Meredith & Obryant Septic Tank

What this Onsite Wastewater Installer Grade Level IV covers

NCOWCICB certifies the people who install and inspect onsite wastewater systems in North Carolina. Certification is graded by the complexity of system a holder may install, and continuing education is required in each calendar year — three hours at Grade Level II, six at Grade Level IV and six for a Point of Sale Inspector. The grade structure changed on 1 January 2025: existing Grade I holders moved to Grade II and Grade III holders to Grade IV, leaving only those two installer grades. The Board does not regulate pumping. A septage pumping business needs a separate permit from NC DEQ.

Grade Level IV covers everything Grade II does and adds the complex work: dual pumps or siphons, systems over 1,500 gallons per day, low pressure and drip dispersal, flow equalisation, groundwater-lowering devices with a pump, multiple off-site systems, industrial process wastewater, and any pretreatment or reuse component.

Checking it yourself: NCOWCICB publishes its certification list. Check that the grade covers the system you are having installed, not just that a certification exists.

Based on NCOWCICB certification guidance and FAQ; SB 166 (eff. 2025-01-01).