Wastewater Operator Certification Program

Wastewater Operator Certification Program Fees 

We are required to fund the Wastewater Operator Certification (OpCert) Program with fees (WAC 173-230-240). We review and evaluate these fees every two years, then propose changes, if needed, based on our budget and workload analysis. After our analysis, we ask for feedback on the proposed fees and respond to comments before finalizing the fees before the next fiscal year which starts July 1. 

Based on our analysis, we did not propose any changes to the fees. We held a comment period on the draft fee schedule from March 26 to May 10, 2025. We have responded to public comments and did not make any changes to the proposed draft fee schedule, which is now final. Read the Final Fee Schedule and our Response to Comments.

Executive Order 25-03 requires Ecology's Wastewater Operator Certification Program to establish decision deadlines and refund application fees if we miss those deadlines. The Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator application refund guarantee will become effective June 1, 2026. Applications are considered complete after a complete application, application fee, and passing ABC exam results are received by our program.

Once these components are received by the Wastewater Operator Certification Program, we are required to provide a decision on certificate issuance within 120 days. If we do not meet this deadline, an application refund will be awarded to the original remitter of application payment. Refunds are issued automatically; no action is required from the applicant or remitter of payment for the application. 

Current fee schedule 

Operators commonly meet their professional growth by earning 3.0 continuing education units (CEUs) each professional growth cycle. Operators earn these CEUs by attending approved training courses. Operators must document their CEUs and submit it to the OpCert Program as they receive it. This ensures that they stay current on their requirements. Operators must meet their professional growth for the current cycle before renewing for 2025.