Section 13627 Of Chapter 9. Waste Water Treatment Plant Classification And Operator Certification From California Water Code >> Division 7. >> Chapter 9.
13627
. (a) Supervisors and operators of those wastewater treatment
plants described in paragraph (1) or (2) of subdivision (b) of
Section 13625 shall possess a certificate of appropriate grade.
Subject to the approval of regulations by the state board,
supervisors and operators of those wastewater treatment plants
described in paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 13625 shall
possess certificates of the appropriate grade. All certificates shall
be issued in accordance with, and to the extent recommended by the
advisory committee and required by, regulations adopted by the state
board. The state board shall develop and specify in its regulations
the training necessary to qualify a supervisor or operator for
certification for each type and class of plant. The state board may
accept experience in lieu of qualification training. For supervisors
and operators of water recycling treatment plants, the state board
may approve use of a water treatment plant operator of appropriate
grade certified by the State Department of Public Health pursuant to
Article 3 (commencing with Section 106875) of Chapter 4 of Part 1 of
Division 104 of the Health and Safety Code in lieu of a wastewater
treatment plant operator certified by the state board, provided that
the state board may refuse to approve use of an operator certified by
the department or may suspend or revoke its approval of the use of
an operator certified by the department if the operator commits any
of the prohibited acts described in Article 7 (commencing with
Section 3710) of Chapter 26 of Division 3 of Title 23 of the
California Code of Regulations.
(b) The regional water quality control board, with jurisdiction
for issuing and ensuring compliance with applicable water reclamation
or waste discharge requirements, shall notify the department in
writing if, pursuant to an inspection conducted under Section 13267,
the regional board makes a determination that there are reasonable
grounds for not issuing, or for suspending or revoking, the
certificate of a certified water treatment plant operator who is
operating or supervising the operation of a water recycling treatment
plant. The department shall make its determination regarding the
issuance, suspension, or revocation of a certificate in accordance
with Section 106876 of the Health and Safety Code.
(c) For purposes of this section, "water recycling treatment plant"
means a treatment plant that receives and further treats secondary
or tertiary effluent, or both, from a wastewater treatment plant.
(d) A person employed as a wastewater treatment plant supervisor
or operator on the effective date of regulations adopted pursuant to
this chapter shall be issued an appropriate certificate if the person
meets the training, education, and experience requirements
prescribed by regulations.
(e) The state board may refuse to grant, suspend, or revoke any
certificate issued by the state board to operate a wastewater
treatment plant, or may place on probation, or reprimand, the
certificate holder upon any reasonable ground, including, but not
limited to, all of the following reasons:
(1) Submitting false or misleading information on an application
for a certificate.
(2) The employment of fraud or deception in the course of
operating the wastewater treatment plant.
(3) A certificate holder's failure to use reasonable care or
judgment in the operation of the plant.
(4) A certificate holder's inability to perform operating duties
properly.
(5) Willfully or negligently violating, or causing, or allowing
the violation of, waste discharge requirements or permits issued
pursuant to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. Sec.
1251 et seq.).
(f) The state board shall conduct all proceedings for the refusal
to grant a certificate, and suspension or revocation of a
certificate, pursuant to subdivision (e), in accordance with the
rules adopted pursuant to Section 185.