The Oregon House Committee on Climate, Energy, and Environment convened on March 18, 2025, to discuss critical legislation aimed at improving wastewater management in small municipalities. A key focus of the meeting was House Bill 3655, which seeks to address the high failure rates of wastewater treatment certification tests that many small city operators face.

City administrators from Halsey and Harrisburg highlighted the challenges their communities encounter with existing testing requirements. Halsey's city administrator noted that despite having a well-trained public works team, the city has had to double its training budget due to anticipated failures in certification tests. The current requirement of 1,800 hours of experience for wastewater treatment certification is particularly burdensome for small towns where employees often juggle multiple roles, making it difficult to accumulate the necessary hours in a single area.

Harrisburg's administrator echoed these concerns, explaining that small cities often lack the resources to hire certified personnel, leading them to pay for external oversight. The financial strain is significant, with costs for certification tests and the required experience adding up to thousands of dollars, which can consume a large portion of a small city's annual sewer budget.

The committee also heard from Kostani Konarowski, a public works employee from Sial, who shared his personal struggles with the certification process. He described how the tests often include irrelevant questions that do not pertain to lagoon systems, which are the primary method of wastewater treatment in many small towns. This disconnect between the test content and the actual work performed by operators raises concerns about the effectiveness of the certification process.

In response to these testimonies, representatives from the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) acknowledged the issues raised and indicated that efforts are underway to redesign the certification tests. New exams are set to be released on May 1, 2025, which will be tailored to better reflect the specific needs of lagoon system operators.

The discussions underscored the importance of adapting certification processes to ensure that small municipalities can effectively manage their wastewater systems while maintaining public health and environmental standards. The committee's deliberations on House Bill 3655 could lead to significant changes in how wastewater treatment operators are trained and certified, ultimately benefiting communities across Oregon.