WCW24

In 2009, the Northwest Territories (NWT) Public Health Act made it mandatory to have certified operators in each water plant. The NWT has successful, skilled operators that provide safe drinking water within their communities. Since 2009, many water treatment plants have upgraded from a Small System to a Class I, or a Class I to a Class II with more complex treatment. The increased use of computer programming and more complex water treatment trains has meant that operators have a steeper learning curve to ensure safe, potable water within their community. Traditional certification exams have proven to be challenging for many operators, leaving them uncertified, often due to the test format or other barriers. Community water plant operators often find that certification exams do not reflect what they do in their water plants. Some operators take longer to learn, or learn differently, and the teaching style may need to be tweaked based on an individual operator's needs. The NWT has been re-assessing how to better support operators. Occupational Certification can support varied learning behaviours and styles (more hands-on learning and physical operator demonstration of their skills). In light of that, the NWT is now moving toward Occupational Certification. This program aims to focus largely on demonstrable aspects of water treatment, where operators can work with the Circuit Riders or a third party to demonstrate that they understand all functions of the water treatment train, chemical testing, on-site bacteria sampling (TC/EC) Colilert tests, and the math required for daily operation. Once an operator is confident in their skills, a third-party water treatment expert will assess them based on their knowledge and expertise within their own water plant. The goal is to get the best out of operators in smaller communities and increase their sense of pride and confidence in their work.