June 19, 2020
Nothing is more important than protecting the health and well-being of Ontarians. Since first learning of COVID-19, Ontario has taken decisive action to contain its spread, including enacting a temporary emergency order to ensure that the province’s drinking water and wastewater systems continue to operate so that clean, safe drinking water is available to the public and that the environment continues to be protected.
Through this temporary emergency order, the province is providing flexibility to Ontario’s drinking water and wastewater system owners and operators so they can address staffing issues if they arise. This flexibility allows system owners to temporarily employ former operators whose credentials expired after March 17, 2015, provided that their certificates or licences have not been previously revoked, cancelled or suspended at any time.
For use while the temporary emergency order is in effect, the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks has launched a new online Operator Workforce Matching Portal to help match drinking water and wastewater system owners experiencing staffing shortages with knowledgeable, experienced individuals who are eligible to work as operators.
Please share this information about the Operator Workforce Matching Portal with your member organizations to encourage operators and system owners to register.
If you have any questions, please contact Leo Ferraro, Certification Officer, Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, at Leonardo.Ferraro@ontario.ca or (437) 219-3134.
