NWEA

NWEA is requesting a call for nominations for individuals that meet the following requirements:

Board Member who is a Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator certified at the highest level.

If you are interested in applying for this position please email the NWEA President, Angela MacKinnon at angela.i.mackinnon@mwhglobal.com.

Thank you for your interest in serving Nevada’s Wastewater Community.

NWEA Continuing Education Endorsement Available

The NWEA Certification Board is excited to announce that it will begin offering a Voluntary Continuing Education Endorsement program beginning January 1, 2010.  The contact hours for each grade are as follows:

Grades I (1) & II (2):           5 contact hours
Grades III (3) & IV (4):      10 contact hours
Grade V                            10 contact hours

Please read the attached policy for all of the details.

zdi1.zd-cms.com/cms/res/files/683/Voluntary Continuing Education Policy - Board Approved 08-27-09.pdf

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at (775) 465-2045.

Jennifer

The NWEA Certification Board is excited to announce that we will be offering pilot testing of the grade 1 & 2 Plant Maintenance Technologist exams.

The exam will be offered in Reno and Las Vegas on Thursday, November 20th from 9:00am – 12:00pm. The applications must be postmarked on or before Tuesday, October 21st in order to be considered for the pilot testing on November 20th.

We are offering a special rate of $60.00 to take each exam on this date only. The regular exam fee is $150.00.

In order to receive the full grade 1 certification participants must have 1 year of full time experience, submit documentation of 6 CEUs that are related and submit a copy of their high school diploma or equivalent. Participants can apply to take the grade 1 and 2 exams, but will not receive the full grade 2 until they meet the requirements for the grade 1 & 2. Participants passing the grade 1 exam, but do not meeting the requirements will receive a technologist-in-training certificate.

Since this is a pilot test the exam results will not become available until after the first of the year. Participants will be notified by mail of the results.

For questions, please feel free to contact Jennifer McMartin at (775) 465-2045.
 

The NWEA Certification Board is pleased to announce that computerized certification exams are now being offered! Many of you have requested computerized exams with flexible testing dates and we very are excited that this service is now available.

 

Pencil and paper exams will continue to be offered quarterly for the same fees.  Computerized testing is available for all certification disciplines except Industrial Waste Inspector.

 

The examinations will be administered at testing centers in Las Vegas and Reno and over 170 other testing centers throughout the United States.

 

The Computerized Exam Application will need to be submitted along with the normal exam application. The cost for the computerized exam is $68 in addition to the regular exam fee (mandatory wastewater exams $60; voluntary exams $150). The total fees to take a computerized exam will be $128 for mandatory wastewater exams and $218 for voluntary exams. For more detailed information download an application and instructions from the applications page of the Certification Board website.

 

If you have any questions, please feel free to email Jennifer McMartin or contact her at (775) 465-2045.

 

The Nevada Water Environment Association (NWEA) has entered into a contract with the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) to continue administering the State of Nevada’s mandatory certification program for Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators (WTPO). The only change affecting the WTPOs is that all testing applications, renewal applications, and associated fees must now be submitted to the NDEP office in Carson City. NDEP will forward the applications to NWEA’s Certification Board for review and processing the same as before. Certification fees are not changing. NDEP and NWEA will make every effort to make this transition as smooth as possible.

Please make checks or money orders out to:
Nevada Division of Environmental Protection or NDEP

Please submit applications and fees to:
Wastewater Operator Certification Program
Bureau of Water Pollution Control
Nevada Division of Environmental Protection
901 S. Stewart Street, Suite 4001
Carson City, NV 89701

Please note that this change is effective immediately and does not apply to NWEA’s voluntary certification programs. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Jennifer McMartin at (775) 465-2045.

Please read the letter regarding the new fees for voluntary certification programs:

• Voluntary Program Fee Increase Notification (.pdf 48K)

The Meeting Minutes section has be updated through the April 2007 meeting. Be sure to check it out!

The Nevada Water Environment Association by-laws contain provisions for the make up of the Certification Board. Members must fill a designated category to provide wide spread representation on the Board. We have now listed the category the Board member fulfills in the "Bio" section of the Board Member listing. Check it out by clicking on Read Bio for the individual Board member in the Who We Are section of this website.

Congratulations to the following people who passed exams in June:

NEVADA WASTEWATER TREATMENT

Grade I
Anders, Timothy W.  
Barton, Floyd J.  
Bragazzi, Eugene
Brown, Robert K.  
Capo, Shelby L.  
Cota, Robert J.  
Gibson, Stephen T.  
Gonzales, Steve A.  
Jimenez, Joe E.  
Lewis, Richard K.
McBride David J.
Mills, Jeffrey C.  
Oettinger, Michael J.   
Okazaki, James S.  
Pearce, David A.  
Polacek, Gary L.  
Simpson, Robert G.
Sutton, Travis S.  

