California Wastewater Treatment Operator Certification: Grade I-V Program Overview
Who Certifies Wastewater Operators
The State Water Resources Control Board's Wastewater Operator Certification Program (WWOCP) classifies every publicly owned wastewater treatment plant in California and certifies the operators who run them, under Water Code §13625-13633 and 23 CCR §3670 et seq. No one may operate a California wastewater treatment plant without a valid State Water Board-issued operator, provisional operator, or operator-in-training certificate at the grade appropriate to that plant's classification.
The Grade I-V Ladder
California wastewater treatment certification runs from Grade I (least complex plants — lagoons, small package plants) up to Grade V (the largest, most complex facilities, e.g. advanced activated sludge plants with nutrient removal). Renewal