Rhode Island General Laws 23-65-5. Certification of public water supply treatment operators
It is unlawful for any public water supply system using surface water or groundwater under the direct influence of surface water as determined by the director, or any community or non-community non-transient water supply to supply water for human consumption unless the treatment of the water is under the supervision of a superintendent or assistant superintendent who is assigned direct responsibility for the management, operation, and maintenance of the water supply treatment facility during all working shifts at the facility and who shall hold a certificate equal to the grade or classification of the water supply treatment facility, as established by this chapter. In addition, each operator in charge of a shift at a public water supply system using surface water or groundwater under the direct influence of surface water as determined by the director, or any community or non-community non-transient water supply must hold a certificate no less than one grade below the classification of the treatment facility. All persons employed to work as an operator at a water treatment facility must be certified to at least the lowest grade of treatment plant operation certification within a year of hire. Violation of this section is considered a violation of the public drinking water supply under chapter 13 of Title 46 and water systems shall be subject to the enforcement and penalty provisions of § 46-13-16.
History of Section.
P.L. 1995, ch. 190, § 1; P.L. 1995, ch. 201, § 1; P.L. 2000, ch. 286, § 1.
Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 23-65-5
- Assistant superintendent: means the individual who is an operator who is responsible for the management, operation, and maintenance of a water supply treatment facility or water transmission and distribution system in the absence of the superintendent and who shall have a certificate appropriate to the type and grade of the water treatment facility or water transmission and distribution system. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-65-1
- Certificate: means a certificate of competency issued by the director to an individual to operate one or more specified classes of public water supply facilities. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-65-1
- Director: means the director of the department of health or a subordinate to whom the director has assigned his or her functions. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-65-1
- Groundwater under the direct influence of surface water: means any water beneath the surface of the ground with (i) significant occurrence of insects or other microorganisms, algae, or large diameter pathogens such as Giardia Iamblia, or (ii) significant and relatively rapid shifts in water characteristics such as turbidity, temperature, conductivity, or PH which closely correlate to climatological or surface water conditions. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-65-1
- Operator: means an individual whose routine job duties involve performing operational activities or making decisions regarding the daily operational activities of a public water system, water treatment facility and/or transmission and distribution system, that may directly impact the quality and/or quantity of drinking water. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-65-1
- Public water supply: means a system for the provisions of the public of piped water for human consumption, if such system has at least fifteen (15) service connections or regularly serves at least twenty-five (25) individuals daily at least sixty (60) days out of the year. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-65-1
- Superintendent: means the individual who is an operator who is directly responsible for the management, operation, and maintenance of a water supply treatment facility or water transmission and distribution system during all working shifts and who shall hold a certificate appropriate to the type and grade of the water treatment facility or water transmission and distribution system. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-65-1
- Water supply treatment facility: means an arrangement of devices and structures constructed and/or installed for the purpose of treatment of water supply. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-65-1