New Jersey’s program to certify water supply and wastewater system operators is the oldest in the nation, dating back to 1918.  In recent years, the most substantial changes to the program have been the requirement that all public community and non-transient, non-community public water systems have a licensed operator, the creation of the Very Small Water System (VSWS) License, and the requirement that all license-holders obtain continuing education for license renewal.

The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund provides set-aside funds for the drinking water operator certification program. The Bureau of Safe Drinking Water has utilized these funds to provide free and/or reduced-cost training to operators for continuing education through agreements with Rutgers University, the New Jersey Water Association, and the New Jersey Section of the American Water Works Association. We also administer a program to reimburse costs to individuals taking the Introductory or Advanced required courses.