Representatives from three water supply districts have earned the title of Certified Office Professional from the Missouri Rural Water Association. Additionally, association representatives report that the trio earned the three highest test scores to date.

Gail Bader of Public Water Supply District #3 of Franklin County, Ronda Caley of PWSD #1 of Ralls County, and Mary Voss of PWSD #1 of Franklin County passed the final testing requirement to receive the certification this week. The three districts are each operated by operations and maintenance provider Alliance Water Resources.

According to the Missouri Rural Water Association, the intent of the program is “to promote and develop professionalism among municipal water and water/sewer district office professionals.” The program kicked off this year and testing for certification began in March.

In order to achieve the certification, water and wastewater office professionals must demonstrate three years of work experience, complete 30 hours of course work, and pass a written examination. Areas of study include office management, financial administration, water and wastewater system operations, legal and personnel issues and personal development

To prepare for the test, Bader, Voss and Caley studied various materials including Missouri\'s Sunshine Law booklet, water and wastewater certification manuals, and Missouri Rural Water Association\'s “Water Board Bible.”

Headquartered in Columbia, Mo., Alliance Water Resources is a leading provider of professional operations and maintenance services for community water and wastewater systems in Middle America. The company prides itself in its unique understanding of the needs of communities in Missouri, Iowa, Illinois and Kansas.