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Water treatment operator training in Tennessee

3 water and wastewater programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

3 schools offer these water treatment programs, and Tennessee has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators run the machines that move and treat water. They typically need at least a high school diploma and long-term training on the job, and a state license is usually required; licenses have several levels, and employers may prefer applicants with a certificate or degree in a field such as water treatment technology.1 Under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, every state must run a certification program for the operators of community water systems, or lose a fifth of its federal drinking water grant; the state sets the levels and exams.2

In Tennessee, 2 of the 3 programs take students without a high school diploma and 1 asks for a diploma or equivalent.

By kind, the 3 programs here are water or wastewater (associate degree, 1 program), operator exam prep or short course (1 program) and water or wastewater operator certificate (1 program).

See the 3 programs

How much does water treatment operator training cost in Tennessee?

$335 to $9,052

is what the 3 programs with a price cost if you pay yourself

In the typical program

Finished the program
Not enough data
1 program reports it; a typical figure needs 5
Working 6 months later
Not enough data
1 program reports it; a typical figure needs 5
Earned a year, estimated
Not enough data
1 program reports it; a typical figure needs 5
Length
Not enough data
2 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Tennessee may also offer water treatment operator training. How these figures are made

Is there free water treatment operator training in Tennessee?

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

All 3 water and wastewater programs in Tennessee approved for WIOA funding

Filters
What you need to enroll
Kind of program
School
How it's taught
How to show the list

3 programs

  • Water or wastewater (associate degree)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Water Quality Technology Degree Program

    Pellissippi State Community College

    Knoxville

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Pellissippi State Community College, KnoxvilleWater or wastewater (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$44,800
    Price if you pay yourself$9,052
    School website, Water Quality Technology Degree Program at Pellissippi State Community College
    More details about Water Quality Technology Degree Program at Pellissippi State Community College
    Finished
    71%
    Working at 6 months
    100%
    Earned in a quarter
    $11,201
    Length
    Left out
    Cost of supplies
    $595
    Students counted
    37
    Earned a year, estimated
    $44,800
    Price if you pay yourself
    $9,052
    School website, Water Quality Technology Degree Program at Pellissippi State Community College

  • Operator exam prep or short courseIn personNo diploma needed

    Cross Connection Basic Workshop

    Fleming Training Center

    Murfreesboro

    No diploma needed

    Fleming Training Center, MurfreesboroOperator exam prep or short courseIn person · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$335
    More details about Cross Connection Basic Workshop at Fleming Training Center
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    1 week, 40 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $335

  • Water or wastewater operator certificateHybridNo diploma needed

    Wastewater Operator

    Selmer Utility Division - Apprenticeship

    Selmer

    No diploma needed

    Selmer Utility Division - Apprenticeship, SelmerWater or wastewater operator certificateHybrid · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$6,075
    More details about Wastewater Operator at Selmer Utility Division - Apprenticeship
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    52 weeks, 3 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $6,075

How to pay for water treatment operator training in Tennessee

WIOA funding can pay for water treatment operator training in Tennessee

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for water treatment operator training

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.78

GI Bill for water treatment operator training

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.9

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Water treatment operator training in Knoxville, Nashville and other Tennessee cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above. 1 in smaller cities and towns.

Other training in Tennessee

How water treatment operator training compares with the rest of skilled trades: Trade school programs in Tennessee

Where the Tennessee water treatment program numbers come from

Which Tennessee water treatment programs are on this list?

These are the water treatment programs Tennessee approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).10 The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Tennessee offers.

How the prices and results of Tennessee water treatment programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

Sources for the facts about water treatment operator training in Tennessee

Show the 10 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators
  2. US Code: 42 U.S.C. 300g-8, operator certification
  3. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  4. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  5. Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
  6. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  7. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Eligibility for Federal Student Aid
  8. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Don't Miss Out on Federal Pell Grants
  9. US Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill benefits for non-college degree programs
  10. US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List