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Information for Municipalities

Looking for Certified Operators?

Wastewater Treatment Plant Aeration Tank
A chief and assistant shift operator are required!

There are instances when a community or wastewater treatment plant owner must find an appropriately certified operator as required by 6NYCRR Part 650, Qualifications of Operators of Wastewater Treatment Plants.

A wastewater treatment plant must be under the supervision of a currently certified plant operator.

Understand the Regulations and Review Guidance Documents

The 6NYCRR Part 650,Qualifications of Operators of Wastewater Treatment Plants document provides information on:

  • Regulatory authority and policy for operator certification
  • Wastewater treatment plant oversight
  • Certification requirements
  • Treatment plant scoring

The TOGS 5.1.6, Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Certification (PDF), (123 KB) document covers the following topics:

Chemical usage and storage
The Handbook on Wastewater Management for
Local Representatives is a free publication intended for
mayors, town supervisors, administrators, clerks,
treasurers, and sewer board members.
  • Certificate renewal
  • Certificate expiration
  • Certificate suspension and revocation information

Information to Help Manage Plant Resources

Asset Management and Sustainability

Asset Management is a process for maintaining a desired level of customer service at the best cost. It is an approach that combines management, financial, economic, engineering, and other practices to physical assets with the objective of providing the required level of service in the most cost-effective manner.

  • NYSDEC and Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) developed a comprehensive overview of the Wastewater Infrastructure Needs Report 2008 (PDF, 499 KB)
  • The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has an introduction to the approach and links to more resources. http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/sustain/asset_management.cfm
  • ClearWaters Fall 2001 has several articles about sustainability and wastewater treatment plants. https://nywea.org/clearwaters/pre02fall/313020.html
  • The Maryland Center for Environmental Training (MCET) developed an Asset Management Guide for Wastewater Utilities Train-The-Trainer Toolkit. MCET organized the toolkit to allow the instruction in the principles of asset management and, where applicable, the corresponding section of the Total Electronic Asset Management System (TEAMS). http://www.mcet.org/am/assetmgmt.html
  • CUPSS is a free, easy-to-use, asset management tool for small drinking water and wastewater utilities.CUPSS provides a simple, comprehensive approach based on EPA's Simple Tools for Effective Performance (STEP) Guide series. http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/drinkingwater/pws/cupss/index.cfm

Funding Resources

  • Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) offers several grant programs that municipalities are eligible for. http://www.nysefc.org/CleanWaterStateRevolvingFund.aspx
  • Municipalities are eligible to apply for Water Quality Improvement Program (WQIP) funds for municipal wastewater treatment, municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s), nonagricultural nonpoint source abatement and control, aquatic habitat restoration, and water quality management.
  • NYS Water & Sewer Infrastructure Co-Funding Initiative helps communities find sources of government funding, determine eligibility, and streamline the application process. http://www.nycofunding.org/dotnetnuke/Default.aspx?tabid=55
  • The Environmental Finance Center at Syracuse University (EFC) leverages more than 200 partners to connect local government officials and private organizations with technical assistance, assessment tools, and funding. EFC also provides professional training and community outreach. http://efc.syracusecoe.org/efc/

Learn about wastewater management

  • The Handbook on Wastewater Management for Local Representatives is a free publication intended for mayors, town supervisors, administrators, clerks, treasurers, and sewer board members.
  • The Descriptive Data of Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants contains the results from a survey of publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) and provides general information about the facilities within NYS including type of treatment plant processes, plant locations, and contact information.
  • New York Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (NYWARN) of utilities supports emergency preparedness, disaster response, sharing resources, and developing emergency contacts. http://www.nywarn.org/
  • USEPA's Enforcement Compliance History Online (ECHO) provides fast, integrated searches of EPA and state data for 800,000+ regulated facilities. ECHO integrates inspection, violation, and enforcement for the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, and hazardous waste laws. ECHO also includes Safe Drinking Water Act data, Toxics Release Inventory data, National Emissions Inventory data, and Water Quality Data. http://www.epa-echo.gov/echo/index.html
  • Be in the Know...Go With the Flow is an interactive wastewater treatment map that takes you on a visual journey through the wastewater treatment process. Beginning in our homes and businesses and ending when clean water is returned to oceans, lakes, and other bodies of water, each icon represents a different step in the wastewater treatment process and provides viewers with a simple, non-technical narrative description. The offsite link is on the right navigation column in the "Links Leaving DEC Website" section.

Need technical assistance?

  • NYRWA provides free on-site technical assistance to small and rural wastewater treatment and collection systems through the Wastewater Technical Assistance Program and the Wastewater Training and Technical Assistance Program both funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service. http://www.nyruralwater.org/technical_assistance/wastewater-systems.cfm
  • The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funded the National Small Flows Clearinghouse (NSFC) to help America's small communities and individuals solve their wastewater problems. http://www.nesc.wvu.edu/wastewater.cfm

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