Getting Your Course(s) Approved


Once you have gained access to WWOCS, you are able to submit your courses for review. Only courses which are related to the duties of a drinking water operator can be reviewed for Director Approval. Courses which deal solely with wastewater or stormwater topics do not meet the criteria for Director Approval, however, these courses can be submitted to be reviewed by OWWCO to determine their CEU value.

If you are unsure if your course will meet the requirements for Director Approval, please review Guideline 4.4: Director Approved Continuing Education Guide for Training Providers, or contact the OWWCO office for more information.

See below for steps to applying for Director Approval or wastewater reviews.

See below for steps to applying for Director Approval or wastewater reviews.

Director Approval for Drinking Water CoursesWastewater Course Review

Background Drinking water operators are required to meet certain training requirements every three years in order to renew their certificate. The amount of Director Approved training required ranges from 21 to 42 CEUs, depending on the certificate type and level the operator holds.

Courses which are submitted for Director Approval must meet certain training criteria, and cover topics on subject matter that isdirectly related to the operational duties of drinking water operators and water quality analysts. The subject matter areas, as well as some examples of the types of topics which can be considered for Director Approval, are included in the chart below:

Subject Matter Example of Topic
Treatment and Distribution: Operation of drinking water systems
Regulatory/Health and Safety: Act, regulations, policies, standards and guidelines governing Ontario’s drinking water systems
Water Quality: Chemistry, physics and other applied sciences related to the operation of a drinking water system
Basic Concepts: Source water protection
Operational Support: Drinking water equipment maintenance/preventative maintenance
Management of Systems: Professional effectiveness training which can be directly related to the duties of a drinking water operator

Director Approved courses must be structured events with documented learning objectives and a means to verify the participant has learned the course material. In addition, the course must be planned and provided by a qualified training provider, include a course evaluation form, and a course completion certificate which is given to participants after successful course completion. For full details of all the requirements, please see Guideline 4.4.

How to Apply 1.   Request the creation of a WWOCS account (if your company has not already done so) by submitting the Training Provider User Access Request for Water Wastewater Operator Certification System;

2.  Submit your completed online application through WWOCS.

3.   Ensure that you submit the required supporting documentation to operator.certification.moe@ontario.ca (see Guideline 4.4 for list of requirements for Director Approval);

4.   Ensure that payment for your course is received by the OWWCO office in order for your course to be reviewed.

Background As wastewater courses do not meet the requirements for Director Approval, these types of courses cannot be used to meet requirements for drinking water renewals. These courses are however, still valuable for operators as they can be used to meet the training requirement for wastewater renewals, or for upgrades.

Wastewater courses can be submitted for assessment of CEU value and therefore be made available in WWOCS to upload into an operator’s WWOCS profile. Once assessed for CEU value, you are able to upload their record of completion to the operator’s WWOCS profile for them to see and retain for their records.

How to Apply 1.   Request the creation of a WWOCS account (if your company has not already done so) by submitting the Training Provider User Access Request for Water Wastewater Operator Certification System;

2.  Submit your completed online application through WWOCS.

3.   Ensure that you submit the required supporting documentation to operator.certification.moe@ontario.ca (see Guideline 4.4 for list of requirements for review);

4.   Ensure that payment for your course is received by the OWWCO office in order for your course to be reviewed.

A separate online application must be submitted through WWOCS for each course you wish to have reviewed.

You may submit all supporting documentation to:

Ontario Water Wastewater Certification Office
295 The West Mall, Suite 302
Etobicoke, ON M9C 4Z4
Fax: (416) 231-2107

Contact Form

A separate online application must be submitted through WWOCS for each course you wish to have reviewed. Course applications may take up to 30 days to process on receipt of a complete application. Incomplete applications may be returned.

You may submit all supporting documentation to:

Ontario Water Wastewater Certification Office
295 The West Mall, Suite 302
Etobicoke, ON M9C 4Z4
Fax: (416) 231-2107

Or by email to: info@owwco.ca

 

The fee for review of a course is $175 per course.

Payment will be required from the training provider in order for the course to be reviewed and can be made by Visa, Mastercard, cheque, or money order.

 

 

FORMS AND GUIDANCE DESCRIPTION
Director Approved Continuing Education Reassessment and Instructor Assessment Application Complete this form to request the reassessment and re-approval of Director approved continuing education training or to add/remove an instructor from a course
WWOCS Functions for Training Providers Includes a complete view of the different steps to input, submit, and upload courses through WWOCS.
Training Provider User Access Request Form for WWOCS Complete this form in order to gain access to WWOCS.
WWOCS Web Site Login This link will take you to the login page for WWOCS.
WWOCS Operator’s ID The listing of Operator ID numbers for operators holding valid certification.
Guideline 4.4 – Director Approved Continuing Education Guide for Training Providers This guideline details the types of training which can be considered for Director Approval, as well as any limitations in place for this type of training.
Sample Certificate A sample certificate to give operators upon successful completion.
Guide to Drinking Water Operator Training Requirements Read this guide for the requirements to submit a course for review.

For further information on transitioning your course(s) to a remote format, please review the Distanced Learning FAQs.