Texas water and wastewater operator licensing
Last reviewed 2026-08-01. Facts link to their official source.
Texas licenses water and wastewater operators through the TCEQ. Class D is the entry level for both programs: a high school diploma or GED, a short required course list, a $111 application, and a three-hour licensing exam at a registered testing center. Start with your exact program below.
Texas Class D Water System Operator
Water System Operator, administered by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
TX Class D Water licensing and examTexas Class D Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator
Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator, administered by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
TX Class D Wastewater licensing and examShared basics, with sources
- Who runs the exams
- TCEQ occupational licensing examination. Under 30 TAC §30.20, the executive director prescribes examination content. The exams are delivered through registered CBT centers.
- Source: Texas Administrative Code, Title 30 (30 TAC §30.20 and the TCEQ computer-based testing page.)
- Education for Class D
- High school diploma or GED.
- Source: TCEQ Water System Operator Licensing ('Class D Licensing Requirements, Education and Work Experience'.)
- Application fee
- Application fee: $111 (Provisional Class D: $74).
- Source: TCEQ Water System Operator Licensing (Class D 'Application and Examination'.)
- Exam length
- Three-hour time limit.
- Source: TCEQ Computer-Based Testing ('All exams have a 3 hour time limit unless otherwise noted'; Class A exams are the noted six-hour exception.)
The two programs never mix
Water and wastewater are separate TCEQ programs with separate courses, separate exams, and separate rules. A common mistake is studying material for one program while holding an approval letter for the other. Pick your exact program first; every page here stays inside it.