All operator certificates in Nova Scotia have an expiry date. An operator must obtain continuing education to renew their certificate before it expires. A completed renewal form, complete with payment of a renewal fee, must be submitted at least 60 days before the date the certificate expires. Operator in Training certificates are not renewable.
The unit of measurement for training is the continuing education unit (CEU). One CEU means 10 hours of participation, or contact time, in a continuing education program that is relevant to the operation of a water and wastewater facility (Training already required under the Occupational Health and Safety Act is not eligible for renewal CEUs).
The requirements for renewing an operator certificate are:
| Requirements | |
|---|---|
| Class I, II | 2.4 CEU over previous 4 years |
| Class III, IV | 4.8 CEU over previous 4 years |
| Overall DRC, regardless of class | 4.8 CEU over previous 4 years |
Each certificate must be renewed and CEUs must be achieved for each certificate. CEUs can be applied to multiple certificates if they are applicable to the category of certificate and meet the requirements for an acceptable CEU. Training can be entirely formal or can be a combination of formal and practical (on-the-job). A maximum of 25% of required CEUs can be practical training. More information on renewal requirements and formal and practical training are provided in the Operator Certification Renewal Guidelines
(PDF:36k).
CEUs must be achieved during the valid period of the certificate. This is indicated by the issue and expiry dates found on the certificate. If the necessary documentation is not provided before the expiry date of the certificate, the certificate will be suspended. Operators have up to three years after certificate expiry to complete the necessary CEUs to satisfy the requirements and have their certificate reissued. However, the certificate will be considered invalid until this is complete.
If the required CEUs are not obtained and documentation submitted to the Department within the three years after the expiry date an operator will be required to rewrite and pass the exam for the last certificate level they held.
Renewal Fee
$61.15* for each certificate.
*no tax is charged
Download the Operator Certification Renewal Application (PDF:258k)
A list of pre-approved training that can be used for renewal of certificates can be found here: Pre-Approved Training (PDF:469k).