Operator Certification and Renewal

Tennessee Water and Wastewater Operator Certification

Tennessee's Rules Governing Water and Wastewater Operator Certification- Chapter 0400-49-01

July 2021 revisions: 

• Required training after two failed examination attempts - 0400-49-01-.02-(9)

Each Certified Operator possesses:

• Click here for a list of certifications awarded in May 2022
• Click here for information regarding reciprocity

Tennessee offers 14 types of Water and Wastewater Operator Certifications:

Operator Need to Know

• certain experience requirements
• a high school education or equivalent, and
• a score of 70% or higher on the certification examination

Certification Exam Dates and Locations:

Spring 2023

• Application Deadline: Postmarked by March 4, 2023
  
• Applications must include proof of completion or enrollment for required Board Sanctioned Training after two (2) failed exam attempts, where necessary or they will be considered incomplete and denied.               - 0400-49-01-.02-(9)
• The examination testing window will begin May 1, 2023 and continue through June 30, 2023.
  
• Location: Computer Based Testing Only
  

Fall 2023 

• Application Deadline: Postmarked by August 5, 2023
• Applications must include proof of completion or enrollment for required Board Sanctioned Training after two (2) failed exam attempts, where necessary or they will be considered incomplete and denied.               - 0400-49-01-.02-(9)
• The examination testing window will begin October 1, 2023 and continue through December 1, 2023.
• Location: Computer Based Testing Only

How to Apply for an Operator Certification Exam:

• Download and submit the Application for Certificate of Competency (CN-0704) sixty days before the scheduled examination date.
• Mail application, proof of education, proof of citizenship, and all other supporting documentation with the $100.00 application fee to:

        Operator Certification Board
        Julian R. Fleming Training Center
        2022 Blanton Drive
        Murfreesboro, TN 37129

• Make check or money order payable to Treasurer, State of Tennessee
• Applications can not be accepted via email or fax. 
• Submitted applications must be the original, signed form and not a scanned copy.
• Certification Exam Recommended Reading

Electronic Exam Information

• The Water and Wastewater Operator Certification Board is now offering computer-based certification examinations.
  
• Application deadlines for electronic exams are subject to the dates listed above.
• Tennessee operator exams are administered at one of the Computer Based Test (CBT) Exam Centers owned and operated by PSI/AMP. Once an applicant is approved to take the exam, PSI/AMP will notify the applicant directly by e-mail. Please be sure and provide a valid e-mail address on your application so that you will receive a prompt notification with directions on how to schedule your exam.
  • Click here to view the PSI Candidate Services page. 
  • Click here for the available electronic testing locations.
  • Click here to view the PSI Candidate Handbook.
• Computer-based testing will have an additional cost to PSI/AMP once the applicant is approved to take the exam. 

Continuing Education

• Completion of the required number of continuing education hours every three years is required to maintain certification
  • Continuing Education Requirements
  • Continuing Education Opportunities
• View the status of your continuing education expiration date(s) online!
  • FTC Public Dataviewer
  • FTC Online Services

Operator Certification Renewal

Each certificate expires on December 31st and is renewed annually. A renewal application is sent to the operator's mailing address each December. The due dates for returning the renewal application and fees are as follows:

• Discount annual renewal fee for each operator certificate:
  • $50 - Payment prior to February 1
• Standard annual renewal fee for each operator certificate:
  • $100 - Payment from February 1 through June 30.
• Access FTC Online Services to pay annual renewal fees online and view your certificate(s) information. 

Fleming Training Center Public Dataviewers

As part of our effort to assist essential drinking water and wastewater utilities and systems in Tennessee during the COVID-19 pandemic, a current listing of all certified water and wastewater operators is now available through the Fleming Training Center's Dataviewer application.  The listing of Tennessee Certified Water and Wastewater Operators can be filtered and searched to identify individuals from different areas in order to provide additional operator support should a utility or system experience a workforce shortage due to COVID-19.

TDEC manages a variety of critical work through active databases. To promote greater transparency, accountability, and wider access to public information, the department makes interfaces, called dataviewers, available to the public on our website. Dataviewers reflect overnight updates to our agency’s consolidated state databases. Information in this dynamic database is constantly changing as records are updated daily. Any changes made to the database should be available to the dataviewer the next day. TDEC has developed a dataviewer for the Fleming Training Center to help our customers view active and inactive backflow prevention assembly testers, and certified water and wastewater operators. 

Click here to view FTC's Public Dataviewers