Delaware County Community College is offering a drinking water operator certification program, with classes beginning on Jan. 24 at the Marple Campus. Classes will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-9 PM.

Certified by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the program prepares entry-level operators for certification and employment. The minimum education level for operator certification is a high school diploma or GED.

The program offers all of the coursework and module review necessary to help students pass the licensing exam for DEP certification. The program is divided into two, 90-hour sessions. Successful candidates must enroll for certification levels 1 and 2.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, drinking water operator certification is crucial in protecting public health and in the maintenance of safe, optimal, and reliable water treatment and distribution facilities.

The goal of certification is to ensure that skilled professionals are overseeing the treatment and distribution of safe drinking water, and it is an important step in promoting compliance with the U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual pay for water treatment operators is $44,790, and the field is projected to grow by six percent over the next decade.

The cost of certification is $950 per semester. Students can save $150 by registering for both semesters at once (paying $1,750 instead of $1,900). For more information, contact Mary Kay McClatchy at 610-723-4010.

In other Delaware County Community College news, there’s still time to register for spring classes.

There are four sessions being offered: one traditional full-term semester and three accelerated options. Each session features a broad range of subjects, including allied health, business, communications, English, mathematics, science, and the trades.

Classes are offered at the college’s locations in Delaware and Chester counties, as well as online. Here are the spring session dates and registration deadlines:

• Spring Semester: Jan. 17 – May 8. The last day to register is Jan. 11.
• Spring Accelerated 1: Jan. 17 – March 12. The last day to register is Jan. 11.
• Spring 2 Session: Feb. 6 – May 8. The last day to register is Feb. 3.
• Spring Accelerated 2: March 20 – May 8. The last day to register is March 17.

Late registration will be held on Jan. 11. New students must complete the admission process, which may include placement testing and registration in person at one of the following college campuses between the hours of 9 AM and 8 PM:

• Marple Campus (901 S. Media Line Road, Media)
• Southeast Center (2000 Elmwood Avenue, Sharon Hill)
• Exton Center (906 & 912 Springdale Drive, Exton)
• Pennocks Bridge Campus (280 Pennocks Bridge Road, West Grove)

More information is available at www.dccc.edu/late-registration.

Current students may register online through delaGATE, the college’s student communications portal, or in person at the Marple Campus, Southeast Center, or Upper Darby Center in Delaware County, or at the Downingtown Campus, Exton Center, or Pennocks Bridge Campus in Chester County.

Classes are filling quickly, so call 610-359-5050, or visit www.dccc.edu/register to find out more.