R309-300-16. Operator Certification Commission

  1. An Operator Certification Commission shall be appointed by the Director from recommendations made by the cooperating agencies. Cooperating agencies are the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, the Utah League of Cities and Towns, the Training Coordinating Committee of Utah, the Intermountain Section of the American Water Works Association, the Civil or Environmental Engineering Departments of Utah's Universities, and the Rural Water Association of Utah.

  2. The Commission is charged with the responsibility of conducting all work necessary to promote the program, recommend certification of operators, and oversee the maintenance of records.

  3. The Commission shall consist of seven members as follows:

  (a) One member shall be a certified operator from a town having a population under 10,000 and will be nominated by the Rural Water Association of Utah.

  (b) One member shall be at least a grade III unrestricted certified distribution operator and will be nominated by the American Water Works Association.

  (c) One member shall be at least a grade III unrestricted certified water treatment plant operator and will be nominated by the American Water Works Association.

  (d) One member shall represent municipal water supply management and will be nominated by the Utah League of Cities and Towns.

  (e) One member shall represent the civil or environmental engineering department of a Utah university cooperating with the certification program.

  (f) One member shall represent water supply trainers and will be nominated by the Training Coordinating Committee (TCC).

  (g) One member shall be a representative for the Division of Drinking Water.

  4. Each group represented shall designate its nominee to the Director for a three-year term. Nominations may be accepted or rejected by the Director. Persons may be renominated for successive three-year terms by their sponsor groups. The Director shall notify the sponsoring groups one year in advance of the termination of the Commission member that a nominee will be needed. An appointment to succeed a Commission member who is unable to serve his full term shall be only for the remainder of the unexpired term and shall be submitted by the sponsor groups and approved by the Director as mentioned above.

  5. Each year the Commission shall elect from its membership a chairperson and vice-chairperson and such other officers as may be needed to conduct its business.

  6. It shall be the duty of the Commission to advise in the preparation of examinations for various grades of operators and advise on the certification criteria used by the Secretary. In addition to these duties, the Commission shall also advertise and promote the program, distribute applications and notices, maintain a register of certified Operators, set examination dates and locations, and make recommendations regarding each drinking water system's compliance with these rules.