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CertTracker Resources and Information

Drinking Water Operator Licensing

All licensed Drinking Water Operators have access to view and update their very own license profile – anytime, anywhere an Internet connection is possible. CertTracker (CT) allows Operators (or a proxy) to manage contact information and preferences, update experience as it changes, and review their training contact hours (TCH) in more real-time format for accuracy and totals. Currently, all new license applications will be set up by the DWP as well as the processing profiles for license upgrades.

Benefits being brought to you with CertTracker include

  • Your TCH courses and totals whenever you would like
  • Online fee payments
  • Improved License processes
  • You control managing your contact details
  • All of your DWP Licenses (DW Operator, Well Driller, Pump Installer, and Site Evaluator) in one profile
  • And more!

Get Started with CertTracker


This is a major change in our licensing process for water industry professionals, and we have developed written and video resources to help guide you through this new service. A few things to be aware of as you log into your profile for the first time: 

  • Your Drinking Water Operator license is your professional license, regardless of who pays the licensing fees. We encourage Operators to include at least one personal point of contact (email or mailing address) in their profile. Be mindful of using only your work addresses in your profile: if you change jobs but do not update your CertTracker profile, you run the risk of missing important communications.
     
  • Whenever this kind of transition is undertaken, data errors will occur. We have made every attempt to ensure data is accurate, but some operator information may have transferred not exactly right. We ask that you spend time reviewing your profile and make corrections where necessary.
     
  • We are here to help if you need it. Due to staffing changes, Operators might initially experience delays in receiving responses to questions. We appreciate your patience.  While we transition, please use the forms below to submit your requests for assistance and we will respond shortly.
     
  • While the Operator will be responsible for keeping current contact information, mailing addresses, and experience updated, the DWP still requires a formal Designated Operator (DO) Form to be submitted to us whenever Primary and Designated Operators change at a public water system. 

The Users' Guide (below) highlights different aspects of CertTracker and how to use them. Click on a heading for written guidance as well as links to training video clips (CertTracker Training Tidbits). 

If you don’t find what you are looking for, or need additional assistance, please reach out to the Maine Drinking Water Program: 

CertTracker Users' Guide

Creating a Password for CertTracker

This is where it all begins!  All Operators in our database have a profile created using data we already had on file. But, before you can access your specific Operator profile, you must first reset the password. Follow the steps below or watch the CertTracker Training Tidbits episode Changing Your Password to learn how to do this. (For anyone who manages operator accounts as a proxy, start by reading the information under ‘Setting Up a Proxy Account’ further down on the list of categories.)

You can use CertTracker both on a smartphone with data or a computer that has internet access. CertTracker works the best when used in the Chrome or Edge internet browsers.

  1. Navigate to the GEC Account Login screen 
    • Note: This screen will not identify as CertTracker
    • Do NOT log in with Google or Microsoft credentials.

    Screenshot of CertTracker login.
  2. Click on ‘Forgot your password?’ lower on the Login page.
     
  3. Enter your primary email address on file with Maine DWP. Be sure to use the same email address we currently use to communicate with you or CertTracker will not be able to find your profile. The September 21 bulletin email was sent to the address we have in our records. After you have access to your account, you can change the email you are using for your profile as needed.
     
  4. Once you have entered your password, click ‘Email Link’.  An email will be sent to you with a link to reset your password. This email should be coming from contact@1gec.com. If you don’t see an email arrive, check your spam/junk folder.
     
  5. Click the link in the email and create a password for your CertTracker account.  Make sure to follow the password requirements listed there.

Video: CertTracker Training Tidbits - Changing your Password
 

Logging Into CertTracker

This can only occur after you have created a password for your account. See ‘Creating a Password for CertTracker’ (above) to complete that step. This is how you will access your profile each time. Watch the CertTracker Training Tidbits episode Operator Login and Dashboard Tour or follow the written directions below. 

