Certified Water Plant Operator

Job Description

Job Description

JOB DESCRIPTION

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described. Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were actually written out in this job description.

Water Plant Operator

Department: Water Operations

Pay Grade: 6

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

JOB SUMMARY

This position performs skilled work in the operation, monitoring, and maintenance of water treatment plants and related facilities. Duties include ensuring that all water leaving the water treatment process meets state and federal requirements for safe drinking water. The employee generally works independently, but may work as a member of a crew. An employee in this position must also be available for overtime work and a variety of assigned shift schedules, some in excess of five consecutive days, including weekends and holidays, for periods of 16 hours or more. This position reports to the Chief Water Plant Operator.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

• Operates and monitors water treatment plant equipment, adjusts controls on various equipment and machinery such as valves, pumps, chlorinators, filters and chemical feeders, and regulates the pressure and flow rates as necessary.
• Collects water samples and performs tests for pH, chlorine, turbidity, fluoride, alkalinity, hardness, etc.
• Maintains water plant operations and functions within Federal and State drinking water regulations and compliance.
• Adjusts process in response to test results.
• Performs public outreach tours and education.
• Performs mathematical calculations to determine proper water treatment chemical doses on drinking water.
• Monitors plant security and surveillance systems.
• Receives and verifies chemical shipments and fills chemical feeders as required.
• Operates, checks, and calibrates a variety of mechanical equipment, meters, valves, gauges, and instruments to ensure proper operation.
• Takes readings and records various water treatment plant equipment, gauges, and other related instrumentation.
• Maintains complete and accurate records and logs of duties completed.
• Performs chemical treatments to reservoirs to maintain water quality.
• Performs preventative and minor maintenance on assigned plant.
• Performs janitorial duties at assigned plant.
• Cleans and/or paints equipment, pumps, motors, piping, etc.
• Performs general clean up as needed.
• Serves as lead worker or trainer of assigned personnel.
• Works after normal business hours as needed.
• Remains informed of new legislation and regulations pertaining to drinking water and alters work methods to comply with same.
• Performs other related duties as required/assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience:

High School diploma or General Equivalency Diploma (GED) its equivalent and six (6) months of related experience.

Special Qualifications:

Possession of a valid State of Georgia driver’s license and satisfactory Motor Vehicle Record (MVR). Possession of a State of Georgia Class III Water Supply System Operator Certificate.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of state and federal standards, rules and regulations regarding operation of water treatment facilities and safe drinking water.
• Knowledge of parameters for initiating backwash, selection of influent rates and adjustment of valves.
• Knowledge of water plant machinery operation and basic knowledge of maintenance and repair.
• Knowledge of mathematics and chemistry.
• Knowledge of water treatment chemicals, including physical and biological reactions.
• Knowledge of proper handling and storage of water treatment chemicals.
• Skill in using a streaming current detector.
• Skill in using small power tools and hand tools.
• Skill in using meters, calculators, scales and computers.
• Ability to perform mathematical computations.
• Ability to read gauges and meters accurately
• Ability to interpret instrument readings and test results and to take appropriate measures.
• Ability to work with a minimum of supervision and make routine operational decisions.
• Ability to understand written and oral instructions.
• Ability to work independently and with other employees.
• Ability to recognize hazardous conditions and take necessary safety precautions.
• Ability to work outside under adverse weather conditions.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The work is heavy work which requires exerting up to 100 pounds of force occasionally and/or in excess of 50 pounds of force frequently, and/or in excess of 20 pounds of force constantly to move objects. Additionally, the following physical abilities are required:

• Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling while walking, standing or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces. The amount of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium.
• Climbing: Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles and the like, using feet and legs and/or hands and arms. Body agility is emphasized.
• Crawling: Moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet.
• Crouching: Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.
• Feeling: Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.
• Fingering: picking, pinching, typing, or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.
• Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
• Handling: Picking, holding, or otherwise working, primarily with the whole hand.
• Hearing: sufficient to perceive the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction; ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discrimination in sound.
• Kneeling: Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees.
• Lifting: Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires substantial use of upper extremities and back muscles.
• Mental Acuity: sufficient to make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.
• Pulling: Using upper extremities to exert force in order to draw, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion.
• Pushing: Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward, downward or outward.
• Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
• Repetitive Motion: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers
• Standing: particularly for sustained periods of time.
• Talking: sufficient to express or exchange ideas by means of the spoken word including those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Visual Acuity: sufficient to observe violations of codes, to effectively operate standard office equipment; ability to read and write reports, correspondence, instructions, drawings, etc.; and to operate motor vehicles and/or heavy equipment, by both day and night.
• Walking: sufficient to move about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or move from one work site to another.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The employee will be exposed to the following conditions in the work environment: hot or cold indoor work environment; dirt, dust, grease, machinery and its moving parts; work in high, precarious places; fumes or airborne particles and toxic or caustic chemicals; outdoor weather conditions; risk of electrical shock; and vibration. The work is often performed on rough ground and slippery surfaces in and around water. Protective devices such as masks, goggles, gloves, hearing protectors, and other protective equipment or clothing is often required. The employee may work in conditions with direct contact with raw sewage/water and sewage/water sludge’s. The noise level in this work environment is usually moderate to loud.

The Douglasville-Douglas County Water and Sewer Authority has the right to revise this job description at any time. This description does not represent in any way a contract of employment.