Texas Water Treatment Operator Certification
Licensing Structure
Water system operators in Texas are licensed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) under 30 TAC Chapter 30 (Occupational Licenses) and 30 TAC Chapter 290 (Public Drinking Water). TCEQ uses four classes:
- Class D — entry level; basic operations, no experience required beyond training and passing exam. Restricted from larger systems (250+ connections, 750+ population, or surface water systems).
- Class C — roughly two years of experience (one hands-on) plus additional coursework. Splits into three specializations: groundwater, surface water, and distribution.
- Class B — roughly five years of experience (three hands-on) and more coursework, also split by specialization.
- Class A — the highest level, a single license covering all three specializations. Requires a combination of educa