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New Mexico Expense Reimbursement Grant Training Program
Sponsored by NMED Drinking Water Bureau
The
training classes are free for all water system operators and anyone wishing to
become a certified operator. Individuals from eligible systems (3300 population
and less) qualify for reimbursement of travel expenses. All of our classes are
approved for NMED certification training and renewal credits.
Fred
Ragsdale and Niki Mangin will be instructing the training classes. Ragsdale and
Associates Training Specialists is one of the premier water and wastewater
training organizations in the Southwest. We have over 30 years of experience
providing water operators in New Mexico, Arizona, and California with training
that is both informative and entertaining.
Fred
Ragsdale will provide the instruction for the 3-day Basic Water Systems
Certification workshops. These classes are designed to prepare water operators
for Small Water System and Level 1 and 2 Water System Operator certification
exams. Those attending will receive a free copy of our 250 page Water System
Operators Manual. At the end of the workshop, a practice certification test
will be presented that is designed to cover NMED “Need-To-Know” criteria for
these exams. If you are going to take a Small Water/Level 1 or 2 certification
exam, this is the class for you.
Fred will
also be presenting 2-day Pumps and Wells classes for certification renewal.
These classes will cover Centrifugal Pump Components, Pump Troubleshooting and
Maintenance, Water Well Construction, Well Hydraulics, Well Operations and
Troubleshooting. Handouts covering all of the course material will also be
provided.
Niki
Mangin will be presenting a series of 2-day certification renewal classes
covering Safe Drinking Water Act Regulations, Water Sampling, and Disinfection
Systems. These classes will cover the new Ground Water Rule that goes into
effect on December 1, 2009, Sampling
Procedures, Disinfection Requirements, Chlorine Chemistry, Disinfection
By-Products, Chlorine Residual Testing, and Disinfection Calculations. Handouts
covering all of the course material will be provided.
Rules For Expense Reimbursement
The ERG
Program offers free training sessions located throughout the state in order to
be as convenient as possible for operators and aspiring operators. Students
meeting certain eligibility requirements may be reimbursed for related expenses
to attend the training sessions.
Primary
goal of the program is to increase the number of systems with certified
operators in New Mexico. Training will focus on the following water
certification levels: Small System, Advance Small System, Class 1 and Class 2. A
variety of course topics will be taught by Fred Ragsdale and Niki Mangin, who
will provide course material free of charge to students. Mock exam sessions will
be held in order to give the students the test-taking skills they need to
successfully pass the certification exams.
This
program is funded through a grant for the US Environmental Protection Agency.
Like ay program using federal monies, it is very important to understand and
follow the rules in order to receive operator certification credit and
reimbursement check. Our goal is to make these rules as simple and as easy to
understand as possible.
Anyone can attend these free training workshops and receive operator
certification training credits. If the number of students registering for a
class exceeds the registration limit, preference will be given to small water
system operators (population 3300 or less). There is no charge for the training
or the manuals that are provided.
Small system operators (3300 or less) are eligible for expense reimbursement for
mileage traveled between your home and the training site. Mileage reimbursement
is 40 cents/mile. Only one person per vehicle can claim mileage reimbursement.
Reimbursement is also available for certification exam expenses for all eligible
paid or unpaid operators of small water systems (3300 or less). A maximum of two
individuals from each water system may receive reimbursement for a training
session. Systems that are not under the jurisdiction of NMED-GWB are not
eligible for reimbursement. This includes Federal government systems (military
and US Forest Service) and tribal systems.
Unpaid volunteer operators
may also be eligible for reimbursement of actual meal and lodging expenses, up
to the limits set by the State of New Mexico. An unpaid volunteer is defined as
a system representative who receives no compensation for labor performed at an
eligible public water system. Lodging expenses may not exceed $85/night
(including taxes and fees). Meal expenses may not exceed $30/day. Lodging and
meal expenses may be higher for special areas of the State. Lodging and meal
expenses will be reimbursed based on actual costs. In order to receive
reimbursement, attendees must complete an ERG Reimbursement Request Form.
Receipts for actual expenses must be itemized and presented prior to submitting
a reimbursement request form.
Issuance of Reimbursement Checks
All
reimbursement paperwork will be submitted to Ragsdale and Associates Training
Specialists. We will then request reimbursement for NMED at the end of each
month. Upon approving our invoice, NMED will review the invoice and issue us a
check for the reimbursement. All individual reimbursement checks will be issued
by Ragsdale and Associates to the address you listed on the reimbursement form.
Due to State and Federal regulations, we are not allowed to reimburse anyone
before receiving payment from NMED. This process may take up to
three (3) months. Ensure that the mailing address that you provide on the
Reimbursement Request Form is accurate prior to your submittal of the form.
Ragsdale and Associates Training Specialists will not responsible for
lost checks due to incorrect mailing information provided by the students.
You will be required to sign a certification statement on the ERG Reimbursement
Request Form stating that all information on the form is true and correct to the
best of your knowledge. Our staff may verify the information that you provide to
ensure accuracy. Any person who knowingly provides false information on the ERG
form will be asked to return any reimbursement money and will be disqualified
from participating in the Operator Certification Expense Reimbursement Program
in the future.
Attendance
You must
be present for the entire training session in order to qualify for expense
reimbursement. Some sessions are multi-day sessions. You must be present for all
portions of the class, or you will not be eligible for reimbursement of
expenses. You will still receive operator certification credits for the hours
you are in attendance if you cannot stay for the entire training session. You
will be given a ten minute grace period to return to the classroom from all
breaks and lunch. We are required to enforce this provision of the program so be
sure you make it back to class on time.
Classroom Behavior
This
program is intended to increase the number and professionalism of New Mexico’s
certified water operators. Your cooperation is appreciated. Unprofessional or
disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. You may be asked to leave the
training session if your behavior is determined by your instructor as being is
disruptive to the other students. You will not be eligible for expense
reimbursement if you are asked to leave the training session.
Training Sessions
Only the
classes held under the NMED ERG Training Program are eligible for expense
reimbursement. Eligible classes will be clearly marked on our training schedule.
Pre-registration is required and must be received no later than 7 days prior to
training session. You can pre-register for training sessions online or mail us a
registration form at:
Ragsdale
and Associates
804 Omaha St. NE
Albuquerque, NM 87123.
Please
contact Kat Ragsdale at 505-293-4658 if you have any questions or need to
confirm your registration. |