  1. Once you have created a password, go to the CertTracker login page.
     
  2. Enter your email and hit ‘Enter’ on your keyboard or click the grey arrow on the right of the screen.
     
  3. Enter your password and hit ‘Enter’ on your keyboard or click the grey arrow on the right of the screen. 

Video: CertTracker Training Tidbits - Operator Login and Dashboard Tour

 

Contact Information / Operator Details

The ‘Operator Details’ area is mainly for your name, email, and operator type. Here are a few things to consider when updating your Operator Details: 

  • Middle Initial: In Maine we have many licensed Operators with the same first or last name. Because of this, we try to include a middle initial when available. If you have a middle name and your profile does not include a middle initial, please add that to your ‘First Name’ field as a single capitol letter. 
     
  • License Type: As CertTracker is used for all licensing types at the Maine DWP, it is important to keep your Default Operator Type as ‘Drinking Water’. 
     
  • Email Updates: If you would prefer to change your email, you are able to do so here. Once you update your email address, you should be able to use that new email to login to your account. 

Most of the other details in this area are not currently used. 

Watch this CertTracker Training Tidbits episode: Operator Details Changes - or follow the directions below to update your details. 

To Review or make changes, 

  1. Click on ‘Operator Details’ to expand that area of your profile. 
     
  2. To make changes, type the updated information into the box you would like to change. 
     
  3. Click ‘Update Operator Profile’ on the bottom of this area. 

Video: CertTracker Training Tidbits - Operator Details Changes

 

Addresses

The ‘Address’ area is where you can manage the mailing addresses in your account, including identifying your ‘primary’ address (for DWP licensing communications). If you have a couple of different licenses, each license can have its own address. Operators are urged to have both a Home and Work address included in their profile; we encourage using your Home address as the primary. 

Watch the CertTracker Training Tidbits episode Operator Address Review and Edit or follow the instructions below to edit or make changes. 

To review or make changes, 

  1. click on ‘Addresses’ to expand that area of your profile. 
    • If this information looks good, there is nothing more you need to do. 
     
  2. If you would like to make changes to a current address, click ‘Edit’ on the righthand side of the address you would like to edit. 
     
  3. This will bring up a dialog box where you can update the information you need to change. 
    To make an address to your Primary Address, select the checkbox near the top of the dialog box. 
     
  4. Once you have updated that address, select ‘Update Address’ near the bottom of the dialog box to save your updates. If you decide not to save your changes, simply click ‘Close’.

If there is an address you would like to add, 

  1. Click ‘+Add New Record’ at the top left of the address list. 
     
  2. Enter in the information for the new address 
     
  3. Click ‘Save Address’. 

Please Note: If you would like to add a city and it isn’t an option in the drop-down list, let us know. 

  • Cities will not show up if no state has been selected for the entry.
  • Cities are loaded for options based on the state that was selected.

Video: CertTracker Training Tidbits - Operator Address Review and Edit

 

Education

The ‘Education’ area is where your education is listed on your profile. You can edit and update your education as needed. High School/Equivalent is the only education requirement for Drinking Water Operator licensure, making everything else “extra info” (unless college courses are being used directly for operator experience years). You are more than welcome to include additional education within your profile. 

Watch the CertTracker Training Tidbits episode Operator Education Review and Edit or follow the written instructions below to review and edit your education in CertTracker. 

To review or update your education, click on ‘Education’ to expand that area of your profile. 

To make changes to a current entry: 

  1. Click ‘Edit’ on the righthand side of the line you wish to update. This brings up a dialog box where you can enter your education information. 
     
  2. Select ‘Save’ at the bottom of the screen. 
    • If you no longer wish to make changes, select ‘Cancel’. 

To add a new education entry:

  1. Click ‘+Add New Record’. This will bring up a dialog box up where you can fill in your education information. 
     
  2. Select ‘Save’ at the bottom of the screen. 

Video: CertTracker Training Tidbits - Operator Education Review and Edit

 

Experience

The ‘Experience’ area of your profile contains your applicable drinking water Operator experience. You can edit and update this area as needed. 

