All Public Water Systems (PWS) are required to be operated by a certified operator by both the federal Safe Drinking Water Act and by the state UTILITY OPERATORS CERTIFICATION ACT.  Certified operators are professionals who need to understand the different aspects of a water system, know the regulatory requirements and how to properly collect and submit water samples, and plan for the future needs of a water system.

To view a list of upcoming training opportunities for current and aspiring operators, click on TRAINING in the menu to the left. 

If you are considering testing to be a certified water operator, you may want to view the CERTIFIED OPERATOR TESTING SCHEDULE FOR 2012.  You may also want to download the APPLICATION FOR EXAMINATION FOR UTILITY OPERATOR.  There is a WATER SYSTEM OPERATOR CERTIFICATION GUIDE that can be used to help prepare for the certification exam.

To collect compliance water samples for a public water system, one must be a certified sampler.  There are two levels of certified samplers: 

• Water Sampler Technician 1 is qualified to collect samples for microbiological analysis; and
• Water Sampler Technician 2 is qualified to collect samples for chemical analysis. 

For sampler certification training opportunities, check the TRAINING web page. The WATER SAMPLING CERTIFICATION STUDY GUIDE is available to help you prepare for the certification exam.  The testing schedule and application links above also apply to certified sampler testing.

The Drinking Water Bureau maintains a LIST OF CERTIFIED OPERATORS AVAILABLE FOR CONTRACT.  If your water system lacks a certified operator, this list may have a certified operator in your area that you can contract to operate your system.  It is important to have a detailed contract with a hired operator that describes, among other things, what is expected of the operator, how they will respond to emergencies and what they will be paid.  DWB has a MODEL CONTRACT that you can use as a starting point for your system's operator contract.  This document is not intended to be and is not intended to contain legal advice for any individual person or entity.  Instead, it is intended as a starting point, covering some, not necessarily all, of the issues that a water system owner or operator may wish to discuss and consider in consultation with their legal advisor. Owners or operators should consult their legal advisor concerning their facts and circumstances and the language which would best suit their needs.  The New Mexico Environment Department accepts no liability for the use of all or part of this document by any person or entity. This contract is geared toward groundwater systems.  If you would like assistance modifying the contract for a surface water system, contac t Rob Pine at 505-476-8642.  Also available are suggested INTERVIEW QUESTIONS when considering an operator for contract work. 

For more information on testing and training credits, go to the website of the UTILIITY OPERATOR CERTIFICATION PROGRAM of the NMED-Surface Water Bureau or contact Rob Pine from the Drinking Water Bureau at 505-476-8642.