Public health officials certify sewage officers and regulate water and asbestos work

A person must hold state certification and local appointment to perform subsurface sewage enforcement officer duties. The rule covers people who review or approve sewage plans, inspect systems, investigate complaints, or perform related duties for a local health director. People approved as local health director agents before October 1, 2026, may continue without certification if they apply for initial certification by October 1, 2027. Applicants generally must complete approved training and pass an examination. Phase II applicants generally need prior Phase I certification or qualifying service before October 1, 2026. Phase III applicants need prior Phase II certification. Department employees may inspect and investigate for the department without this certification. The certification and appointment requirement applies on and after October 1, 2026; certification renewals are due within three years after the initial or renewal certification is issued.

Asbestos contractors, consultants, workers, site supervisors, and training providers must meet licensing, certification, training, or approval requirements described in the act. The rules cover asbestos abatement work, asbestos consultation services, supervision of abatement work, and training programs for those services in Connecticut. Contractors need a license, workers and site supervisors need certificates, and consultants need licenses. Applicants must meet applicable training, experience, examination, fee, and background requirements, unless an out-of-state license or certificate qualifies for recognition. Training providers need a certificate, and the commissioner must approve their programs before they begin or continue offering them. The commissioner may deny, suspend, revoke, or limit licenses, certificates, or approvals for specified violations or unsafe conduct. These asbestos provisions take effect October 1, 2026, and the listed licenses, certificates, and training-provider approvals generally require annual renewal unless a specific rule states otherwise.

Bottlers, environmental laboratories, water operators, and registered apprentices must follow the stated testing, certification, supervision, and reporting rules. The provisions cover bottled-water sources and testing, environmental laboratories and service centers, public water systems, small water systems, backflow testers, cross-connection inspectors, and water-operator apprentices. Bottlers must test approved in-state sources and report results; owners must notify tenants and lessees when testing shows covered contaminants exceed applicable limits. Environmental laboratories testing listed analytes must obtain certification, and out-of-state laboratories need approval to operate in-state service centers. Water apprentices must be registered with the Labor Department, complete an approved apprenticeship, pass the required examination, and work under direct supervision. An apprentice may not make process or system-integrity decisions affecting public health. Most bottled-water, laboratory, and environmental-health provisions take effect October 1, 2026; the water-operator certification rules apply when the required regulations take effect, and bottled-water annual testing begins by January 1, 2027.