The following has been reformatted and republished with permission from September 2019 Journal AWWA (Vol. 111, No. 9). Copyright AWWA 2019. All rights reserved. The original article may be accessed on the Journal AWWA website at https://awwa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/15518833
By Steven Garner
Certification Manager
CA-NV AWWA
Key Takeaways
The California–Nevada Section of AWWA and California Water Environment Association sought a new industry certification for operators working with advanced water treatment (AWT) processes.
A diverse set of stakeholders and experts added their perspectives on the development of the new certification.
The AWTO Grade 3 exam was released in July 2019.
Water has been reused since ancient times, primarily resulting from upstream users discharging their waste into rivers, lakes, and other water bodies. Over time, nonpotable reuse gained popularity to meet irrigation and industrial demands. So, while overall reuse is not new, intentional potable reuse (i.e., treating wastewater historically released into the environment so that it meets drinking water standards) is still a relatively novel approach to water supply for almost all utilities.
The AWT Operator™ Certification program is kicking off and we’re ready to start taking applications for the exam.