CUMBERLAND GAP, Tenn. - The town of Cumberland Gap recently enlisted some bragging rights for one of their own. Jesse Thompson, who has been working as the plant manager for the town's wastewater treatment plant, recently earned his certification from the state following a tedious test.

“It was the hardest test I have ever taken in my life,” said Thompson.

The test he took was a Grade 2 Wastewater Treatment Plant Certification Test. Out of all the people who seek certification in the state of Tennessee by taking the test, only 30 percent pass and rarely does anyone do it on the first try.

Thompson scored an 86 - the second highest score in his class of 150 people and it was his first attempt. The test was administered at a school in Muffresboro. He took a one week refresher course before taking the exam. He said it took him about three hours to complete and admits he was a little worried at first.

“They had a class there and I asked one guy ‘How many times have you taken this test?,' he said four times and I said ‘How long have you been in the business?' and he said 25 years,” said Thompson. “I thought ‘Oh no. This is going to be a nightmare.'”

Thompson said the test consisted of 125 questions, 30 of those being math. He said some of the math problems would take an entire sheet of paper to complete.

Thompson was the original plant operator when it first opened in 1985. At the time, he said, the plant used an aeromod system, which won an award from the state. He continued to operate the plant until 1995 when he resigned to open up a computer shop.

Thompson returned last year when he offered to help the town search for water leaks, which have plagued the town for some time. It was at this time Mayor John Douglas asked if he would be interested in working at the plant to get it back in compliance.

Mayor Douglas explains that since they didn't have a plant operator, the town was operating under the license of Sam Reed of LMU. The town was facing major operation fines and was in serious danger of being shut down by the state. A director's order was issued for the town to get the plant back in shape.

Two years ago, the town received a $1 million grant from Rural Development to fix the wastewater treatment plant. Out of their last two inspections from the state, the town has been given nothing but good reports on the current condition of the plant.

“It's a major comfort to have Jesse back at the plant, he has us in compliance with the state and that is very important to us,” said Douglas. “When I told the state the town had hired Jesse back as plant operator, they seemed extremely satisfied and very ecstatic that Jesse was back to running things again.”

Thompson currently holds several other certifications, which include being certified in water filtration, distribution, fire alarm, sprinkler systems, and collection.

Thompson said he enjoys his job and added there was a lot to running the plant. He said he will go back in the spring to take another test to earn his collection system certification. This will require him to have knowledge of the lines in the town and all safety regulations.

“I love the job. I love chemistry and microbiology,” he said. “A lot of people think wastewater is really nasty and that's not what it is. It's actually two tanks of bacteria.”

Mayor Douglas believes it was Thompson's previous knowledge and operational experience that helped him earn his certification that so many in the state have a hard time obtaining. He added that Thompson was a very knowledgeable person and having him at the plant full-time was a huge weight lifted off his shoulders.