A GUIDE TO CEC REQUIREMENTS

  • CEC stands for Continuing Education Credit.
  • 0.1 CEC represents one hour of instructional time at a seminar or workshop.
  • CECs are required to maintain your Wastewater Operators License (Except SC).
  • CEC requirements will differ depending on the level of your license.
  • Wastewater CECs are divided into three course categories: Technical, Managerial and Non- managerial/Non-technical (called "Other").
  • The CEC Requirements are based on a 3-Year Renewal Cycle as follows:
Certification
Level
Technical
Minimum
Managerial
Minimum
Other
Maximum
Total per cycle
A, B0.60.62.4
C0.61.2
D, L1, L21.2
SC0
Maximum allowable CECs from any approved Exhibits per cycle is 0.6
Maximum allowable CECs from all association memberships per cycle is 0.3
    • If you do not meet your CEC requirement by your certificate's expiration date, you will have one year to make up a prorated number of CECs. If this is not done, you will have to retake the exam to be certified.

    Keep in mind that we are referring to Wastewater CECs. This means that the seminar has been approved by the Municipal Certification Board. The Drinking Water CECs that have been around for years are not the same thing and will not apply towards your Wastewater Operators License renewal requirement.

    Just in case you're not confused yet, there will be numerous seminars that have been approved for both Wastewater and Drinking Water CECs. ALWAYS ASK before registering for an event that advertises CECs which flavor are they offering.

    Another significant difference is that neither the Certification Board nor the DEQ are going to track CECs for wastewater operators. The entire responsibility lies with the individual. BUT, (drum roll please) the MWEA will be happy to assist you by maintaining a database that tracks all the courses you have taken from us and all the ones for which you provide proper documentation. We will then provide you with a letter which should greatly simplify your re-certification process.  MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WASTEWATER LICENSING

    The Technical Certifications which are offered by MWEA and administered by the California Water Environment Association (CWEA) also have a continuing education requirement. It reads as follows: "Certificate holders are required to participate in at least 12 hours of continuing education or training every two years. "?The CWEA requirement is based on contact hours (not CECs). The CWEA will accept offerings which have been approved by either the Wastewater or Drinking Water Certification Boards, BUT the course should be pre-approved AND it must pertain to the specific vocation of your certification. There are several pages of information regarding all the CWEA regulations on their website at: www.cwea.org/renew

    One final thought, membership in MWEA is good for one contact hour every two years for the CWEA requirements and 0.1 CEC every year towards your Wastewater Operators License renewal requirement.

    As a licensed engineer you may be wondering how do CECs convert to PDHs? Here‘s how!

    Continuing Education Unit (CEU): a nationally recognized and uniform unit of measure for continuing education and training.

    1 CEU = 10 contact hours of instruction = 10 PDHs

    Professional Develop Hour (PDH): defined as a contact hour (nominal) of instruction or presentation. Short term breaks are permissible as long as a minimum of 50 minutes of presentation/participation per hour is undertaken.

     

    Continuing Education Credit (CEC): Michigan term that equates to 1 hour of instruction (see CEU calculation).

     

    For additional information regarding licensing please visit Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) www.michigan.gov/engineers.



    For more information, call MWEA at 517-641-7377 or email