415 ILCS 45/1

(415 ILCS 45/1) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 501)

Sec. 1. (1) In order to safeguard the health and well being of the populace, every community water supply in Illinois shall have on its operational staff at least one natural person certified as competent as a water supply operator under the provisions of this Act.

Except for exempt community water supplies as specified in Section 9.1 of this Act, all portions of a community water supply system shall be under the direct supervision of a properly certified community water supply operator.

(2) The following class requirements apply:

(a) Each community water supply which includes coagulation, lime softening, or sedimentation as a part of its primary treatment shall have in its employ at least one natural person certified as competent as a Class A community water supply operator. This includes all surface water community water supplies.

(b) Each community water supply which includes filtration, aeration and filtration, or ion exchange equipment as a part of its primary treatment shall have in its employ at least one natural person certified as competent as a Class B or Class A community water supply operator.

(c) Each community water supply which utilizes chemical feeding only shall have in its employ at least one natural person certified as competent as a Class C, Class B, or Class A community water supply operator.

(d) Each community water supply in which the facilities are limited to pumpage, storage, or distribution shall have in its employ at least one natural person certified as competent as a Class D, Class C, Class B, or Class A community water supply operator.

A community water supply that cannot be clearly grouped according to this Section will be considered individually and designated within one of the above groups by the Agency. This determination will be based on the nature of the community water supply and on the education and experience necessary to operate it.

(3) A community water supply may satisfy the requirements of this Section by contracting the services of a properly qualified certified operator of the required class or higher, as specified in subsection (2). A written agreement to this effect must be on file with the Agency certifying that such an agreement exists, and delegating responsibility and authority to the contracted party. This written agreement shall be signed by both the certified operator to be contracted and the responsible community water supply owner or official custodian and must be approved in writing by the Agency.

(Source: P.A. 91-84, eff. 7-9-99; 91-357, eff. 7-29-99; 92-16, eff. 6-28-01.)