Omissions: Experience submitted to the DWP in a license application may have been omitted in our records if it does not classify as related experience as per BLWSO rule. If this is not the case, and there appears to be an error in our data, please let us know.

Please remember that the BLWSO defines “experience” very specifically, and anything classified as “related experience” is tallied as ½ time (for example, 2 years of related experience would only be tallied as a total of 1 year in CertTracker).

There are at least two different ways experience could be incorrect: 

  • In the past, licenses were issued with only the minimum required experience recorded (3 years for a Class 3, etc.). We are no longer recording experience this way. However, some Operators with several years' experience may see a residual of this reflected in their CertTracker profile, indicating fewer years' experience than they actually have. Those Operators are encouraged to update their experience to the correct number of years.
     
  • Or you may be missing experience altogether. Many Operators do not submit experience changes if they have been renewing for many years. If your data in CertTracker is missing experience, add it. Be sure to read Policy for Evaluating Experience to Qualify for Level of Operator Licenses (PDF), which defines different types of experience. If an experience event does not qualify, however, it should not be added into CertTracker at this time.

Watch the CertTracker Training Tidbits episode Operator Experience Review and Edit or use the instructions below to update/edit your experience. 

To edit an existing experience entry, use the ‘Edit’ button on the righthand side of the experience you would like to update.

  1. Fill in the categories you would like to change
     
  2. The years will automatically calculate once you enter a beginning and end date, or beginning and ‘current’. This total can also be manually adjusted to follow the ‘Policy for Evaluating Experience to Qualify for Level of Operator Licenses’ for related experience.
     
  3. Click the ‘Save’ button at the bottom.

To make a new experience entry:

  1. Click ‘+Add New Record’ and fill in the fields.
     
  2. Enter a short summary of responsibilities/tasks for that experience in the description field.
     
  3. Click the ‘Save’ button at the bottom.

Video: CertTracker Training Tidbits - Operator Experience Review and Edit

 

Training Contact Hours

Using your CertTracker profile, a listing of your TCH courses is available any time you wish. As always, TCHs must first be submitted to the DWP in order to count toward license renewal. In CertTracker, TCHs will not appear in your profile until the DWP has completed review and confirmed the information. 

Please take the time to review all the TCHs assigned to your active certificates. 

Watch the CertTracker Training Tidbits episode TCH Review or follow the instructions below to review your current TCHs for accuracy for this renewal period. 

  1. Scroll down to the bottom of your Operator profile. Your active certificates will be presented at the bottom. Click ‘View’ to see the TCHs accrued for each one.
    Note: Operators licensed in both Treatment and Distribution will be able to see all of their TCHs, regardless of which license is being viewed in CertTracker.  All applicable TCHs should be applied to both licenses equally. 
     

  2. Once you have clicked on ‘View’ you will see a screen with these options: ‘Application Form’, ‘Continuing Education’, and ‘History’. By expanding ‘Continuing Education’ you can see all the TCHs that have been applied to your account. 

    Please note: Some trainings will be labeled with ‘generic' titles like “MWUA: courses”. Use the dates of the trainings and the number of TCHs earned to assess if or what training(s) is/are missing or not.

If corrections are needed (specifically, duplicates or missing courses) that need to be made to your TCHs, please 

  1. Fill out and submit the TCH Correction Request form   
  2. Email the certificates to DWPLicensing.DHHS@maine.gov (include your name and OP# in the email) 

Video: CertTracker Training Tidbits - TCH Review

 

License Renewal

Operators who are due for renewal the end of 2026 should verify that TCHs in their CertTracker profile are accurate. Review the content in the ‘Training Contact Hour’ section, if you haven’t already done so.

Once you have met the criteria to renew your license, watch CertTracker Training Tidbits episode Operator Renewal or follow the steps listed below to renew.

