Georgia Wastewater Operator Certification Guide

How Do You Get Georgia Wastewater Operator Certification?

Georgia wastewater operator certification requires completing approved training, gaining operating experience, and passing an ABC standardized exam through PSI. Georgia issues four class levels - Class IV (entry) through Class I (highest) - and you must climb the ladder one rung at a time.

The process isn't complicated, but it does have a few moving parts that trip people up. Each step up adds more training, more experience, and a tougher exam. The good news? For the first two levels, you can actually take the exam before you've finished racking up all your operating time.

The Georgia Certification Ladder

Class IV (Entry Level) This is where most people start, especially if you're working at a smaller facility or a lagoon/pond system. You need:

• A high school diploma or GED
• Completion of a 6-hour pond operations course
• 1 month of operating experience (but you can test early, more on that below)

Class III The next step up, and the most common entry point for operators at conventional treatment plants. Requirements:

• High school diploma or GED
• Completion of a 40-hour basic wastewater course
• 3 months of operating experience (early testing allowed here too)

Class II Now things get more serious. You must already hold a Class III certification before applying for Class II. You'll need:

• A 48-hour advanced wastewater course
• 12 to 24 months of experience (depending on your education level)
• All experience completed before you sit for the exam

Class I (Highest) The top of the ladder. You must hold a Class II certification, plus:

• 24 to 36 months of additional experience (again, depends on education)
• All experience completed before exam day

Step-by-Step Application Process

1. Complete the required training course for your target class level. Georgia's Board approves specific courses, so make sure yours counts before you invest the time.
2. Gather your documentation. You'll need transcripts or course completion certificates, proof of operating experience (signed by a certified operator or your supervisor), and your high school diploma or GED.
3. Submit your application to the Georgia Board through the Secretary of State's office. Note that there is typically a separate application fee in addition to the exam fee - check the current GA SOS fee schedule for the exact amount. The Board meets periodically to review applications, so don't wait until the last minute.
4. Once approved, schedule your exam through PSI. You'll have a one-year eligibility window from the date your application is approved. If you don't pass within that window, you'll need to reapply.
5. Pass the exam with a 70% or better.
6. Receive your certification once the Board confirms you've met all requirements, including experience.

If you're exploring the profession and want a broader overview of what the career path looks like, check out our guide on how to become a wastewater operator.

↗

What Is Georgia's Education + Experience Matrix?

Georgia's Education + Experience Matrix sets specific training and experience requirements based on your highest education level, replacing the points system used in many other states. This matrix is where Georgia trips people up more than anything else.

If you've looked at other states, you might be expecting a points system where you add up education credits and experience hours until you hit a magic number. Georgia doesn't work that way.

How the Matrix Works

For Class IV and Class III, your education level doesn't change anything. Whether you have a GED or a Ph.D., the experience requirement stays the same. But once you hit Class II and Class I, a college degree in biology, chemistry, or engineering can significantly reduce how long you need to work before you're eligible.

Here's the full breakdown:

That's a big deal for operators with a relevant degree. A bachelor's in biology or engineering cuts your Class II wait from 24 months to 12 months, and your Class I wait from 36 months to 24 months. That's potentially two years faster to the top.

How Does Early Testing Work for GA Wastewater Exams?

Georgia allows Class III and Class IV candidates to take the certification exam before completing their experience requirement - but this option is not available for Class II or Class I.

What does that mean in practice? Say you've just finished your 40-hour basic course and started working at a plant. You've only been there a few weeks, nowhere near the 3-month experience requirement for Class III. In Georgia, you can go ahead and sit for the exam. If you pass, the Board holds your certification until you document the remaining experience. Once you hit 3 months and submit the paperwork, you're certified.

This is a real advantage. It means you can study while the material from your training course is still fresh, take the exam, and then focus on gaining experience without the pressure of an upcoming test hanging over you.

But for Class II and Class I, early testing is not allowed. You must have all your experience documented and verified before the Board will approve your exam application. Don't submit a Class II application with only 10 months of experience thinking you'll finish the rest before test day. The Board will reject it.

