Operators who run very small municipal or "public" water and wastewater facilities have often had difficulty complying with operator certification requirements. After considerable consultation and discussion the Drinking Water Branch of Alberta Environment has developed an alternative level of certification for small water and wastewater facilities.
A facility may be designated as a small water or wastewater system if it serves a "municipal" or privately owned "public" facility, including most hamlets, with a population of less than 500. Surface water treatment facilities, or groundwater facilities under the influence of surface water are specifically excluded from the Small Systems category.
The types of systems included in the Small Water category are:
The types of systems included in the Small Wastewater category are:
An operator, working in a facility designated as a small system, can become certified as a "Small System Water or Wastewater" operator by meeting the following requirements:
The Alberta Water & Wastewater Operators Association offers a Small Water System Course and a Small Wastewater Systems Course. You can contact the Association directly at 1-877-454-7745 (www.awwoa.ab.ca) Alternative training may be approved on request.
Yes. An operator working in a designated small systems facility can get certified at level I if they meet the experience and education requirements for Level I certification and pass the Level I certification exam. For the purposes of the certification program, Level I certification is a higher level of certification than small systems. In other words, if an operator has Level I certification they don't need small systems certification.