Ohio Administrative Code|Rule 3745-7-09 | Recordkeeping requirements and responsibilities of owners, certified professional operators and certified professional operators of record.

                                                
(A) The owner and professional operator
		  of record of a public water system, treatment works or sewerage system shall
		  maintain or cause to be maintained operation and maintenance records for each
		  public water system, distribution system, water treatment plant within a public
		  water system, sewerage system, treatment works, or wastewater treatment
		  facility within a treatment works. Records shall be maintained in hard bound
		  books with consecutive page numbering; well organized computer logs, which
		  automatically document the date, time and person making the entry and prevent
		  the erasure or deletion of data; or an equivalent methodology sufficient to
		  record the information set forth in this rule and approved by the director to
		  ensure authenticity and accuracy. Separate log books or computer programs
		  meeting the requirements above may be maintained for operation and maintenance
		  activities. Records regarding operation and maintenance shall meet the
		  following requirements:
(1) The records shall be
			 housed and maintained in such a manner as to be protected from weather damage
			 and guarantee the authenticity and accuracy of the records contained
			 within.
(2) The records shall be
			 accessible onsite for twenty-four hour inspection by agency or emergency
			 response personnel.
(3) At a minimum, the
			 following information shall be recorded:
(a) Identification of the public water system, sewerage system,
				or treatment works.
(b) Date and times of arrival and departure in military time for
				the professional operator of record and any other professional operator
				required by this chapter. Failure to document times of arrival and departure
				shall constitute prima facie evidence that a violation of the minimum staffing
				requirements has occurred unless the professional operator can present evidence
				acceptable to the director to substantiate that the professional operator met
				minimum staffing requirements.
(c) Specific operation and maintenance activities that affect or
				have the potential to affect the quality or quantity of sewage or water
				conveyed, effluent or water produced.
(d) Results of tests performed and samples taken, unless
				documented on a laboratory or bench sheet.
(e) Performance of preventative maintenance and repairs or
				requests for repair of the equipment that affect or have the potential to
				affect the quality or quantity of sewage or water conveyed, effluent or water
				produced.
(f) Identification of the persons making entries.
(4) The records shall be
			 kept up to date, contain a minimum of the previous three months of data at all
			 times, and be maintained for at least three years.
(B) A certified professional operator
		  shall do the following:
(1) Perform duties in a
			 responsible and professional manner consistent with standard operating
			 procedures and best management practices.
(2) Operate and maintain
			 public water systems, sewerage systems, treatment works, and appurtenances so
			 as not to endanger the health or safety of persons working in or around the
			 facility, the public at large, or the environment due to negligence or
			 incompetence.
(3) Report all instances
			 of noncompliance with applicable regulations to the professional operator of
			 record or facility supervisor.
(C) The duties of a professional operator
		  of record shall include, but not be limited to, those outlined in paragraphs
		  (B)(1) to (B)(3) of this rule and the following additional duties and
		  responsibilities:
(1) Responsible and
			 effective on site management and supervision of the technical operation of the
			 public water system, treatment works, or sewerage system.
(2) Immediately notifying
			 the permittee or owner of a public water system, sewerage system, or treatment
			 works, and ensuring the agency and, if applicable, the local regulatory agency,
			 is notified of items that require notification in accordance with Chapter 6109.
			 or 6111. of the Revised Code, the rules adopted thereunder, or the
			 facility's NPDES permit.
(3) Ensuring the
			 recordkeeping requirements of this rule are being met.
(4) Each professional
			 operator of record identified in accordance with rule 3745-7-02 of the
			 Administrative Code and each certified professional operator acting as a backup
			 for a facility identified in accordance with rule 3745-7-03 or rule 3745-7-04
			 of the Administrative Code, shall ensure that the facility's minimum
			 staffing requirements are being met either by themselves or in conjunction with
			 other professional operators working at the facility.
(5) Displaying a copy of
			 the professional operator's valid certificate and renewal card for public
			 examination at the treatment plant or principal office of the
			 owner.
(6) Reporting minimum
			 staffing times to the agency on a form approved by the director.
(D) In the event that there are issues
		  related to paragraphs (A) to (C) of this rule that are within the area of
		  responsibility of, but beyond a professional operator of record or a certified
		  professional operator's ability to address, it shall be the responsibility
		  of the professional operator of record or certified professional operator to
		  document any efforts to rectify the problem.