The Stacking Requirement

One detail that catches people off guard: you can't skip levels. You must hold a Class III before applying for Class II, and you must hold a Class II before applying for Class I. Georgia doesn't care if you have 20 years of experience and a master's degree in environmental engineering. You're climbing the ladder one step at a time.

What's on the Georgia Wastewater Certification Exam?

Georgia's wastewater exams are ABC standardized tests with 100 scored questions, a 70% passing score, and a 3-hour time limit, administered through PSI testing centers. The format will feel familiar if you've studied for ABC exams in other states. But there are some Georgia-specific details you need to know.

Exam Format at a Glance

About Those Experimental Questions

Your exam will include 100 scored questions plus several unscored "experimental" items. These experimental questions are being field-tested by ABC for possible use on future exams. Here's the important part: you won't know which questions are experimental. They look exactly like every other question on the test.

So treat every question like it counts, because you can't tell which ones don't. Your score is calculated only from the 100 scored questions. That means you need at least 70 correct out of those 100.

Calculator Policy

Bring your own calculator. It must be:

• Non-programmable
• Silent (no beeping)
• No alphabetic keypad (so no graphing calculators, no TI-84s)
• Absolutely no cell phone calculators

A basic scientific calculator like a TI-30X or Casio fx-260 is your best bet. If you're not sure whether yours is allowed, check before exam day. Having your calculator confiscated at the testing center is not how you want to start.

Georgia's 60-Day Retake Policy

If you don't pass, you'll need to wait 60 days before you can retake the exam. This is a Georgia Board rule, and it overrides any general PSI scheduling language you might see online. Some older resources mention a 30-day wait, but that applies to the Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester credential, which is a different certification entirely.

Your approved application gives you a one-year eligibility window. If you don't pass within that year, you'll need to submit a new application.

What the Exam Covers

Because Georgia uses ABC standardized exams, the content aligns with the ABC Need-to-Know Criteria for each class level. Generally, expect questions covering:

• Preliminary and primary treatment (screening, grit removal, sedimentation)
• Secondary treatment (activated sludge, trickling filters, RBCs, oxidation ditches)
• Solids handling (thickening, digestion, dewatering, disposal)
• Disinfection and effluent quality
• Lab procedures (BOD, TSS, pH, DO, settleability)
• Math (flow calculations, loading rates, detention time, chemical dosing)
• Safety and regulations
• Equipment maintenance and troubleshooting

Higher class levels go deeper into process control, advanced treatment, management, and more complex math. The Class I exam assumes you can troubleshoot plant upsets, interpret lab trends, and calculate your way through just about anything.

How Should You Study for the Georgia Wastewater Exam?

Know What You're Dealing With

Since Georgia uses ABC exams, your best study resources are ones that align with ABC content. For a detailed comparison of study tools and how to pick the right ones for your level, see our honest comparison of wastewater exam prep tools. The key references you'll want to get your hands on:

• Sacramento State (CSU-S) Operation of Wastewater Treatment Plants, Volumes I and II - These are widely considered the gold standard for ABC exam prep. Volume I covers more foundational topics typically associated with entry-level exams (Class III/IV), while Volume II addresses more advanced material relevant to higher-level exams (Class I/II).
• ABC Need-to-Know Criteria - Download the criteria for your target class level from ABC's website. This is basically your exam blueprint.
• Georgia's approved training courses - The 40-hour basic course and 48-hour advanced course aren't just prerequisites. They're designed to teach what's on the exam. Pay attention during these courses.

Build a Study Plan Around the 60-Day Window

Georgia's 60-day retake wait makes first-attempt preparation even more important. If you fail, you're looking at two months minimum before your next shot, and that eats into your one-year eligibility window fast.

