrial wastewater treatment works, pretreatment works, and domestic wastewater treatment works owned and operated by industries that are not included in Group R Class K (site-specific)
Group R industrial wastewater treatment works, pretreatment works, and domestic wastewater treatment works owned and operated by industries that treat surface or groundwater for contamination resulting from gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene, jet fuel or heating oil Class R