| Committee of Jurisdiction: | Natural Resources |
| Occupation Regulated: | Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Professionals |
| Occupational Board: | There is no occupational board for this profession. This certification program is administered by the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy. |
| Contact: | Brad Pracheil, 402-471-4141, brad.pracheil@nebraska.gov |
| Purpose: | Protect the air, water, and land of the State through certification and regulation of onsite wastewater treatment system professionals. Prior to enactment of the legislation, Lancaster and Douglas counties had certification requirements for onsite wastewater professionals. Through the legislation, the state established state-wide minimum certification requirements. |
| Regulated Professionals: | 469 |
| Year Created: | 2003 |
| Year Active: | 2004 |
| Sunset Date: | None |
| Government Certificates Issued: | 545 |
| Issued Certificate Descriptions: | There is no occupation board. The certification expires on December 31 of each odd numbered year, many of the certifications issued are renewals. |
| Government Certificates Revoked: | 0 |
| Revoked Certificate Descriptions: | NA |
| Government Certificates Denied: | 0 |
| Denied Certificate Descriptions: | None. There is no occupational board. To obtain a certification the individual must pay the fee and pass the exam. The past two years the Department has administered 281 exams for FY 2023 and FY2022, with a pass rate of 61%. The historical pass rate is similar. If an individual fails an exam three times they must obtain six hours of approved continuing education prior to re-examination. |
| Government Certificates Penalties Against: | 0 |
| Penalty Certificate Descriptions: | No penalty in last 5 years. There is no occupational board. The Department refers enforcement cases to the Attorney General’s Office. |
| Explanation of Effectiveness: | https://nebraskalegislature.gov/pdf/SurveyDocs/explanation1725374009.pdf |
| Potential Harm | Nearly all rural homes rely on an onsite wastewater system for treatment of household wastewater. It is the ultimately the responsibility of the land owner to ensure onsite wastewater systems are properly installed as the homeowner would bear the cost of correcting any problems. When individuals unfamiliar with the requirements do this work, there is a greater risk of improperly sized or improperly designed systems being installed that can lead to wastewater pollution entering into a drinking water supply resulting in adverse impacts to human health. |
| Regulation Comparison: | https://nebraskalegislature.gov/pdf/SurveyDocs/comparison1725374009.pdf |
| Subject to Regulations of Act(LB407): | No |