Small drinking water system owners need to have qualified individuals to operate their systems. These systems are regulated under the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) and the Ministry of Health (MOH), depending on their type.
In circumstances where there is a staffing shortage of qualified individuals,
the Operator Workforce Matching Portal can aid in connecting system owners with qualified water operators who are available for employment.
Follow these links for more information:
The table below lists the different types of small drinking water systems that are regulated under Ontario Regulation 170/03 of the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the type of certificate or designation that qualified individuals need to have. Click on the links to find out how you can become certified to operate these systems.
System/Facility Type | If serviced by a … | Requires the following Certificate / Designation (at a minimum)* |
Residential development with less than 101 private residences | Small municipal residential system – groundwater only | Limited System Certificate (groundwater) |
Small municipal residential system – surface water | Class 1 – 4 Water Treatment Certificate | |
Residential development, trailer park or camp ground with more than 5 service connections | Non-municipal year round residential system | Limited System Certificate (or relevant OIT certificate*) |
School, private school, day nursery, children’s camp, children and youth care facility, health/social care facility, health care seniors’ facility, social care facility, delivery agent care facility, university or college | Large non-municipal non-residential system that serves a designated facility | |
Large municipal non-residential system that serves a designated facility | ||
Small non-municipal non-residential system that serves a designated facility | Trained Person | |
Small municipal non-residential system that serves a designated facility | ||
Non-municipal seasonal residential system that serves a designated facility |
*A drinking water OIT may operate a limited subsystem only if they are under the supervision of an Overall Responsible Operator and Operator-in-Charge who holds or is deemed to hold a limited subsystem certificate for that type of limited subsystem.
*Operational checks for chlorine residual and turbidity can be performed by a Supervised Person for the system categories listed above.
For more information about the requirements to operate the small systems listed above, contact your local public health unit. To learn more, visit the Small Drinking Water Systems section of the Ministry of Health website at http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/common/system/services/phu/locations.aspx.
The following guidance documents can help you understand various aspects of the Drinking Water and Wastewater Operator Certification Program.
Limited systems have limited operational requirements. The system categories below are considered limited systems under Ontario Regulation 170/03 of the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Limited System Categories | Examples |
Small municipal residential system – groundwater only | Residential development with less than 101 private residences |
Non-municipal year-round residential system | Major residential development, trailer park or camp ground with more than 5 service connections |
Large non-municipal non-residential systems that serve a designated facility | School, private school, day nursery, children’s camp, children and youth care facility, health/social care facility, health care seniors’ facility, social care facility, delivery agent care facility, university or college |
Large municipal non-residential systems that serve a designated facility |
There are two types of limited systems:
Depending on whether the drinking water source is surface water or groundwater, the person operating that system must hold or be deemed to hold one of the following certificates:
Drinking Water Source | Required Certificate(s) |
Surface water (or under the influence of surface water) | Limited Surface Water Certificate |
Water Treatment Certificate (Class 1 – 4) | |
Groundwater not under the influence of surface water | Limited Surface Water certificate |
Limited Groundwater Certificate | |
Water Treatment certificate (Class 1-4) | |
Water Distribution and Supply Certificate (Class 1- 4) |
A person who holds a valid Water Treatment Operator-in-Training (OIT) certificate can operate limited surface water or limited ground water systems. A person who holds a valid Water Distribution and Supply OIT certificate can operate limited groundwater systems.
To get a limited system certificate, you must:
A limited system certificate expires every three years. You must renew your certificate to continue operating a drinking water system. To maintain your certificate, you need to meet all of the following criteria and apply to renew your certificate before it expires:
For additional guidance go to https://www.ontario.ca/page/renew-limited-system-certificate
A Trained Person designation is needed if you operate a designated facility that is serviced by a:
What is a designated facility?
Ontario Regulation 170/03 of the Safe Drinking Water Act defines “designated facilities” as:
Complete the correspondence or online course, Operation of Small Drinking Water Systems course, available through the Walkerton Clean Water Centre (WCWC). Visit the Small Systems Zone to register.
Keep your course completion certificate which verifies that you are a Trained Person. Keep it handy as you will need to show it during a ministry inspection as proof of training.
Your designation is valid for 3 years from the date you completed the course.
Complete one of the following courses* that have been specifically selected as acceptable training for Trained Persons. You must take this training before your designation expires:
Keep your training records for verification. It will be requested during a ministry inspection.
If you do not complete one of the courses listed above before your Trained Person designation expires, you will lose your designation and will not be able to operate a drinking water system.
*If you completed a Director approved course(s) from October 1, 2012 to September 30, 2015 that is not included in this list, it can be used to meet your “Trained Person” designation. Please contact the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks for guidance at 416-325-4000, Toll-free: 1-800-565-4923 or send a message to https://www.ontario.ca/contact-us.
Operational checks for chlorine residual and turbidity must be conducted on-site and are done using portable or hand-held testing kits or devices.
These tests must be performed by a certified drinking water operator, water quality analyst or a Trained Person (depending on the category of the system). Individuals who are not certified can also perform chlorine residual and turbidity tests if all of the following conditions are met:
Individuals who meet the criteria above are considered “Supervised Persons”.
If you are a Supervised Person working under the supervision of a certified operator, you can conduct these tests in the following types of systems:
Chlorine residual testing in a large municipal residential system must only be performed by persons holding a water treatment, water distribution or water quality analyst certificate.
Certified Operator | Supervised Person |
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Refer to the ministry’s Training Manual for Supervised Persons Conducting Operational Checks for more information about the conditions that must be met for Supervised Persons to conduct chlorine residual or turbidity tests.
For information on the required qualifications to operate, test or sample drinking water systems under the Safe Drinking Water Act, refer to the reference chart available on the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks website at https://www.ontario.ca/page/ministry-environment-conservation-parks.