Plant Operation & Maintenance Committee

Purpose

To promote a better understanding of the operations and maintenance of water and wastewater treatment plants.

Organization

The Committee shall consist of members of the NC One Water with the Committee Chair elected by members of the Committee. The Committee Chair shall select a Vice Chair from Committee members. Members may include representatives involved directly with water and wastewater treatment plant operation and maintenance, representative(s) from the NC DENR Training and Certification Section, laboratory personnel, regulatory agencies, engineering firms, equipment suppliers and educational institutions. An attempt should also be made to include members that are officers in each section of the NC Water Pollution Control Operators Association, NC Waterworks Operators Association and the NC Rural Water Association. The Committee Chair may designate sub-committees and call meetings as necessary to accomplish the Committee’s goals and objectives. The Board liaison is the Association Senior Trustee.

Primary Activities

To define objectives and develop a budget each year that is aligned with the Association’s Strategic Initiatives and the Committee’s purpose. To provide educational opportunities for treatment plant personnel in existing and emerging O&M technologies and practices. To encourage and facilitate the exchange of information regarding the O&M of treatment plant equipment and processes. To encourage communication of innovative solutions to problems and increase understanding of plant processes and equipment through committee sponsored seminars, presentations and training classes. To work with other committees of this Association and other organizations to promote a better understanding of Plant Operation and Maintenance.

Voluntary Maintenance Technologist School & Certification

Visit the Maintenance Technologist School page for more details on this program and upcoming schools.

Program Development

The Plant Operations and Maintenance Committee (O&M Committee) took on the task of providing a new certification for maintenance professionals across the state. On September 20, 2006, personnel from the City of Raleigh Public Utilities Department and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities Department proposed the concept and need for a maintenance certification program in the state of North Carolina. The committee liked the idea and immediately formed a sub-committee tasked with researching options for implementing such a program. The sub-committee researched several options and on November 14, 2006 recommended to the committee that we should proceed with a solution that combined the external development of the program (Needs to Know and Testing) with internal training solutions.

While researching the options for developing such a program, the sub-committee learned that the Association of Boards of Certifications (ABC) was about to start development of their own maintenance certification program. So it was decided that we would track ABC’s progress and administer the maintenance certification program much like the Laboratory Analysts Certification Program. ABC posted a survey on their web site in May of 2007 and the Plant O&M committee strongly encouraged interested parties from North Carolina to participate in the survey. ABC met in August to review the survey results and go into full development.

Volunteer Trainers

The Operations and Maintenance Committee is always looking for trainers for the developing Maintenance Technician Certification program. If you are an experienced professional in the water/wastewater field and can spare some time to volunteer as a trainer, we need your help.

Will be performing the following tasks:

• Class room training in theory and practical application of equipment repair, troubleshooting, maintenance of electrical, mechanical, electronic equipment, components, and systems.
• 5-10 years of progressive experience in water/wastewater and/or plant maintenance.
• Operations certification is preferred.