In order to safeguard the public health and protect the waters of this state from pollution, all operators in responsible charge of public or private wastewater treatment plants shall be duly licensed and certified as competent by the Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ).
All wastewater treatment plants shall have available a licensed operator to make operational decisions for the plant. The operator must be licensed by DEQ at an equal or greater classification than the plant’s classification as established by Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission (APC&EC) Rule 3 and set forth in the plant’s permit.
Authority: Arkansas Code Annotated § 8-5-201 et seq. & Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission Rule 3
Wastewater License Exam Application
All operators of wastewater treatment plants within the state shall apply to DEQ for a license.
Licensing applicants must register for classes before submitting a license application. DEQ must receive a complete license application and the associated fees five business days before the applicant’s examination date. Late submissions will not be accepted. Applications for licensure must be submitted through eportal; paper forms will not be accepted. Exam Dates and Locations for 2024.
Wastewater License Reciprocity Application
Operators holding a current wastewater license in another state may be granted an Arkansas wastewater operator license based on the operator’s current credentials and in accordance with the requirements set forth in APC&EC Rule 3.601(F).
Wastewater Operator Training Hours Form
Wastewater operators are required to take training course, workshops, seminats, or other events from DEQ-Approved sources. All wastewater operators are required to be submit their training hours.
Wastewater License Renewal Form
Licenses are valid for two (2) years, July 1–June 30 with license renewal occurring in the odd years. Licenses are renewable upon application without examination if the operator meets the requirements set forth in APC&EC Rule 3.601(B).
It is the responsibility of each operator to notify the Committee’s Executive Secretary that the required training was satisfactorily completed for each renewal period.
Wastewater Facility Payment for Renewals Form
A facility should use the form below if they want to pay for the operator's renewal licenses once the operator has submitted their renewal form.
Wastewater Training Approval Request
All training must be approved by the Wastewater Licensing Committee and certified to meet the requirements set forth in APC&EC Rule 3.
Wastewater Operator Miscellaneous Form
This form is used to submit requests to the Wastewater Licensing Committee or the Wastewater Licensing Coordinator when a form specific to the request is not available.
Electronic Forms
ePortal is an online service that allows DEQ’s customers to submit and track the progress of permit applications, reports, and other forms electronically. To find a specific permit application, report, or form, you can search through the list of forms assigned to each organization or by selecting the Form Finder on the left side of the screen.
Click here for How-to Intro: ePortal Guide
Click here for How-to: Quick-Start Document
Click her for How-to Intro: Video Demonstration
Applications and forms submitted electronically through ePortal require the customer to use an electronic signature (digital signature). To obtain electronic signature approval, the customer must download the DEQ electronic signature agreement (ESA) from their user profile and mail the signed EAS to DEQ.
Click here to obtain the ESA.