Requirements to Renew a Georgia Water Operator Certification
Keeping your Georgia water operator certificate isn’t overly simple. The renewal date isn’t easy to remember and the renewal process requires a certain number of continuing education (CE) points. When do you need to renew? How do you renew? How many points do you need? And what’s the point, anyway?
If you’ve ever asked any of these questions about renewing your Georgia water operator certification, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s your guide to getting your CE points and renewing your license on time.
When to renew
As an actively certified Georgia water operator, you need to apply to renew your license by June 30th of every odd-numbered year (e.g., 2023, 2025, etc.).
Theoretically, you should get an email notification that your renewal is coming up about two months before your certification would expire. That email will give you guidance on how to renew your license, so it’s worth making sure you get it. If you change your email, fill out this form and email it to Trades3@sos.ga.gov to notify them of your new email.
Continuing education requirements for water operator renewal
To be eligible for renewal, the state requires you to earn a specific number of continuing education points. Don’t let the “points” confuse you. Each point is equal to one hour of CE.
The number of points (or hours) you need depends on your water operator certification class.
If you have multiple certificates, you’re subject to the points requirement for your highest level of certification.
So you can get a good idea of the specific number of points you need, let’s outline the requirements:
- Class I Operators need 24 points
- Class II Operators need 18 points
- Laboratory Analysts need 18 points
- Class III Operators need 12 points
- Water Distribution System Operators need 12 points
- Class IV Operators need 6 points
If you have a Class I through III license or you’re a water distribution operator or lab analyst, at least half of your points need to come from coursework that’s specifically focused on water (i.e., not wastewater). If you have a Class IV license, all of your points need to come from water-focused courses.
Fortunately, you get your points by taking CE hours online (such as the courses we offer here). The state has approved several online education providers (including us; you can check our approval letter at the bottom of this page). That means you can get your hours from anywhere you have an internet-connected device at any time that works in your schedule.
When you finish your course, hold onto your certificate of completion. The state can audit you and ask for that proof that you’ve been getting the required points for renewal.
Quick note: If you have dual certificates, you need to get CE points for both your water certificate and your wastewater certificate. The state requires that at least 25% of your points come from courses focused on each discipline.
How to renew
In June of every odd-numbered year, you have two options to renew. You can renew online or by mailing in the paper renewal form. Online renewal is probably easier because you’ll need to call (404) 424-9966 to request the paper form.
Whichever route you choose, renewing your Georgia water operator certification costs $65.