Preparing for the Water and Wastewater Operator Examinations
Preparing for the Water and Wastewater Operator Examinations
About the MDE State Certification Exam
To ensure protection of public health and the environment, operators and superintendents of water and wastewater treatment plants and associated systems are required under Maryland law to be certified. Maryland’s Board of Waterworks and Waste Systems Operators (often referred to as “the Board of Certification,” “the Board of Waterworks,” or just “the Board,”) sets the standards for the examination, education, and experience for operators and superintendents who work in the State’s treatment plants.
The written examination is often the biggest hurdle operators face in the certification process. Each of the 23 certification classifications has its own process-specific examination, designed to ensure that Maryland's operators are technically-qualified.
Preparing for a Certification Exam? We can help!
EARN Maryland is a state-funded, competitive workforce development grant program that is industry-led, regional in focus, and a proven strategy for cultivating the skilled workforce needed to compete and grow in an ever-changing 21st century economy.
How does this help water and wastewater operators?
We have successfully helped operators prepare for and pass their state certification exams under the EARN Maryland grant.
Under the grant, we have 4 process classes:
- Wastewater Treatment
- Water Treatment
- Wastewater Collection
- Water Distribution
Each of the four classes is tailored to the operator looking to get fully certified and feel confident on exam day.
In addition to the main process class, operators earn ACT WorkKeys certifications in Applied Math, Workplace Documents, and Graphic Literacy. These certifications show employers your skills as an employee and can be added to your resume.