Rhode Island General Laws 23-65-6. Certification of public water supply transmission and distribution system operators
It is unlawful for any community or non-community non-transient public water supply transmission and distribution system to distribute water for human consumption unless the operation of the system is under the supervision of a superintendent or assistant superintendent who is assigned direct responsibility for the management, operation, and maintenance of the transmission and distribution system during all working shifts of the system and who shall hold a certificate, equal to the grade or classification of the transmission and distribution system, as established by the rules and regulations of the board. In addition, each person in responsible charge of any field operations of a public community or non-community non-transient water supply transmission and distribution system must hold a certificate one grade lower than the grade of the transmission and distribution system, as established by this chapter. All persons employed to work as an operator at a transmission and distribution system must be certified to at least the lowest grade of transmission and distribution certification granted by the board within a year of hire. Violation of this section shall be considered a violation of the public drinking water supply under chapter 13 of Title 46 and water systems shall be subject to the enforcement and penalty provisions of § 46-13-16.
History of Section.
P.L. 1995, ch. 190, § 1; P.L. 1995, ch. 201, § 1; P.L. 2000, ch. 286, § 1.
Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 23-65-6
- Assistant superintendent: means the individual who is an operator who is responsible for the management, operation, and maintenance of a water supply treatment facility or water transmission and distribution system in the absence of the superintendent and who shall have a certificate appropriate to the type and grade of the water treatment facility or water transmission and distribution system. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-65-1
- Board: means the board of certification established by § 23-65-2. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-65-1
- Certificate: means a certificate of competency issued by the director to an individual to operate one or more specified classes of public water supply facilities. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-65-1
- Operator: means an individual whose routine job duties involve performing operational activities or making decisions regarding the daily operational activities of a public water system, water treatment facility and/or transmission and distribution system, that may directly impact the quality and/or quantity of drinking water. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-65-1
- Person: means any individual, partnership, firm, association, joint venture, public or private corporation, trust estate, commission, board, public or private institution, utility, cooperative, municipality or any other political subdivision of this state, any interstate body, or any other legal entity. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-65-1
- Public water supply: means a system for the provisions of the public of piped water for human consumption, if such system has at least fifteen (15) service connections or regularly serves at least twenty-five (25) individuals daily at least sixty (60) days out of the year. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-65-1
- Superintendent: means the individual who is an operator who is directly responsible for the management, operation, and maintenance of a water supply treatment facility or water transmission and distribution system during all working shifts and who shall hold a certificate appropriate to the type and grade of the water treatment facility or water transmission and distribution system. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-65-1
- Transmission and distribution system: means a network of pipes that transports, distributes, and delivers water from a water treatment facility or well(s) to water system customers. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-65-1