Browse our comprehensive FAQ for commonly asked questions relating to:
For municipal wastewater operators, education and experience requirements vary by classification. The requirements for each classification are described in the Board Policy on Certification: Minimum Requirements for Municipal Wastewater Operators.
For industrial wastewater operators, classifications are associated with the waste treatment occurring at the facility as:
Sub-categories for industrial wastewater classifications are identified as:
Those levels correspond with the amount of education required for that classification. Education and experience requirements for each of the classifications are further described in Industrial/Commercial Certification Practices.
The minimum age for an operator applying for a municipal or industrial wastewater operator certification exam is 18 years old.
Yes. In fact, EGLE has a memorandum of understanding with the Michigan Department of Corrections to allow for incarcerated individuals to earn stormwater and wastewater certifications.
Operators can qualify for stormwater (industrial stormwater, construction stormwater, soil erosion and sedimentation control (SESC)) and wastewater examinations even if they have a criminal record.
Individuals interested in becoming a certified industrial wastewater or municipal wastewater operator may obtain certification by completing EGLE-approved training and passing the required examination.
An operator may hold multiple wastewater and stormwater certifications (such as a municipal certification, industrial certification, industrial stormwater certification, construction stormwater certification, and/or a soil erosion and sedimentation control plan review and design certification).
Operators holding multiple wastewater and/or stormwater certification are required to fulfill all requirements of each certification types.
For municipal wastewater certifications and industrial wastewater certifications, the following is true:
Submit replacement certification requests (for updated information) to EGLE-WRD-OpCert@Michigan.gov.
You should include:
This is the process for municipal wastewater, industrial wastewater, industrial stormwater, construction stormwater, and SESC PRD operator certification.
The next exam date varies depending on the type of wastewater operator certification you're interested in.
Exams for both municipal wastewater and industrial wastewater operator classifications are administered in person twice a year.
All classification exams, except for the Municipal A and B classifications, use multiple-choice Scantron format.
The Municipal A and B exams are essay style questions, requiring full written answers.
The exam fee varies depending on the type of wastewater operator certification:
All are payable to the State of Michigan. Payment instructions will be provided during registration.
You can pay for your wastewater operator exam by:
*To pay by check or money order, please request a check payment form when you send us your completed application.
You have 90 days from the exam date to pay for it.
If payment is not received within 90 days, your test is considered an automatic failure, and you will not be allowed to retest until any previous exam fees have been paid.
The Laboratory Training Manual for Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators can be found here.
The Board of Certification must provide recommendation to the Department on the issuance or denial of certificates, so a Board meeting must be held before results are released.
The Board typically meets approximately one month following each exam date, and results are also usually mailed the same week as the Board meeting.
Operators can reasonably expect their results in the mail approximately 6-8 weeks following an exam date.
If you need to reschedule your wastewater exam date or if you cannot attend your scheduled exam date, contact our team at EGLE-WRD-OpCert@Michigan.gov.
You can pay for your wastewater operator certification renewal by:
*To pay by check or money order, please request a check payment form when you send us your completed renewal documentation.
The renewal fee may vary depending on the type of wastewater operator certification:
All are payable to the State of Michigan.
Submit replacement wastewater operator certification requests to EGLE-WRD-OpCert@Michigan.gov.
You should include:
This is the process for municipal wastewater, industrial wastewater, industrial stormwater, construction stormwater, and SESC PRD operator certification.
Fill out the appropriate renewal form and pay the renewal fee.
Email completed renewal materials to EGLE-WRD-OpCert@Michigan.gov.
Yes. Your renewal certificate will be mailed to your home address within 4-6 weeks of submitting your renewal paperwork.
For municipal wastewater operator certificates, as soon as the certificate expiration date passes and you fail to renew, your certificate is considered expired.
People with an expired municipal wastewater certificates are eligible for employment at a sewerage system; however, they cannot serve as the “certified operator."
Guide to municipal wastewater operator certification renewal
For industrial wastewater operators, certificates expire July 1. If you have not renewed your license on or before July 1, your certification is considered expired.