  1. Log into your Cert Tracker profile.  Your current active licenses will be displayed at the bottom of your home page.
    • If you only have one certificate, there will be a ‘Renew’ button at the bottom of that certificate. Click ‘Renew’ to start the renewal process.
    • If you have more than one active certificate, there will be three dots (...) in the top right of the box around your active certificates. There will be two options, ‘Renew Criteria’ and ‘Renew’. Select ‘Renew’ to start the renewal process.
       

  2. Your ‘License’ page will open, offering three categories: ‘Test(s)’, ‘Fees’, and ‘Attachments’. Since there are no exams required for renewal, the only part you need to do is the Fee section. 

    Note: If you do not see all three categories, you may need to scroll up on the page. CertTracker sometimes navigates to the bottom of the webpage, which can move the ‘Fee’ category out of site.
     

  3. Click on ‘Fees’ for options:
    • +Report Payment – used if you are not using the online payment method, opting instead to mail a check, or
    • +Make Online Payment – which will take you directly to the online payment options.
      • For online payments only: After your payment has been submitted you will be returned to the CertTracker renewal page for final submission.
         
  4. After payment has been submitted, click the checkbox to declare the information you provided is accurate.
     
  5. Click ‘Apply’ to finish submitting your renewal to the DWP. 
     
  6. All applications for renewal are reviewed by the DWP. Renewal applications paid-for by check will not be processed until the payment has been received at the DWP. Operators will be notified by email when their renewal has been approved. Updated certificates will be available for printing after the renewal application has been approved. 
     

  7. To print your certificates, log-in to your CertTracker profile.  Your current active licenses will be displayed at the bottom of your home page. Click ‘View’ on the certificate you are trying to print. On the next page, click ‘Print Certificate’.

    Note: For the moment, Treatment and Distribution certificates must be printed separately.  We are working to update CertTracker so one certificate will cover both.
     

Video: CertTracker Training Tidbits - Operator Renewal

 

Setting Up a Proxy Account

Water districts, utilities, etc. that manage renewal/fees for the Operators in their employ are called “Proxies”.  These entities must register for a Proxy Account in CertTracker in order to review the TCHs and pay renewal fees for all of the Operators they manage (the individual Operators will still be able to log into their profiles as well). 

Watch these episodes of CertTracker Training Tidbits (Proxy Registration Request; Proxy Email Confirmation and Approval; Proxy Login) or follow the instructions below to set up and learn how to navigate around in CertTracker. 

First, you will need to set up a CertTracker Account. 

  1. Navigate to the GEC Account Login screen 
    • Note: This screen will not identify as CertTracker
    • Do NOT log in with Google or Microsoft credentials.
     
  2. Click on ‘New here? Register…’ underneath the forgot password link. 
     
  3. At the Registration page, input all of the required information. 
    Please note: 
    • The correct response to 'Agency' is "Maine Drinking Water Program";
    • The correct response to 'Application' is "Certification Tracker".
     
  4. Create your username, password, and PIN, then click ‘Register’ at the bottom of the screen. 
     
  5. You will be sent an email from ‘contact@1gec.com’ with a confirmation link. Click that link to confirm your email. If you need a new email sent, call the DWP at (207) 441-9244 or email DWPLicensing.DHHS@maine.gov. 
     
  6. Complete and submit the Proxy User Request form, identifying all of the Operators you will manage through your account. 
     

Once all of these steps have been completed and the DWP has approved and assigned Operators to your account, you will be able to log-in to your account. 

The number of assigned Operators will appear in the top right of your profile. Once renewals are live in the specific renewal year, that number will appear in the top middle of your dashboard.

To find a specific Operator’s profile (to renew, or review information like TCH totals) type either their first or last name into the ‘Go to Operator Profile’ field in the middle of the Dashboard screen. A list of your Operators who have similar names will appear in a drop-down menu. Select the operator profile you would like to see. 

