Safe Water From Every Tap Improving Water Service to Small Communities (1997) / Chapter Skim
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6: Training Operators for Small Systems
6: Training Operators for Small Systems
Pages 187-204
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From page 187... ...
The mounting number of violations made it clear that many small system operators found it difficult to comply with the increasingly complex regulations introduced by the 1986 SDWA amendments. Congress and others involved in passage of the SDWA and its 1986 amendments had assumed that operators either had or would easily acquire (presumably from existing state programs)
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From page 188... ...
In addition, the remote location of some small systems, the part-time or volunteer status of most small system operators, and the cost of reaching and attending training courses discourage these operators from taking advantage of these resources. Perhaps more important, most water treatment operator training programs are designed for operators of medium and large systems and thus fail to give small system operators the combination of broad general knowledge and handson practical training they need.
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From page 189... ...
State Programs Operator training and certification activities have been an integral part of state drinking water programs for many years. All 50 states currently have operator certification regulations in place.
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From page 190... ...
States have developed a number of tools to train and certify operators. These include newsletters informing operators of changes in state and federal regulations; information mailings and documents related to specific rules; training seminars and workshops provided directly by the state; state participation in and notification of workshops and seminars provided by other organizations, such as the AWWA and National Rural Water Association state affiliates; and certification exams held around the state.
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From page 191... ...
is the national body of state rural water associations, with a primary mission to train and assist small water system professionals on matters of drinking water and wastewater treatment. Most of the training is done by technical "circuit rider" staff who make on-site technical assistance visits.
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From page 192... ...
. The NTC's members include the AWWA, ASDWA, the EPA, the National Environmental Training Association, the National Rural Community Assistance Program, and the National Rural Water Association.
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From page 193... ...
He then noted the turbidity of the surface water source, checked the flow of the raw water source at the water meter and recorded these read-outs in the daily record book. After that, Joe checked the treatment plant's chlorinator and solution tank, and noted in the log that the pump was working properly and the solution tank nearly full.
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From page 194... ...
TABLE 6-1 Small System Operator Task Analysis 194 Associated Knowledge General Work Area General Work Item Specific Work Items Desired Source and supply Selection Economics Operational costs and manpower Quality requirements, economic evaluation, Adequacy recordkeeping and reporting requirements, water quality analysis and interpretation, contamination risk Maintenance Protection of quality and Withdrawal and source protection quantity regulations, reservoir management, zoning, quantity assessment, quality analysis, treatment Treatment Process selection (including Economics Economic evaluation of operation point-of-entry devices) Reliability costs, history of process performance Ease of operation and operation requirements, contingency Performance plan if initial process fails Operation and maintenance Continuous Staffing requirements and planning, Intermittent process performance under differing Chemicals and chemical conditions, chemistry of chemicals handling employed, safety, laboratory analysis, Laboratory and quality quality regulations, automated control control and monitoring of system operation, Automation computer applications, recordkeeping Emergency response and reporting regulations, emergency Preventative maintenance response planning and implementation, Inventory contingency planning and implementation, customer protection procedures, SAFE WATER FROM EVERY TAP
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From page 195... ...
maintenance skills for equipment installed, maintenance planning, inventory planning and control Distribution Operation and maintenance Flushing Flushing plan, fire-flow rate Repair of service mains, determination, water quality valves, and hydrants determination, traffic control, equipment Installations of new service operation, trench safety, repair mains and services procedures, repair disinfection, customer Emergency response protection (boil order issuance) procedures, Automation system data base, emergency response Inventory planning and implementation, Storage contingency planning and implementation, Booster stations hydraulic modeling, inventory planning Cross-connection control and control, system performance and condition regulations, leak detection TRAINING OPERATORS FOR SMALL SYSTEMS and location methods, recordkeeping and reporting, storage tank operation and maintenance, lead and volatile organic chemical paint regulations, booster station operation optimization Maps and records "As built" system maps Drawing interpretation and preparation, System performance filing and retrieval, main and service Location requests line locations and marking continued on next page 195
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From page 196... ...
TABLE 6-1 Continued 196 Associated Knowledge General Work Area General Work Item Specific Work Items Desired Meters Justification Expense allocation Cost-benefit analysis, billing procedures, water loss accountability, water conservation methods Reading Economics Reading procedures, Manpower availability reading equipment Operation and maintenance Economics Meter installation, meter testing, Installation meter repair, meter tracking Maintenance - Replacement Customer service Customer needs Complaint/inquiry Customer interaction skills, remedy investigation and solution alternatives, customer accounting Emergency response methods and procedures, rules of Customer accounting and service, collection procedures, collections survey techniques, new customer Customer expectations customer establishment determination New customers Finance Payroll Hourly and salaried Time accounting, work classification employees and rate, expense allocation SAFE WATER FROM EVERY TAP
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From page 197... ...
Accounts payable Materials Purchase procedures, Supplies payment procedures Utilities Services Damages Accounts receivable Sold inventory or surplus Sales procedures, collection procedures Sold services Damage to facilities General ledger Chart of accounts Intermediate financial accounting, Assets recordkeeping procedures, Liabilities state regulation (if applicable) Income accounts Expense accounts TRAINING OPERATORS FOR SMALL SYSTEMS Equity accounts Funds acquisition Acquiring loans Basic financial accounting, tax Acquiring grants regulations, state regulations, loan and grant programs Private company Depreciation requirements Common income Accruals Taxes continued on next page 197
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From page 198... ...
TABLE 6-1 Continued 198 Associated Knowledge General Work Area General Work Item Specific Work Items Desired Human resources Staffing levels Determine proper levels Task analysis Staffing qualifications Determine necessary job Determine optimum match of job qualifications and employee qualifications dministration Risk control Safety and environmental Insurance level audits determination and Risk analysis purchasing, risk analysis, Insurance risk reduction Risk control System performance Performance benchmarks Determination of industry analysis Performance goals and performance benchmarks, setting and monitoring achieving performance goals Planning Capital Strategic and long-range Growth planning of all business Expense factors Revenue Emergency SAFE WATER FROM EVERY TAP
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From page 199... ...
A more comprehensive approach will be more successful in the long run. Training geared towards improving skill areas that are presently underemphasized (meters, customer service, financial, administration, and human resources)
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From page 200... ...
Illinois already uses this type of system-specific certification program for industrial wastewater treatment plant operators. The state issues a "class K" certificate valid only for specific plants; the examination tests the applicant's
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From page 201... ...
The SDWA Amendments of 1986 authorized the expenditure of up to $15 million per year to provide technical assistance to small systems struggling to comply with the requirements of the act. The EPA currently provides $6.5 million annually to the National Rural Water Association and the Rural Community Assistance Program for technical assistance to small water systems.
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From page 202... ...
The EPA would work with technical experts to develop acceptable training modules to fill areas where gaps exist before submitting those modules to the training program contractor. In creating these materials, the unit should draw on experience gained by some state programs and other training providers in the development of effective training programs; here again the NTC could lend valuable assistance.
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From page 203... ...
The state agencies' organizations, locations, and professionally trained staffs enable them to effectively deliver the training programs. As designated lead training providers, the states would also be responsible for networking and coordinating with other training providers, such as state operator associations, state rural water associations, AWWA state sections, educational institutions, and others able and willing to support the effort.
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From page 204... ...
Operator certification should include classifications not only by system size but also for each of the general skill areas. REFERENCES Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Division of Water Pollution Control.
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