Here's a realistic study timeline for most operators:

8-12 weeks before exam day:

• Get the Sacramento State textbook for your class level
• Download the ABC Need-to-Know Criteria
• Do a diagnostic assessment to figure out where your weak spots are

6-8 weeks out:

• Study one major topic per week (biological treatment, math, lab, etc.)
• Work through practice questions daily, even if it's just 10 questions during a break
• Focus extra time on math. The formulas aren't hard individually, but you need to be fast and accurate under time pressure

2-4 weeks out:

• Take full-length practice exams under timed conditions
• Review your wrong answers and figure out why you missed them
• Go back to weak areas and drill them again

Final week:

• Light review only. Don't try to learn new material
• Confirm your PSI appointment, test center location, and what to bring
• Get your calculator and make sure you're comfortable using it

Math Strategy for GA Wastewater Exams

Math questions are where a lot of operators lose points, but they're also the most predictable part of the exam. The formulas don't change. If you can plug and chug the big ones, you've got free points.

Focus on these formulas until they're second nature:

• Detention time = Volume / Flow (e.g., gallons / gpd = days, or cubic feet / cfs = seconds)
• BOD/TSS loading (lbs/day) = Flow (MGD) x Concentration (mg/L) x 8.34 (lb/gal) - this is the pounds formula and it shows up constantly
• Percent removal = (In - Out) / In x 100
• Surface overflow rate = Flow / Surface Area (typically gpd/ft²)
• Sludge age (MCRT) = Solids in system (lbs) / Solids leaving system (lbs/day)
• F/M ratio = BOD loading (lbs/day) / MLVSS in aeration (lbs)

Practice unit conversions until they're automatic. MGD to gpd, mg/L to lbs/day, feet to inches. Conversion errors are one of the most common reasons operators get math questions wrong when they actually know the formula.

Use Your Work Experience

One advantage you have over students studying from a textbook: you actually work in a plant. When you're studying biological treatment, think about what happens in your aeration basins. When you're reviewing lab procedures, connect it to the tests you run on shift.

If you're studying for Class III or IV and taking advantage of early testing, ask your senior operators questions. "Why do we adjust the RAS rate when settleability changes?" is the kind of question that turns textbook knowledge into real understanding, which is exactly what ABC exams test.

CE Broker and Continuing Education After Certification

Once you're certified, you'll need to keep up with continuing education to maintain your license. Georgia recently made a significant change here: as of January 2026, CE Broker is mandatory for tracking your continuing education.

Here's what you need to know about the renewal cycle:

Every operator gets a free basic CE Broker account. The system tracks your completed CE automatically when providers report it. It's actually a nice improvement over the old paper-based tracking, where it was on you to keep every certificate organized and hope nothing got lost.

At least 50% of your CE points must be wastewater-specific. The rest can be broader topics like safety, management, or related environmental coursework. Don't wait until the last few months of the cycle to start earning points. Spread them out, and you won't be scrambling.

A word about lapsed certifications: If your license expires by less than 2 years, you can renew by completing the CE points you missed. But if it's been more than 2 years? You're looking at a $165 reinstatement fee and having to retake the certification exam. Don't let that happen.

How Do Out-of-State Operators Get Georgia Certification?

Georgia offers Certification by Endorsement for operators already certified in another state, reviewing applications case-by-case using a published Endorsement Matrix that maps other states' grades to Georgia classes.

Here's how it works:

1. Check the Endorsement Matrix. Georgia has a published matrix that maps other states' certification grades to Georgia's class levels. This tells you what Georgia class your current certification is equivalent to.
2. Submit an endorsement application with the $100 fee.
3. Get an endorsement affidavit from your current certifying state confirming your license is in good standing.
4. The Board reviews your application on a case-by-case basis.

If you passed an ABC or WPI exam in your home state, that definitely helps smooth the process. But it doesn't guarantee approval. The Board still needs to verify that your education, training, and experience meet Georgia's specific matrix requirements.

This isn't a rubber stamp process. Give yourself plenty of lead time, especially if you're starting a new job that requires Georgia certification by a specific date.

Georgia Wastewater Certification Fees Summary

All fees are subject to change - check the GA Secretary of State website for the most current fee schedule.

Georgia's exam fees are moderate compared to many other states. At $104 per attempt with a 60-day retake wait, there's a real incentive to pass on your first try.