Tribal Drinking Water and Wastewater Operator Certification Training and Testing Program

The Native American Water Association has developed this Tribal Operator Certification program out of it's commitment to insure competency among all operators who have the responsibility of providing safe drinking water supplies and sanitary facilities to those living in Indian Country. Through this commitment the Native American Water Association (NAWA) in partnership with the Association of Boards of Certification (ABC), is pleased to offer a measured and proven certification program for both operators of water and wastewater facilities nation-wide.

This Tribal Operator Certification program is voluntary and should be used as a tool for operators to measure their success in the water and wastewater industry, also achieving a professional status we strive for among peers, public and other professionals. The following are the classes of certification offered:

• Very Small Water Systems - Joint Certification - Treatment and Distribution

• Water Treatment, Class 1-4

• Water Distribution, Class 1-4

• Water Laboratory, Class 1-2

• Wastewater Treatment, Class 1-4

• Wastewater Collection, Class 1-4

• Wastewater Laboratory, Class 1-4

For more information regarding registering and applying to take the Native American Water Association Water and Wastewater Operator Certification exams, contact Tom Crawford, Native American Water Association, Certification Administrator.

Tel: 775-782-6636

Fax: 775-782-1021

Email: nawa@msn.com 

  Tribal Water and Wastewater System Managers and Operators Apprentice Program

Purpose

Water and wastewater utility operators, managers, board and committee members as well as tribal utility support staff receive most of their training from classroom seminars which utilize only lecture-type instructional techniques. On-the-job training programs provide a real opportunity to apply and implement classroom knowledge. Allowing the trainee to practice tasks and procedures, building skill upon skill.

Tribal Drinking Water and Wastewater Utility Needs

Managers, Utility Boards, Operators and support staff of small tribal water/wastewater systems are typically offered limited access to classroom and hands-on training. Many must learn as they go. Small Tribal PWSS administrators cite these factors:

• Emergency response provisions in the overall tribal utility management structure is typically nil. Personnel need to be crossed trained, but are not.

• Finding and retaining trained community college graduates of 2-4 year technology curriculums is at best, difficult. Graduates seek and or offered higher paid positions with industrial or larger city systems.

Tribal water/wastewater system administrators face these and further complications:

• Overall tribal community knowledge of the water utilities is limited by decreased levels of participation in the design and construction of such systems. 

• Tribal utility managers and operators are often appointed through cultural protocols that may not accurately match job skills to the properly qualified personnel.

In a nutshell, tribal water system managers and operators are:

• typically appointed to their positions with little or no background knowledge;

• offered little, if any OJT training;

• have limited, if any access to culturally sensitive training programs;

• are expected to learn the principles of small utility management, public relations, employee relations, water chemistry, well operation, pump maintenance, disaffection, sampling, line repair, SDWA compliance issues by learning as you go.

The Program

The course is broken into two content areas small water/wastewater systems management principles and small water/wastewater systems operations. Field trainers take groups of 5-8 trainees for one 4 day course and provide hands-on training for various aspects of managing and operating, surface water, ground water and wastewater systems. Instructors are responsive to individual needs and repetition to achieve mastery is accommodated. All job training activities consist of the following basic building blocks:

• Learning activities are designed to demonstrate each task.

• The managerial and technical knowledge required to perform competently is defined.

• Use of special tools, equipment, or materials are discussed and demonstrated.

• Critical attitudes (safety, communications) are integrated at each learning step.

The tailored agenda's are based on years of tribal needs assessments experience with over 100 small tribal water and wastewater systems. Topics include, at a minimum:

Management