This will bring you to the Operator Profile. 

  • To view the current TCH for this renewal period, scroll down to the certificates listed at the bottom of the Operator Profile page. Select ‘View’ for the license (certificate) you would like to see. (TCH are applied to both Treatment and Distribution certificates the same so if an Operator has both, you only need to look at one).
     
  • If there are missing TCHs,
    1. Fill out and submit a Drinking Water Operator Training Contact Hour (TCH) Correction Request 
    2. Submit the missing TCH Certificates to DWPLicensing.DHHS@maine.gov.   
     
  • It is important to note that some trainings will be labeled with ‘generic' titles like “MWUA: courses”. Use the dates of the trainings and the number of TCHs earned to assess if or what training(s) is/are missing or not.
     
  • To renew, select the renew button on the certificate you would like to renew. This will only be available if the operator has earned enough TCH credits as per the Board of Licensed Water System Operator rules and has been entered into CertTracker. See CertTracker Training Tidbits - Operator Renewal or scroll to the ‘Renewal’ category above.
     
Additional Help

If you have reviewed the resources above and are experiencing errors in your CertTracker profile that you are unable to resolve, please reach out to us for assistance.  We are more than happy to help you through this transition period. Due to staffing issues, Operators might initially experience long hold times or delays in receiving responses to questions. We appreciate your patience, and will help you as quickly as we can. 

Other Features in CertTracker

The ‘Find Courses’ feature allows Operators to search courses the DWP has approved for TCH awards. Users should bear in mind that only the most recently approved options (2025-26) are listed here; for a complete list of approved courses and their TCH awards, please contact the DWP. 

To search for courses, 

  1. Click on ‘Find Courses’ 
     
  2. Click ‘Clear Filters’ first. This clears the default date range that pre-loads in the search fields.
     
  3. We recommend searching for DWP approved courses by typing a key word from the title, or the DWP course ID, into the ‘Name’ field. Alternatively, you could search by training provider in the ‘Location’ drop down menu.

 

Troubleshooting in CertTracker

Occasionally Operators will find themselves prevented from editing their profile, even when following the prescribed procedure in our instructions and videos. In most instances, a red alert box will appear after clicking ‘Save’ providing a description of the issue – and quite often this will enable the user to resolve the issue on their own. These descriptions can also be helpful when reaching out to the DWP for assistance. (If you do need to reach out to the DWP for help, a screenshot of the error alert can help us determine what may be preventing your request from completing.). 

A few specific examples:  

  • When trying to update Operator details (like your name or email) a red error message pops up: Some fields are invalid! The AddressType field is required. 

    Error message in CertTracker: "Some fields are invalid! The AddressType field is required."

     

    • This suggests the Address Type (Home, Work, etc.) is not indicated, and that would prevent all other Operator details from being updated.  See the ‘Addresses’ category above with information on how to update that. 
       
    • After updating your address type, be sure to ‘refresh’ your web browser screen for those changes to apply to your profile. After refreshing the screen, you will be allowed to update your Operator details. (To refresh your browser window, click on the circle-arrow in the upper left of your screen near the website address line, or, using your keyboard, type Ctrl+R. )
       
  • Information in your profile has errors, but you are unable to make corrections. If you are missing a certificate or something is incorrect in an area you are not able to edit, contact the DWP for assistance.
     
  • You do not have the option to renew a license (the ‘Renew’ button on your certificate is deactivated). 
     
    This will occur automatically in CertTracker if an Operator does not meet the requirements to renew. There could be a couple of things happening here:
     
    1. There could be an error with your profile information (such as experience or education). This can be corrected by making sure those parts of your profile are accurate. 
       
    2. You could be missing TCHs in your profile. View your active license and check the Continuing Education credits. See ‘Training Contact Hours’ category above for more details. If there are TCHs missing, follow the steps in ‘Training Contact Hours’ to have the DWP update those.