New Mexico Water Treatment Operator Certification
Program Structure
New Mexico's Utility Operator Certification Program (UOCP), administered by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) Drinking Water Bureau, certifies operators of all public water systems in the state. Unlike some states that use a simple A-D or 1-4 letter/number scheme, New Mexico's water treatment ladder has two tracks:
- Small Water (SW) and Small Water Advanced (SWA) — scaled for small public water systems, which make up the large majority of NM's roughly 1,055 public water systems.
- Water Supply Level 1 through Level 4 (WS1-WS4) — the general ladder used at larger facilities, with WS4 covering the most complex treatment plants.
All New Mexico operator certifications renew every 3 years. Exam registration goes through NMED directly (a completed Exam Application Packet is generally du