1. (a) For a grade I, no operating experience shall be required in order to take the examination.

2. (b) For a grade II, a minimum of 1 year of operating experience shall be required in order to take the examination, but the operating experience may be substituted with the following:

   1. (1) A one year certificate in wastewater or environmental technology; or
   2. (2) An associate degree in a relevant field such as sanitary engineering, environmental technology or studies, water treatment, wastewater treatment, natural sciences, or non-sanitary engineering disciplines.
3. (c) For a grade III, a minimum of 2 years of operating experience shall be required at a grade II wastewater treatment plant or higher in order to take the examination.
4. (d) For a grade IV, a minimum of 3 years of operating experience shall be required at a grade III wastewater treatment plant or higher in order to take the examination.
5. (e) A minimum of 50% of the operating experience required by Table 304.01 shall be met by actual on-site operating experience at a wastewater treatment plant.

6. (f) An applicant may request one or more of the following experience or education substitutions for the remaining 50% of the operating experience required by Table 304.01:

   1. (1) Experience in a related utility division or trade, such as wastewater collections, water distribution, plumbing, electrical, pipe fitting, instrumentation, laboratory, utility construction, utility design, engineering, facilities maintenance and management, public works, or similar relevant military experience;
   2. (2) Relevant post-high school education on a year-for-year basis;
   3. (3) Specialized operator training courses, seminars, workshops, and technical conferences which are relevant to the wastewater industry, provided the calculation shall be based on one TCH for every hour of approved training.
7. (g) Education applied in substitution for any stated experience requirements shall not also be applied to the education requirement.

Source. (See Revision Note #1 at part heading for Env-Wq 304) #10392, eff 8-1-13; ss by #13755, eff 9-27-23 (formerly Env-Wq 304.08) (see Revision Note #2 at part heading for Env-Wq 304)