WW and AW Operator Exam Information

Now 6 Exam locations: Newest location = Waynesville!

An exam score of 70 or above is a passing score.

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Download the Wastewater Exam Application

To fill out the exam application: first download it to your computer, then open it from there, fill out as much as you can, and then print it. If you have any trouble, you can print it as is and write in any information. 

For LA, SI, & SS choose N/A for the Grade. 

Certified Wastewater Operator eligibility requirements are set by the NC Legislature and found in rules 15A NCAC 08G .0401-.0409 & .0501 in  Chapter 8, SubChapter G of Title 15A of the North Carolina Administrative Code. Below is a simplified list of requirements. All applicants need to submit a complete exam application.

For the following wastewater operator certification, all applicants need to:

  • Biological (WW1): 
    • be 18 years old and hold a High school diploma or GED equivalent, and
    • have completed the corresponding training school.

 

  • Biological (WW2): 
    • be 18 years old and hold a High school diploma or GED equivalent, and
    • have completed the corresponding training school, and
    • hold an active WW1, and
    • have 6 months WW2 or higher experience.

 

  • Biological (WW3): 
    • be 18 years old and hold a High school diploma or GED equivalent, and
    • have completed the corresponding training school, and
    • hold an active WW2, and 1 of the following:
      • have 2 years WW2 or higher experience, or
      • have a 2 or 4-year college degree having passed 6 courses in basic sciences and 18 months WW2 or higher experience.

 

  • Biological (WW4): 
    • be 18 years old and hold a High school diploma or GED equivalent, and
    • have completed the corresponding training school, and
    • hold an active WW3, and 1 of the following:
      • have 3 years WW3 or higher experience, or
      • have a 2 or 4-year college degree having passed 6 courses in basic sciences and 2 years WW3 or higher experience.

 

  • Collections (CS1):
    • be 18 years old and hold a High school diploma or GED equivalent, and
    • have completed the corresponding training school.

 

  • Collections (CS2):
    • be 18 years old and hold a High school diploma or GED equivalent, and
    • have completed the corresponding training school, and
    • hold an active CS1, and
    • have 6 months wastewater  collections systems experience.

 

  • Collections (CS3):
    • be 18 years old and hold a High school diploma or GED equivalent, and
    • have completed the corresponding training school, and
    • hold an active CS2, and 1 of the following:
      • have 2 years wastewater  collections systems experience or 
      • have 1 year wastewater collections systems experience and a 2 or 4-year college degree having passed 6 courses in a field directly related to the operation and maintenance of a collection system, e.g. civil, mechanical, or environmental engineering

 

  • Collections (CS4):
    • be 18 years old and hold a High school diploma or GED equivalent, and
    • have completed the corresponding training school, and
    • hold an active CS2, and 1 of the following:
      • have 3 years wastewater  collections systems experience or
      • have 2 years wastewater collections systems experience and a 2 or 4-year college degree having passed 6 courses in a field directly related to the operation and maintenance of a collection system, e.g. civil, mechanical, or environmental engineering 

 

  • Physical / Chemical (PC1):
    • be 18 years old and hold a High school diploma or GED equivalent, and
    • have completed the corresponding training school.

 

 

  • Physical / Chemical (PC2):
    • be 18 years old and hold a High school diploma or GED equivalent, and
    • have completed the corresponding training school, and
    • hold an active PC1, and
    • have 1 year PC2 experience at an industrial pretreatment or indirect discharge permitted facility.

 

  • Land Application (LA)
    • be 18 years old and hold a High school diploma or GED equivalent, and
    • have completed the corresponding training school and 1 of the following:
      • have one year of experience in the land application of residuals or
      • have a two or four-year college degree and passed 6 courses in basic sciences, or
      • hold a valid WW-2 or higher. 

 

  • Surface Irrigation (SI)
    • be 18 years old and hold a High school diploma or GED equivalent, and
    • have completed the corresponding training school, and 1 of the following:
      • have one year of experience in the operation of a surface irrigation water pollution control system, or
      • have a two or four-year college degree and passed 6 courses in basic sciences, or
      • hold a valid WW-2 or higher, or
      • be a private homeowner who intends to operate only their own domestic surface irrigation water pollution control system. 

 

  • Subsurface (SS)
    • be 18 years old and hold a High school diploma or GED equivalent, and
    • have completed the corresponding training school, and 1 of the following:
      • have one year of experience in the operation of a subsurface water pollution control system, or
      • have a two or four-year college degree and passed 6 courses in basic sciences, or
      • hold a valid WW-2 or higher, or
      • be a private homeowner who intends to operate only their own domestic subsurface water pollution control system

If an exam application can not be accepted for any reason, the state is required to return it to you with the original check.