Grade II
Farnsworth, Scott A.  
Holden, James A.  
Low, Wayne B.  
Olsen, Robert Earl  
Park, Daniel S.  
Robbins, Bill C.  
Rogers, Michael P.  
Rusch, Gary R.  
Seals, Bradley J.

Grade IV
Thomas, Fred  

NEVADA WASTEWATER LABORATORY ANALYST

Grade I
Breese, Richard L.
Decker, Helene A.  
Farrell, Tom F.  
Hutchinson, Gary L.  
Kelsey, Detra M.  
Oliveira, Charles W.  
Pereos, Jennifer C.  
Tubig, Ezra C.  

NEVADA INDUSTRIAL WASTE INSPECTOR

Grade I
Marvelli, Dominic M.  
Miller, Ryan P.  

NEVADA COLLECTION

Grade I
Allen, Michael A.  
Davis, Johnny L.  
Haag, Jason D.  
Mallory, Ken W.
McCall, Michael D.  
Pierce, Jerry R.  
Shaffer, Brian R.  
Zeimet, James D.  

Grade II
Donahue, Richard J.
Fitzgerald, William P.  
Wittwer, William S.  

Grade III
Giese, Jeff W.  
Longhofer, Dennis L.

On May 30, 2007 the Nevada Water Environment Association Board approved the new Policy and Procedures Manual for the Certification Board. You can view the lasted documents on the Policy and Procedures page of this website.

On May 03, 2007, two Water Quality Analyst classes will be offered from 0630 to 1100 and 1400 to 1830. Dave Bruketta and Bill Lutsch have prepared a class for determining readiness for taking the WQA I test.  The class will review the types of questions found on the test and will focus on what material should be studied by applicants. This class will not prepare individuals to pass the test. It is offered as a way for potential applicants to determine their own level of preparedness for taking the test.

 

If you would like to attend this free class, please e-mail Starlin Jones or call him @ 775-861-4104.

 

The Newsletters have been moved back to their former location on the Certification home page. We have also added several newsletters from previous years.

The next Certification Board meeting is scheduled for Friday, January 5, 2007 at 9:30 am.  The meeting will be held in the OCC Training Room at the Clark County Water Reclamation District treatment facility, 5857 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV.  The Board's meetings are open to all interested parties.

We've added a Frequently Asked Questions section to address the most commonly asked questions about certification. Be sure to check it out!

We've started listing the names of persons whose certificates have expired.  If you are one of those people you should contact the Certification Board immediately to start the reinstatement process.

Once a certificate has expired the person holding that certificate is deemed to be suspended.  A certificate may be renewed, without exam, by paying the appropriate fees within one year of the expiration date.

If you know someone on the list please let them know that their certificate has expired.

AGUIAR. BONNIE FAYE 10/14/2005
AIAZZI. JIM 3/20/2006 CARLIN
ARGABRIGHT. DANIEL J 4/9/2006 TMWRF
BAARZ. RALPH H 10/12/2005 NPS
BROWN. RAYMOND 12/11/2005 SPEEDY FOUNTAIN
CALLAHAN. PATRICK 6/14/2006 SPRING CREEK
CLAPP. CHARLES C 10/9/2005 TRAMSYSTEMS
DAVIS. JAMES R 2/2/2006 MGSD
FOY. WILLIAM ZANE 7/20/2006 VEOLIA WATER
GALLAGHER. PATRICIA 10/17/2005 OCEAN SPRAY
GIBSON. TIM 10/9/2005
HAHN. ROSS L 1/13/2006 PIERCE CO
HALL. GEOFFREY 4/11/2006 NV ST PARKS
HEACOCK II. DONALD H 7/13/2006 MERIDIAN
HEALY. JOHANNA R 9/9/2006 BOR
JOHNSON. MICHAEL C 10/11/2005 CENTRAL NV
KAUCKY. CARL D 2/10/2006 VALLEY ELECTRIC
KRAMER. KURT 1/10/2006 FERNLEY
KUYKENDALL. PATRICK J 7/11/2006 TMWA
LOADER. KENT BRYCE 1/10/2006 CHEYENNE BOPU
MATYS. ROBERT WALTER 12/10/2005 ELKO
OLIVER. GARY 10/12/2005 INDIAN SPRINGS
PATRICK. CARL D 3/12/2006 PANACA
ROBINSON. KENNETH L 4/22/2006 BULLHEAD CITY
STETKA. PAULA M 7/13/2006 HOOVER DAM
STROTE. RANDOLPH C 9/9/2006 UTILITIES INC
SWANIGAN SR. CORTEZ M 2/2/2006 RETIRED
SWARTZLANDER. DARIN K 1/10/2006 LAS VEGAS
SWARTZLANDER. DARIN K 3/11/2006 LAS VEGAS

Check out the latest Certification Board Newsletter put together by Starlin Jones.

