Assistance Grants Successes

Meadow Mountain Water Supply 

The calendar year 2020 wasn’t all bad, especially for drinking water systems that received funding under the assistance grants program. With support from division staff, this program provides funding up to $25,000 to public drinking water systems that need help addressing a water quality challenge. 

One system that received funding from this program, Meadow Mountain Water Supply, installed corrosion control treatment to ensure their drinking water is in compliance with the lead and copper rule and that all the water distributed to their customers is safe. As a small system serving 80 residents, the project expense was a challenge for the system. With assistance grant funding, Meadow Mountain installed a soda ash system to prevent the water from leaching lead out of homeowners’ indoor piping. According to Rachel Barkworth, the administrative contact for the system, “We were delighted to be recommended for the assistance grant program as we are a very small community system and have a lot of financial challenges. The grant came at just the right time to assist us in accomplishing our goals to maintain compliance. The grant process itself, although requiring a lot of information, was clear and easy to follow once approved. Division staff was especially helpful in navigating this process.”

Town of Dolores

The Town of Dolores also used assistance grant funding to address challenges with disinfection contact time. After a visit, the division recommended that the Town of Dolores move their entry point residual disinfectant monitoring location to allow the system to more accurately calculate their contact time and meet the requirements for surface water disinfection. Assistance grant funding paid for approximately 50% of the total project cost and greatly helped the system complete this necessary work during a stressful year. 

This program begins coordination efforts with division staff in August of each year. If you believe your system would be a good fit for this type of project, please contact Kaitlyn Beekman at kaitlyn.beekman@state.co.us. 

➽Kaitlyn Beekman, Communications & Special Projects Unit

Operator Certification Exams: Is Remote Proctoring Right for You?

Beginning January 12, 2021, Colorado’s operator certification exam administrator, PSI, began offering the option of remotely proctored examinations. This option allows approved exam candidates to take their certification tests from their home computers. However, before signing up for a remotely proctored exam, candidates need to make sure they have the right equipment, the right environment, and are able to comply with all security and professional  requirements. 

System Requirements for Remotely Proctored Exams

Your computer set-up must include the following:

• Web camera
• Speakers 
• Microphone
• Stable broadband internet connection

PSI provides a compatibility check on its scheduling website. This online tool will check the audio/video features of your computer (the one you plan to use for the exam) as well as verify that your internet browser, platform and connection speed are sufficient. You should use the online compatibility tool only when you are in the location where you will be testing. Please note, you will be required to verify your system’s functionality again immediately before beginning your exam. If you have any questions about your compatibility check, you may contact PSI’s remote proctoring technical support team at 844-267-1017.

Environment Requirements

The room where you are testing must be a secure testing environment:

• You will be asked to scan the room from which you are testing prior to launching your exam. You will need to use your web camera. Electronic devices and recording devices, including cell phones, pagers, cameras (other than your web camera), etc. are not permitted in the testing environment.
• If there are notes, drinks, a box of tissues or any such items on your desk, you will be asked to remove them prior to beginning the exam.

Security Requirements

• You must present a valid, unexpired identification in order to take your test. Military IDs are not accepted.
• You may connect with PSI Remote Proctors for testing up to 15 minutes prior to your scheduled start time provided your exam is ready to launch. Your launch button will be enabled when your exam is fully prepared for delivery.
• No conversing or any other form of communication is permitted once your exam has been released. You will want to make sure no one enters the room while your test is in progress.
• If you need assistance during your exam, you should initiate a chat with the online test administrator using the exam chat tool.
• You may not exit the camera view or use your cell phone or other electronic devices during the examination.
• Your hands must be visible to the camera at all times. Talking or mouthing words while testing is prohibited.
• You are prohibited from reproducing, communicating or transmitting any test content in any form for any purpose. Copying or communicating content is a violation of PSI security policy. Either one may result in the disqualification of examination results, may lead to legal action and will be reported to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
• The only electronic or recording device allowed in the testing environment is your testing machine.

Professional Requirements

• PSI requires all employees and exam takers to conduct themselves in a professional and courteous manner at all times. Exhibiting abusive behavior towards a proctor via chat will be reported to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and may result in criminal prosecution.

Remotely proctored exams add one more layer of flexibility for the Colorado Certified Water Professionals Program. In some cases, where individual operators do not have the equipment and/or environment necessary to take advantage of remotely proctored exams, employers may be able to provide both the equipment and the secure testing space. Otherwise, if you are not fully equipped and prepared for a remotely proctored exam, save yourself a lot of frustration by scheduling your exam at a PSI test center.

➽ Nancy Horan, Facility and Operator Outreach and Certification Board Liaison

Facility Operator Certification: Stakeholder Input

The Facility Operators Certification Program recognizes the value and importance of stakeholder involvement in any initiative to improve the program. However, depending on the issue, the program may invite input in a variety of ways. In May 2017, the Water and Wastewater Facility Operators Certification Board (board) conducted a customer satisfaction survey. The survey was sent to nearly 10,000 individuals. Eight hundred and ninety one (891) responses came back to the board, approximately 70% from certified operators. Based on the feedback, the board took action to improve operator services with minimal increase in costs to operators. The Colorado Certified Water Professionals (CCWP) Portal is a direct result of feedback from the survey.

In 2019, following the board’s adoption of a new mandatory regulatory training requirement, a stakeholder group was formed to develop guidance for the new requirement. Interested individuals met in person and by phone to draft the guidance document and present it to the board for approval. The board adopted the guidance on June 25, 2019.

The board expects the division to seek stakeholder input whenever substantive revisions to Regulation 100 or board policies are proposed by the division. This allows the division to consider other perspectives and potentially modify its proposal prior to the board’s formal hearing process. If stakeholder suggestions to the division do not result in changes to the proposed revisions, stakeholders can still present their views about the revisions to the board through the formal hearing process.

In addition, the board sets aside time at each of its meetings for public comment. We encourage you to attend a board meeting, which can be done virtually now.

There is a difference between a survey and a stakeholder work group. There is a difference between a stakeholder work group and an opportunity for stakeholder comment on proposed document revisions. The division’s stakeholder process invites stakeholders to speak to a different audience than the board’s formal hearings. A board or division-initiated invitation for feedback limits comments to the issue at hand, while the invitation for public comment at board meetings gives stakeholders an open-ended opportunity to raise any concern with the board at any time.

Through all these processes, stakeholders have a say in program improvements. Stakeholder perspectives and ideas are invaluable to the board and to the certification program. Let’s keep on working together, and listening to each other, to continually improve the operator certification program.

➽ Nancy Horan, Facility and Operator Outreach and Certification Board Liaison