Maintaining Your NAWT Certification

 

Once you attend your first NAWT Inspection or Operation and Maintenance Training & Certification and become a NAWT Certified Inspector or Service Provider, NAWT wants you to maintain your certification.  This is done by continuing education. For more information on the NAWT Continuing Education policies and procedures please read the following…

 

Continuing education

 

First, certification lasts for two years from the date of when you took your certification training.  At the time of your anniversary date, you will be required to show that you have met the continuing education requirement during the two-year period. The requirement is to have 8 hours (1 day) of training on onsite wastewater treatment system subjects. You can submit your documentation any time during the two- year period (but at least 6 months after the certification or renewal date), and your certification will be renewed at the time of the anniversary date.

 

So what counts towards recertification?

 

NAWT considers a wide range of activities and instructional topics to meet your Continuing Education requirements. They have approved hours that are related to onsite system inspection, installation, design, soil and site evaluation, operation or maintenance, and conference attendance – as long as there is a certificate or other proof of attendance supplied with the application.

 

Are there fees associated with recertifying?

 

There is a credential registration fee of $150 for the two-year credential period if the continuing education was through a non-NAWT sponsored course.  NAWT members pay a $35 credential registration fee for the two-year period when taking continuing education through non-NAWT sponsored courses. The credential registration fee is included in the course registration fee for NAWT sponsored courses. Individuals will be invoiced prior to issuance of the new credential.  

 

What happens if I don’t get my continuing education completed before my anniversary date?

 

There is a 1-year grace period after the anniversary/expiration date of the certification in which you can earn the continuing education credits necessary for recertification.  You will not be considered certified until the continuing education credits are approved by the NAWT Education Committee. So, although you have a year to obtain your continuing education after your anniversary date, you will NOT be a certified inspector or service provider!  Once the continuing education credit requirement documentation is submitted and approved by the NAWT Education Committee, the certification will be renewed with an expiration date two years from the previous anniversary date.  After the grace period, you must begin the certification process as if you had never taken the NAWT training.

 

Summary of NAWT Recertification Requirements

  

• The requirement is to have 8 hours (1 day) of training on onsite wastewater treatment system subjects to recertify.

• Renew only at the anniversary date.

• There is a 6-month waiting period from the time of certification or recertification to begin accumulating continuing education credit hours.  Sessions count as long as they pertain directly to onsite wastewater treatment systems.  Proprietary sessions and business sessions will NOT be approved.  The NAWT Education Committee suggests that, if possible, you request approval prior to the event.  This will help avoid the situation where you get surprised after attending the event that it is not accepted.  A subcommittee of three representatives from the Education Committee will review requests for approval.

• Documentation of attendance is required through a certificate or some other official document or letter.

• The credential registration fee for the two year period is:
  • $150 for non-NAWT members and non-NAWT courses used for continuing education.
  • $  35 for NAWT members & non-NAWT courses used for continuing education, and
  • $    0 for NAWT courses used for continuing education (the credential fee is part of the registration fee).

• You have a 1-year grace period after your anniversary date for obtaining continuing education credits.  During the grace period, your NAWT certification credential is NOT valid, but will be reinstated upon successful completion of the continuing education approval.  After the grace period, you must begin the certification process as if you had never taken the NAWT training.