The Water Environment Federation (WEF) is now offering online exam quizzes on wastewater and laboratory topics.

This is a great resource if you are preparing to take a certification exam or simply want to test your knowledge. Quizzes are available in fundamental, intermediate and advanced categories. New quizzes are posted every month. Visit the WEF Skills Builder website page to access the quizzes is listed below. For your convenience, it is also included in the Useful Links section on this web site. For more information, feel free to contact the Certification Hotline at (775) 465-2045.

Jennifer has created new applications in a Word format that can be filled in electronically.  Applications are still available in a .pdf format (Adobe Acrobat) for those that prefer that format.

The Exam Schedule has been updated through September 2010. View the Exam Schedule.

The Nevada Board of Certification is participating in a new exam validation program.  New and substantially revised certification exam questions are now being pretested by qualified candidates to resolve any unforeseen problems before the questions are used on actual certification exams.

If you are seeking certification at the next grade level, you are qualified to participate in the certification pretesting program.  Your participation affords you the opportunity to participate in the exam development process and make a valuable contribution to your profession.

Certification pretest exams will be administered under the same conditions as regular certification exams.  The exams are limited to 20 questions and you will be given 35 minutes to complete the exam.  At the end of the examination, you will have an opportunity to comment on exam questions.  You will also be notified of your exam score.

If you are interested in participating in the certification pretesting program, please contact Assistant Program Administrator Jennifer McMartin for more information (775-465-2045).  We look forward to hearing from you!

We've added the Meeting Minutes for the January 24, 2006 Board Meeting.

Nevada Board of Certification for Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators Related Experience Policy

Related experience cannot account for more than six months of the total experience required for any given level of certification. The remainder of the experience requirement must be from direct experience in the type of certification being sought. The Board has sole discretion in determining what constitutes acceptable related experience and what constitutes acceptable direct experience for each type of certification. The breakdown for each grade of certification shall be as follows:

In-Training
No experience required.

Grade I/1
One year of total experience required, at least six months of which must be from direct experience. Related experience cannot account for more than six months of the total experience required.

Grade II/2
Two years of total experience required, at least one and one-half years of which must be from direct experience. Related experience cannot account for more than six months of the total experience required.

Grade III/3
Three years of total experience required, at least two and one-half years of which must be from direct experience. Related experience cannot account for more than six months of the total experience required.

Grade IV/4
Four years of total experience required, at least three and one-half years of which must be from direct experience. Related experience cannot account for more than six months of the total experience required.

This policy formalizes the procedures the Board has been using.

Certification Renewal Policy

Certificates shall be valid for a period not to exceed two (2) years. To renew a certificate, a renewal application, renewal fee and any required documentation must be submitted to the Certification Administrator and be postmarked no later than the certification expiration date.

Renewals postmarked after the certificate expiration date become automatically suspended. A person shall not be deemed certified upon suspension of their certificate. A suspended certificate may be reinstated upon request up to one year following the certification expiration date. To reinstate a suspended certificate, a renewal application, renewal fee, any required documentation and a late fee must be submitted to the Certification Administrator and be postmarked no later than one year past the certification expiration date. Upon reinstatement, the certificate shall be valid for two (2) years from the original certification expiration date. Reinstating a certificate does not retroactively certify a person during the period when their certificate was suspended.

A person holding a suspended certificate shall be automatically decertified one year past the certification expiration date. A person who is decertified shall be required to retest and meet all current education, experience and testing requirements for recertification at that level.

Certification Renewal Notification Policy

30 Days Prior to Expiration

A renewal application will be mailed that includes the holder's expiration date. The application will also state the following information:

1. The fee required for renewal.
2. The late fee that will be required if the renewal application is not postmarked by the certification expiration date.
3. Notification that the holder of the certificate shall be deemed decertified if the certificate is not renewed within one year after the expiration date.

