PDFWAC 173-230-250

Education and experience requirements for Groups I through IV certifications.

(1) Applicants must meet the following education and experience requirements.
(2) Groups I through IV education, operating experience requirements, and allowable substitutions include the following:
(a) Operating experience must be gained by working under the direction or supervision of a fully certified operator.
(b) Up to half of the operating experience for Groups II through IV, listed below in Table 2, can be substituted with relevant experience.
(c) Relevant experience is work that does not meet the definition of operating experience, but can be used to substitute for operating experience, and includes, but is not limited to:
(i) Wastewater collection system operator;
(ii) Wastewater pump station operator;
(iii) Water distribution system operator and/or manager;
(iv) Water treatment plant operator;
(v) Environmental or operations consultant;
(vi) Wastewater treatment plant designer and/or builder; or
(vii) Other relevant experience will be considered on a case-by-case basis with a written description of the duties performed on the job by the applicant.
(d) Education substituted for operating experience must be in excess of the required education and cannot be used for both the education requirement and substitutions.
Table 2
Operator Certification Requirements and Substitutions
Operator Certification Requirements and Substitutions
Certification level
Required education
Substitutions allowed for education
Required operating experience
Education substitutions allowed for operating experience
Relevant experience substitutions allowed for operating experience
Group I
High school diploma or GED
One year of relevant experience for each year of education through twelfth grade
1 year
None
None
Group II
High school diploma or GED
One year of relevant experience for each year of education through twelfth grade
3 years
Up to 67.5 relevant credits/CEUs
Up to 1 year and 6 months of relevant experience
Group III
High school diploma or GED and 2 years of college (90 credits or CEUs)
Up to 4 years of excess operating experience:
• 1 year of excess operating experience for the first 45 credits/CEUs
• 3 years of excess operating experience for the last 45 credits/CEUs
4 years, with at least 2 years at a Class II or higher plant
Up to 90 relevant credits/CEUs
Up to 2 years of relevant experience
Group IV
High school diploma or GED and 4 years of college (180 credits or CEUs)
Up to 8 years of excess operating experience:
• 1 year of excess operating experience for each 45 credits/CEUs for the first 90 credits/CEUs
• 3 years of excess operating experience for each 45 credits for the second 90 credits/CEUs
4 years, with at least 2 years at a Class III or higher plant
Up to 90 relevant credits/CEUs
Up to 2 years of relevant experience
[Statutory Authority: Chapter 70.95B RCW. WSR 19-15-025 (Order 18-02), § 173-230-250, filed 7/10/19, effective 8/10/19.]