Ohio Wastewater Collection Operator Certification: CSO Control & Inflow/Infiltration
Certification Structure
Ohio EPA certifies wastewater collection system operators into two classes under OAC Chapter 3745-7:
- Class I — entry-level collection systems
- Class II — larger/more complex collection networks
As with all Ohio operator certifications, collection certificates renew every 2 years, and a Class II certificate also qualifies its holder for Class I systems.
Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Consent Decrees
Many of Ohio's older industrial cities — Cleveland, Cincinnati, Akron, Columbus — were built with combined sewers in the late 1800s and early 1900s, carrying both sanitary sewage and stormwater in the same pipes. During heavy rain, these systems can overflow untreated sewage into local waterways. Under federal consent decrees with US EPA and Ohio EPA, uti