A career as a water treatment plant operator is meaningful, engaging, and very rewarding. Water treatment plant operators play an important role in society. They are on the frontlines of protecting public health by ensuring that the water that is delivered to their customers is safe and wholesome. To accomplish this they use a skill set that includes critical thinking, mechanical ability, mathematics, and problem solving.
It is also an exciting time to become a water treatment operator. Many systems are implementing cutting edge technologies to combat poor and worsening water quality issues. Many water systems are also implementing energy efficiency and nutrient recovery processes to reduce their environmental footprint. Being a water treatment operator would allow you to work on issues like these.
A water treatment plant operator often gets to spend their days both inside and outside. They may be inside operating a treatment plant, completing reports, or running water quality tests. And then they are able to go outside to complete water sampling and checking on sources of supply.
But what does a water treatment plant operator actually do?
What does a water treatment plant operator do?
As the job title says, they spend their time operating water treatment plants to produce drinking water! This means they may be physically operating different water treatment processes of the plant by turning valves to control the flow of water. They could be adjusting pumping levels to speed up or slow down the flow of water into and out of the plant. Or they could be initiating a backwash on a filter.
In many modern plants many of these physical activities of plant operation are automated and controlled by SCADA systems. The SCADA systems are programmed with operating set points based on water quality characteristics, flow levels, and storage tank levels. So what does that leave for an operator to do?
Operators must be able think critically, be mechanically inclined, and be problem solvers.
Water treatment operators will eventually become familiar with exactly how their plant produces water. With this familiarity, they must think critically about when they need to keep a close eye on certain parameters. When raw water turbidity reaches a certain high level, they know to closely monitor disinfection levels and contact time in order to keep disinfection byproduct production down. Or they will know when it is time to initiate a backwash and keep an eye on the filter to make sure that it is adequately cleaned.
Operators are also responsible for the routine maintenance and cleaning of the plant. This includes the pipes, pumps, valves, motors, and tanks that make up the treatment plant. Operators will become familiar with how to exercise valves and motors, replace piping, and routine cleaning of filter beds and sedimentation tanks.
Water treatment operators must also be problem solvers. Inevitably, these components will break. When this happens, operators must quickly diagnose the problem and fix it. As mentioned in the introduction, operators really are on the frontlines of protecting the public health. An operator that can quickly diagnose and make a repair could mean the difference of the system running out of clean water or not.
Where do water treatment operators work?
Water treatment operators often work for local public governments. This includes both big cities and small towns. Many other operators are employed by other public or private utilities that provide drinking water and wastewater services.
They may work both indoors and outside.
When inside and operating the plant, they will likely be around loud machinery, moving parts, and potentially toxic chemicals and gasses. Depending on the treatment plant, ear protection or other personal protective equipment may be required when in certain parts of the plant.
Operators also spend time inside but away from the treatment plant. This time is spent filling out daily and monthly reports, and also may include conducting water quality tests. These tests could include jar tests to test the efficacy of different coagulant doses.
Some water treatment operators are also able to spend a lot of their time outside. Operators need to collect samples throughout the distribution to test for chlorine residual levels, coliform testing, and disinfection byproduct levels, amongst others. Operators must also visit the water sources of the system to record operating conditions. This could include reservoirs, surface water intakes, and wells.
How much do water treatment operators get paid?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the median water operator salary in 2018 was $46,780. The average starting salary for a new operator with no experience was around $28,300, while the average for a very experienced operator was $76,200. The amount an operator will get paid obviously depends on their level of experience, the size and complexity of the water system, and the geographic region. Some entry level water treatment operator positions in the San Francisco bay area start at $74,232 and increases to $121,536 with greater experience and responsibility.
Many operators are employed by cities or other public entities. Often times jobs with these public entities include great health benefits, retirement plans, and paid holidays. Also, if they work for a public agency, they may be represented by a union which will negotiate things like salary and benefits on their behalf.
What is the difference between water operator treatment grades?
The different water operator treatment grades may be confusing when you are first learning about the career. Each state has slightly different ways that they breakdown the different operator grades. Most states have somewhere from four to five different grades. This is because each treatment plant is classified on factors including the types of treatment processes used, which disinfectant is used, and raw water quality. The treatment plant will be classified from I to IV (or V) based on these factors.
After a treatment plant is classified with the above criteria it must employ an operator that has achieved that same level of certification. So a treatment plant classified as a III must employ at least one operator with a III classification. The higher the operator’s grade, the more experience they have operating plants with more complex treatment and water quality issues.
What is required to become a certified water treatment operator?
As discussed above, there are anywhere from four to five different water treatment operator classifications, depending on your state. Water treatment operator I certification is the easiest to obtain and has the least amount of prerequisites. Most states require a high school diploma (or GED) and passing the Operator I Certification Exam to obtain the Water Treatment Operator I certification.
As you continue on your career and climb the ladder of certification, there are requirements both for taking college-level courses in water quality or environmental engineering, as well as requirements of years experience operating a plant. Again, your state’s specific requirements will vary. There are many options for taking these required classes. Your local community college or university may offer the classes. Or, there are alternatives available online. The website wateroperator.org provides a tool that lets you search by your State to find classes available near you. The years of experience necessary will just come if you continue on your career.
How to find a job as a water treatment operator?
A google search with “water operator jobs” followed by your city or state should reveal a number of possibilities. There are services that aggregate verified water job postings, such as BC Water Jobs (which is nationwide) or California Water Jobs. Your state may have similar type of websites. Even if you are not in California, California Water Jobs offers great resources that you could use to learn more about the profession and certifications that also may be available in your state.