A. As used in the Waterworks and Wastewater Works Operator Certification Act:
1. "Board" means the Environmental Quality Board of the State of Oklahoma;
2. "Certificate" means a certificate of competency issued as provided for herein;
3. "Department" means the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality;
4. "Executive Director" means the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality;
5. "Helper" means any person who performs or assists in the performance of work which may affect the quality of either water or wastewater;
6. "Operator" means any person who is at any time responsible for the operation of a wastewater works or waterworks or associated laboratories, in part or in whole. Operator shall not ordinarily apply to an official exercising official general administrative supervision but shall include any person who can, through a direct act or command, affect the quality of the water or wastewater;
7. "Person" means and includes individuals, firms, partnerships, associations, and corporations; and also means and includes the State of Oklahoma, counties, districts, municipalities, and all subdivisions, districts, officers, agencies, departments, institutions, or instrumentalities of any thereof, whether governmental or proprietary;
8. "Wastewater works" means wastewater treatment systems and facilities used in the collection, transmission, storage, pumping, treatment or disposal of liquid or waterborne wastes, except as provided in subsection B of this section; and
9. "Waterworks" means facilities used in the procurement, treatment, storage, pumping or distribution of water for human consumption, except as provided in subsection B of this section.
B. The words "waterworks", or "wastewater works" shall not include:
1. Any waterworks used exclusively by a private residence or a private business or industry, except when a waterworks has fifteen or more permanent or temporary service connections available for residential use, or regularly serves twenty-five or more of the same individuals at least six (6) months in a year;
2. Any nonindustrial wastewater works treatment system which has an average flow of five thousand (5,000) gallons per day or less;
3. Any industrial wastewater works; and
4. Such classes of systems, which because of their size, type of treatment, or the nature of wastes involved, the Board shall find do not require general supervision by a certified operator in order to safeguard life, health, property, or the water supplies or streams of this state. Such classes shall be fixed by rules promulgated by the Board.
Added by Laws 1959, p. 270, § 2. Amended by Laws 1965, c. 88, § 1, emerg. eff. May 5, 1965; Laws 1978, c. 166, § 1, eff. July 1, 1978; Laws 1993, c. 145, § 276, eff. July 1, 1993; Laws 1993, c. 324, § 50, eff. July 1, 1993; Laws 2005, c. 138, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 2005.