DEQ rules require all wastewater treatment and collection systems to be classified based on indicators of potential health risk. Criteria used to determine the potential health risks include the system's complexity, volume, variability in raw waste for treatment systems, and other criteria deemed appropriate.

*   An individual may obtain an operator-in-training permit with no prior experience or when beginning to work at any type and class of wastewater system. There is no one system classification that matches this operator class. The purpose for obtaining an operator-in-training permit is to gain supervised on-the-job experience.

**  A wastewater treatment license is a prerequisite to obtaining a Land Application or a Wastewater Laboratory license.

++   Link to http://www.ibol.idaho.gov/wwp.htm to obtain operator license applications and rule requirements for qualifications for each operator class.

It is the responsibility of the owner of each wastewater system to identify and rate the processes and process controls specific to each wastewater system. The owners’ rating is accomplished by filling out the appropriate system classification worksheet and submitting the completed worksheet to DEQ for verification and assignment of the system’s classification.

Worksheets have been developed for both treatment and collection systems to assist in rating features of the specific system. Classification worksheets can be downloaded by:

> Link to Wastewater Treatment System Classification Worksheet.

> Link to Wastewater Collection System Classification Worksheet.

The system’s classification is needed to ensure the designated responsible charge and substitute responsible charge operators are licensed at a type and class equal to or greater than the classification of the system.

The DEQ rules and the WWP Board/IBOL application requirements have different deadlines for submittal of wastewater system classification worksheets. The DEQ rules deadline for a system owner to submit a classification worksheet was July 1, 2008, and every 5 years thereafter.  However, the WWP Board/IBOL application requires a system classification worksheet to be included for the application to be complete. Since the WWP Board/IBOL deadline is application specific, the system owner should be prepared with a DEQ verified and approved system classification worksheet on file so any unlicensed operator submitting a first time application or any licensed operator submitting an application to upgrade a license only has to photocopy the DEQ approved system classification worksheet on file for their wastewater system. Enclosure of a DEQ verified and approved classification worksheet allows the application to be processed in a timelier manner by the Idaho Board of Drinking Water and Wastewater Professionals and the Idaho Bureau of Occupational Licenses.   

A current listing of wastewater treatment systems and wastewater collection systems that have submitted classification worksheets and received verification of the official system classification from DEQ is available by clicking here to link to list (PDF format: updated 01/05/10).

Note: This list is a snapshot in time according to the date shown on the list.