Median Pay by Area
- Santa Fe
- $69,870 a year
- Albuquerque
- $48,190 a year
- Farmington
- $48,080 a year
- Las Cruces
- $47,350 a year
- Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area
- $46,730 a year
- Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area
- $38,780 a year
New Mexico wastewater operators
The steps from no certification to a New Mexico Wastewater Level 1 (WW1) certification, the experience and training credits each level needs, how to apply to NMED and take the exam, how to renew and what operators earn. Every requirement links to the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) Utility Operator Certification Program or the state rule it follows, 20.7.4 NMAC.
NMED makes the final eligibility determination. Check with NMED before you apply.
Why it matters
Under 20.7.4.20 NMAC, it is unlawful to operate, or allow the operation of, a public wastewater facility or public water supply system unless it is run by or under the supervision of a certified operator at or above the level the facility requires.
That means you must hold an active New Mexico utility operator certification of the right type and level, or work under the supervision of someone who does. A lapsed or expired certification does not count.
Wastewater and drinking water need separate certifications. NMED's Utility Operator Certification Program (UOCP) runs the program under 20.7.4 NMAC and the Utility Operators Certification Act.
NMED offers 11 wastewater certifications: Wastewater Level 1 to Level 4 (WW1 to WW4) for public wastewater facilities, Small Wastewater (SWW) and Small Wastewater Advanced (SWWA), Wastewater Laboratory Technician 1 to 3 (WWLT1 to WWLT3), and Collection Systems 1 and 2 (CS1, CS2).
The level a plant needs depends on its treatment process and the population it serves. For example, a raw wastewater lagoon serving 501 or more people needs WW1, while an aeration secondary plant needs WW3 from 501 to 10,000 people and WW4 above that. Plants serving 25 to 500 people need SWW or SWWA.
A higher certification covers some lower ones: a WW1 holder is also certified for work that needs SWW or CS1.
If an owner cannot hire a qualified operator after reasonable effort, the system can apply for a temporary certification for its operator. It lasts up to six months and can be extended to 18 months if the operator is in an approved training program.
Step 1
To take a New Mexico exam you must be at least 18, have a high school diploma or GED, and already have the experience and training credits for that level. WW1 needs 1 year of experience and 10 training credits.
Experience means actual work, full or part time, as an operator in public water supply or public wastewater treatment. NMED may accept work in a related field at its discretion.
Training must be approved by NMED, and NMED assigns the number of training credits for each approved program. The credits for an exam must cover topics in that level's Need-to-Know Criteria.
Education can replace some experience. For example, one extra year of experience can replace the diploma for any level except Level 4, and an associate's degree in water or wastewater plus six months of experience can qualify you for any level up to Level 2. Full-time lab experience counts at 25% of the time worked.
Step 2
NMED publishes an Operator Guidebook with Need-to-Know Criteria for each level. It lists the exam's main content areas, the number of questions in each, the passing score and suggested study resources.
The WW1 guidebook's suggested resources include Operation of Wastewater Treatment Plants, Volumes 1 and 2, from the Sacramento State Office of Water Programs, WEF's Wastewater Treatment Fundamentals I and II, and AWWA's Math for Wastewater Treatment Operators.
NMED also lists a Conversion Factors and Formulas guide for exam study and links free and paid training providers. Operators must report the training credits they earn after each course.
Step 3
Apply for the exam through NMED's online Certemy system. First-time applicants create a login; established operators sign in with their existing account instead of making a new one.
Include your high school diploma or GED, proof of your experience and training credits, copies of any training certificates not already in NMED's records, and the employer form for Present Operator Experience signed by your supervisor.
The non-refundable exam application fee is $30 for WW1, WW2, WW3, WW4, CS1 and CS2, and $25 for SWW and SWWA. The rule says applications are due at least 30 days before the exam date.
NMED staff email you to confirm your exam details and the fee due, and you must pay within 10 days of that email, online or by check or money order with NMED's payment form.
Step 4
New Mexico certification exams are computer-based and given at America's Job Center New Mexico testing locations around the state, from Farmington and Taos to Las Cruces and Hobbs.
If you do not pass, use NMED's re-exam application for that level. Re-exam applications are only for people who failed the exam and are good for one year from the original exam date.
Step 5
Certifications are renewed every three years and expire on the last day of your birth month. The renewal fee is $25 for WW1, WW2, CS1 and CS2, $30 for WW3 and WW4, and $20 for SWW and SWWA.
Each renewal needs 30 training credits of approved training earned in the three years before renewal is due. At least 10 must be in the operation and maintenance of the same type of facility as the certification you are renewing.
A certification you do not renew lapses. You can reinstate it without penalty within 30 days, or within one year with a $10 penalty for each month late. After one year you must take the exam again.
Certified operators must follow New Mexico's Code of Professional Conduct. Violations can lead to suspension or revocation of a certification.
Exam day
NMED and a panel of subject-matter experts developed New Mexico's wastewater exams. They are multiple choice, and each Operator Guidebook breaks the exam into main content areas; the WW1 exam's include safety, collection systems, wastewater treatment ponds and regulations.
The WW1 and WW2 exams have 100 questions and the WW3 exam has 120; the passing score is 70% (70 of 100, or 84 of 120). The WW4 exam has 121 questions worth 130 points, and you need 91 points (70%) to pass.
The guidebooks list math topics such as dosage, flow and hydraulics calculations. NMED publishes its own Conversion Factors and Formulas guide to study with.
NMED's certification exams are New Mexico exams: NMED and a panel of subject-matter experts wrote them, and NMED's Operator Guidebooks list what each one covers. Operator Master's free practice questions, timed practice exam and math help are built on the WPI exam format and the WPI formula table, so they cover general wastewater treatment knowledge and math, not NMED's exam questions, content weighting, formula guide or New Mexico rules. Use NMED's Operator Guidebooks and Conversion Factors and Formulas guide as your main guide. Operator Master is an independent study tool, not the official exam.
Pay
The median pay for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in New Mexico was $48,190 a year ($23.17 an hour) in 2025, compared with $60,020 nationally. One in ten earned $36,110 or less, and one in ten earned $80,090 or more.
These federal figures cover drinking water and wastewater operators together, at every level. Pay for a new operator is usually nearer the low end.
Moving up
These are New Mexico's public wastewater facility levels. Each also needs age 18 or older, a high school diploma or GED and a passing NMED exam; some education can replace experience. SWW, SWWA and CS1 need 1 year and 10 training credits, and CS2 needs 2 years and 30.
From another state
NMED evaluates water and wastewater certifications from other states and tribal authorities for equivalency. It confirms your past experience and requirements to decide which New Mexico level you qualify for.
Under the rule, NMED may certify you at an equivalent level without an exam if you hold a valid certificate or license from another state, territory or foreign jurisdiction whose requirements are, in NMED's opinion, equal to or higher than New Mexico's. The fee is $30 per certificate.
Apply with the Equivalency application for the level in Certemy, and include your current certification, your high school or GED diploma or college transcripts, and your training certificates.