What's Being Discussed

The Hawaii Board of Certification of Operating Personnel in Wastewater Treatment Plants will meet on October 13, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the EMD Conference Room in Pearl City, and online via Microsoft Teams. Key topics include:

• Operator authority questions: Who has final say at a wastewater treatment plant — the Director in Responsible Charge (DRC) or the facility director? Can an unlicensed or lower-grade operator fill in for the DRC during weekly site visits?
• DRC notifications for four facilities, including Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Honokaa, Kaloko Housing, and Kealakehe wastewater treatment plants.
• Reciprocity requests from two operators licensed in California seeking Hawaii certification.
• Continuing education (CEU) course approvals, including several cybersecurity and emergency response training courses for water utility operators.
• Computer-based exam results from September 2026 for four operators seeking certification at various grade levels.
• Unresolved cases from the previous meeting involving one course approval and two renewal applications.

Decisions Expected

• Approval or denial of over 100 operator certification renewals at Grade levels 1 through 4
• Approval of a temporary certification request for one operator
• Decisions on reciprocity applications from two out-of-state operators
• Approval of continuing education courses, including cybersecurity training programs
• Review and approval of minutes from the September 4, 2026 meeting

Who Should Pay Attention

• Wastewater treatment plant operators in Hawaii, especially those listed for certification renewal or examination review
• Out-of-state licensed operators seeking to work in Hawaii
• Wastewater facility managers interested in the DRC authority discussion
• Training providers seeking CEU course approval