Certification – New York Water Environment Association

Wastewater Operator Certification

New York State certification grades are divided into four levels, 1, 2, 3 & 4 with 1 being the lowest and 4 the highest grade. All activated sludge certifications will be designated with the letter “A” (1A, 2A, 3A and 4A).

Every operator in New York State who wishes to be certified at any level (Grade 1, 1A, 2, 2A, 3, 3A, 4 or 4A) must satisfy the minimum qualifications. The qualifications consist of education, experience at a wastewater treatment facility, pre-certification training through DEC-approved courses, and passage of an Association of Boards of Certification (ABC) exam.

Exam Qualifications and Application Instructions by Grade Level

Click on the Grade exam for which you wish to apply:

All application packages must be mailed to NYWEA via the US Postal Service or an express delivery service. Emailed or faxed application packages are not accepted.

Exam Application Documents

Pre-Certification Training

Pre-Certification Schools

Important Notice: Exam Application Fee Increase – Effective September 1, 2023

NYWEA announced a necessary change in the Operator Certification Application Fee effective Sept. 1, 2023. Since the transition of the program from NYS DEC to NYWEA in 2011, this fee has not changed. The exam application fee, formerly $150, is now $195.

NYWEA’s exam application fee is separate from the $112 exam fee that is paid to PSI, the test administrator that administers the ABC exams. Operators who retake an exam do not need to reapply to NYWEA; they are responsible only for the $112 PSI exam fee.

Online Payment—Click Here

For those who do not wish to mail a check, exam application fees can be paid online. Please make sure to choose the Credit Card Online payment option when finalizing payment. Once completed, you will receive email confirmation that your payment has been processed along with a link to a downloadable PDF paid invoice for your records.

Exam Scheduling Instructions for Approved Candidates

PSI, the test administrator, upgraded its online scheduling platform on December 15, 2023.

The new website address is: https://test-takers.psiexams.com/abc-ny
If you created an online account on PSI’s former platform, you must create a new account to schedule a future test or reschedule a current one.
First-time users must also create an account.
Click HERE for directions to schedule your appointment online.

Exam Resources

ABC has recently under a rebranding and is now called Water Professionals International (WPI); however, the exams will continue to be called ABC exams.

Exam Results

These are the exam results from ABC (WPI) exams in New York State for the following period:

Appeals Process

If NYWEA rejects an application due to an applicant’s failure to meet preliminary or minimum operator qualifications, including, but not limited to, the applicant’s lack of required experience, education, or training, the applicant will not be approved to take the exam.

Upon written request* for appeal, the application and all corresponding documents will be reviewed by the NYWEA Governance Council. The Council will review the original determination made by NYWEA’s Operator Certification Program Administrator. The Council will also consider any additional statement or supporting documentation provided by the applicant.

Within 90 days of the receipt of the written request for appeal and any supporting documentation provided by the applicant, the voting members of the Council will then vote to recommend an Appeals Review Determination to the DEC. Under 6 NYCRR Part 650, DEC is the appointing authority for New York’s wastewater operators and will therefore make the final determination about the operator’s qualifications. The applicant will be informed of this decision in writing (via email).

*Requests for appeal must be emailed to [email protected].