90 Days Prior to Decertification

A final renewal application will be mailed via Certified Mail (Return Receipt Requested) that includes the holder's expiration date. A final notice form letter will also be included stating the holder shall be deemed decertified if the certificate is not renewed within one year after the expiration date and the late fee required for renewal.
One Year Past Expiration*

The individual shall be deemed decertified. The individual shall not be allowed to renew their certification. Retesting will be required for the individual to become certified again.

*Note: The decertification requirements have been adopted from NAC 445A.287(5) and NAC 445A.287(6). The Nevada Certification Board shall apply these requirements to all wastewater certification programs.

For more information, visit the Nevada Administrative Code website.

The Board welcomed Alan Tinney as the newest member.  Alan will be representing the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection.

Alan graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno in May of 1987 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering with concentration on Environmental Engineering.  He began working with the State of Nevada's Health Division, Bureau of Health Protection Services in 1988 reviewing engineering plans and inspecting public water systems.  In 1989 Alan left the State Health Division to work in Las Vegas for a private engineering company designing civil engineering projects.  In 1991 he returned to the State of Nevada's Health Division, Bureau of Health Protection Services to develop and implement an oversight program between the State of Nevada and the Department of Energy.  In 1995 Al was promoted to managing the Engineering Section of the Bureau.  In 1996 was appointed Bureau Chief of the Bureau of Health Protection Services.  In 2002 he transferred to the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection to work with mining in the State of Nevada. In 2003 Alan moved to a position where he supervises the statewide ground water and surface water permits in the Bureau of Water Pollution control. Alan has been with the State of Nevada for 16 years.

At the October Board Meeting Chairman Leo Drozdoff announced that he would be leaving the Board.  Leo's duties as Administrator of the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) are keeping him pretty busy.  Also, the Adminstrator hears appeals regarding Board decisions and continuing to serve on the Board would not be appropriate.

Leo has represented NDEP on the Board since July 1993 and will be greatly missed.

Joe Crim, Jr., from the City of Lovelock, has been appointed to the Certification Board by the Nevada Water Environment Federation. Joe will be replacing Pete Rozis. The Certification Board thanks Pete for his many years of dedicated service. It was a long drive from Ely to Las Vegas and Reno for Board Meetings, but Pete always did it with a smile. Thanks Pete.

Here's an opportunity to download the formulas provided with the certification exams.

• ABC Formula Conversion Table (.pdf 20K)

All of the March 2005 exams will be held on Thursday, March 10th with the exception of the Las Vegas exam which will be held on March 25th in conjunction with the NWEA Conference. Watch for news regarding exam preparation training to be held at the NWEA Conference.

In late July the Board began issuing identification cards to all new and renewing Operators. If you wish to receive an identification card prior to your renewal date you can renew early (renewal will be valid for two years from your original expiration date). You will find the renewal form in the Applications list on this website.

At the April 2004 Wastewater Certification Board meeting the Board was asked to accept reciprocity from the state of California for Collection System Operators.

At the April 2004 Wastewater Certification Board meeting the Board was asked to accept reciprocity from the state of California for Collection System Operators. The Board has contacted the Association of Boards of Certification (ABC) who is now in the process of negotiating the exam review with the State of California to determine how comparable the two exams are. This is one of the first times that California has agreed to allow this to happen. ABC is hoping to have the review process complete by the fall. We will keep you posted.

Effective May 1, 2003 the address and phone number for contacting the Certification Board has changed. To view the current contact information, visit the Contact Certification Board page on this website.

We have added rules brochures and applications for the voluntary Collection System Operator and Industrial Waste Operator programs.

We have added rules brochures and applications for the voluntary Collection System Operator and Industrial Waste Operator programs. Additionally, you may now download applications in a Word format that allows you to fill in the application without printing it first. The brochures are now in a standard format for all disciplines. Thanks to Jennifer McMartin for all her help with the applications and Max Wagner, from the City of Henderson, for her help with the brochures.

The Board is pleased to announce a new voluntary certification program in Nevada for Industrial Waste Operators. The certification is specific to Operators of industrial wastewater treatment plants, both large and small. The Board encourages POTWs to offer or require Industrial Waste Operator certification to industrial facilities that discharge to them. For more information, please read the Industrial Waste Operator brochure, which is available on the website.

Check out the new Wastewater Operators' Guide to Preparing for the Certification Exam in the Training/Certification section of the WEFTEC Bookstore.

After twenty years of service to the Nevada Board of Certification for Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators, Dianne West has stepped down as Assistant Program Administrator. Dianne has been an essential part of the certification program and will be greatly missed. Jennifer McMartin, formerly with the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, will be taking over the Assistant Program Administrator's duties effective May 1, 2003.