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BOARD OF LICENSURE OF WATER TREATMENT PLANT OPERATORS
September 21, 2006 Meeting
Members Present: Others
Present:
Trevor Hunt, Chairman Rebecca
Reynolds
David Bartlett Carol
Alan Frasier
Teresa Trott
Called to Order:
The
meeting was called to order at
General Administration:
Approval
of Minutes, David Bartlett made a
motion to approve the
Gregg
Kidd is the new appointee to the
Board who will take the seat of Educator.
Financial
– Report SFY 2006:
Beginning Balance: $33,740.09
Revenue: $31,995.00
Outstanding income: $ 5,650.00
Expenditures $18,667.43
End Year $41,417.66
Balance
owed to Well Drillers for Professional Services $44,220 for 2005 and 2006.
Calendar:
Board
Meetings
Deadlines, Exam Dates & Locations
October
17, 19, 2006 Exams:
Operator
Updates:
Out
of 800+ systems there are 26 not in compliance.
Of the 26 some are deregulated, NOVs, under Administrative Order,
upgrades, changes in classification and change in ownership.
After
the fact or ownership change of a Public Water System:
After
the fact is one that the DWP is not aware of or one that has increased to more than
ten sites…then becomes a PWS. The DWP
has been giving them until the next exam cycle to acquire a water
operator. By law they are required a
water operator that day.
The
Board expressed concerns about systems with no operator and requested the DWP
pursue operator compliance steadfastly.
Terry Trott will meet with Nancy Beardsley to discuss the importance of
maintaining the established timeframes for operator replacement.
Complaint on Water Operator:
The
Board has received a complaint from the Drinking Water Program on an
operator. The complaint is the operator
installed a chlorine disinfection system without notifying the DWP. The operator violated the Maine Rules
Relating to Drinking Water, 10-144 CMR 231 ©.
A
letter of reprimand will be sent to the operator from the DWP to remind him of
the importance of proper chemical usage and dose as well as assuring that
treatment changes are reviewed by the DWP.
A copy of the letter will be in
the operator’s file.
Old Business:
“Relevancy
of Training” for certified water operators article from the Washington State Department
of Health Newsletter. The topics directly
relevant to drinking water:
a) Utility management
b) Utility focus safety
c) Water Rights Issues
d) Water Quality
e) Operational Subjects
f)
Specialized Computer
Software
g) Water Conservation
Types of training not directly relevant to
drinking water:
a) General Management
b) Time Management Supervision, personal management, how
to communicate with difficult people.
c) Personal safety, CPR, First Aid, Defensive driving and
Flagging.
d) Basic Computer skills, wastewater training, most Haz-Mat
training.
e) Road and street maintenance
f)
Pesticides
application
g) General plumbing or electrical code
The
Expense Reimbursement Grant has $500,000 through 2008, allocated for
trainings.
Pre
exam classes for class 2, 3, and 4 treatment operators are being offered. The trainings are offered for a fee of $20 to
the operators. Renewal fee waivers will
continue this year.
Point
System: Terry Trott will ask for a
meeting with the Drinking Water Program field staff and the Board members
within two weeks to discuss
Rule
Change Status: Fees need to be raised.
Duplicate license will go from $15 to $25. Additional fee increases discussed in New Business
License renewals will also be increased
Relevancy - Noted the
education requirements, from the State of
1.Approved by the Department of Health
2.
Influence on water quality & water supply and Public Health Protection
3.
Directly related to the operation maintenance of a water system.
4.
Directly related to the managing the operation or maintenance of a water system.
New Business:
On
line exams review: After lengthy discussion, by the Board, at
this point on line exams are not feasible due to locations, amount of people
testing and setup cost. Terry Trott
will check with DEP to see if they are thinking about offering on-line exams.
Financial
Needs: Addressing the budget and expenditures.
Exams-Reviewing the actual costs of examinations there has
been a monetary loss for the past three exam cycles and most likely the
upcoming October cycle will show a loss. This is due partly because fewer tests
are being taken for 2 reasons, multiple entry tests and fewer entry level
operators. Projections of future trends and costs showed that an exam increase
to $70 (maximum allowed by statute) will be needed. The Board decided that
exams prices need to increase to the $70.
Licensing
Fees-After the expected fees from examinations the balance of
expenditures must be paid through
licensing fees. Reviewing actual and projected expenditures with incremental
increases the budget did not show a sustainable balance until 2010 with a fee
increase to $60. The Board requested Terry
to run the budget out further
Once
fees established through rule changes meet the legislatively approved maximum
of $60 for renewals and $70 for exams the Board will need to approach the
Legislature for further allowable fee increases.
Proposed Fee Increases
1. Initial licensure with or without
exam $50 - $70
2. Re-examination $50 - $70
3. Reinstatement of license $50
- $70
4. Biennial renewal fee $45
- $60
5. Issuance duplicate license $15 -
$25
The Board adjourned the meeting