If you are submitting more than one application with a single check to cover them all and there is a problem with one application, we will need to return the check and all the applications.  (For example, if you submit 2 applications with a single $170 check and one of the applications can NOT be accepted, we will return the $170 check and both applications.)

This will result in lost time, and in some cases can cause eligible operators to miss an exam application deadline.

Deadlines, Locations, Dates

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No longer accepting applications. 

POSTMARK DEADLINE:  May 9  
Applications postmarked after May 9 will be registered for the September exam.

June exam notification letters will be mailed in late-May to the address on record.

 PLEASE READ YOUR REGISTRATION LETTER CAREFULLY!       
NO CHANGES can be made once exam rosters are finalized.        
 DATES, TIMES & VENUES subject to change.

If there are enough applicants there will be 2 exams, one at 9AM and another at 1PM.

 
RALEIGH:       
June 8
NCSU McKimmon Center       
1101 Gorman Street       
Raleigh  NC 27606
KENANSVILLE:       
June 8       
James Sprunt CC-Monk Auditorium       
Bldg C (Hoffer)       
133 James Sprunt Drive       
Kenansville  NC 28349
MORGANTON:       
June 8       
Foothills Higher Education Center       
2128 S. Sterling Ave., 28655
WILLIAMSTON:       
June 8       
Martin Community College (Bldg 2)       
1161 Kehukee Park Road       
Williamston NC 27892
SALISBURY:       
June 8       
Salisbury Civic Center       
315 S. MLK Jr. Avenue       
Salisbury  NC 28144       
WAYNESVILLE:       
June 8       
Regional High Tech Center       
112 Industrial Park Drive       
Waynesville NC 28786

Postmark Deadline:  August 15

Applications postmarked after August 15 will be registered for the December 2023 exam.

September exam notification letters will be mailed in late-August:

Please Read Your Registration Letter Carefully!
NO CHANGES can be made once exam rosters are finalized. 
 Dates, Times, & Venues are subject to change

 

 
RALEIGH:
September 14: 1:00 pm
NCSU McKimmon Center
1101 Gorman Street
Raleigh  NC 27606
KENANSVILLE:
September 14: 1:00 pm
James Sprunt CC-Monk Auditorium
Bldg C (Hoffer)
133 James Sprunt Drive
Kenansville  NC 28349
MORGANTON:
September 14: 1:00 pm
Foothills Higher Education Center
2128 S. Sterling Ave., 28655
WILLIAMSTON:
September 14: 1:00 pm
Martin Community College (Bldg 2)
1161 Kehukee Park Road
Williamston NC 27892
SALISBURY:
September 14: 1:00 pm
Salisbury Civic Center
315 S. MLK Jr. Avenue
Salisbury  NC 28144       
WAYNESVILLE:
September 14: 1:00 pm
Regional High Tech Center
112 Industrial Park Drive
Waynesville NC 28786

POSTMARK DEADLINE:  November 13, 2023

Applications postmarked after November 13 will be registered for the March 2024 exam.

December exam notification letters will be mailed in late November. 
PLEASE READ YOUR REGISTRATION LETTER CAREFULLY! 
NO CHANGES can be made once exam rosters are finalized.  
 DATES, TIMES & VENUES subject to change.

 
 

 
Other locations are still being verified.  
   
  WAYNESVILLE: 
September 14, 1:00 pm 
Regional High Tech Center 
112 Industrial Park Drive 
Waynesville NC 28786

no longer accepting applications

POSTMARK DEADLINE:  February 7  
Applications postmarked after February 7 will be registered for the June exam.

March exam notification letters will be mailed in late February.  
PLEASE READ YOUR REGISTRATION LETTER CAREFULLY!  
NO CHANGES can be made once exam rosters are finalized.   
 DATES, TIMES & VENUES subject to change.


RALEIGH:  
March 9, 9am & 1pm - Check your registration letter.  
NCSU McKimmon Center  
1101 Gorman St., 27606
KENANSVILLE:  
March 9, 1:00 p.m.  
James Sprunt CC-Monk Auditorium  
Bldg C (Hoffer)  
133 James Sprunt Drive, 28349
MORGANTON:  
March 9, 1:00 p.m.  
Foothills Higher Education Center  
2128 S. Sterling Ave., 28655
WILLIAMSTON:  
March 9, 1:00 p.m.  
Martin Community College (Bldg 2)  
1161 Kehukee Park Rd, 27892
SALISBURY:  
March 9, 9am & 1pm - Check your registration letter.  
Salisbury Civic Center  
315 S. MLK Jr. Ave, 28144