Job Descriptions

DESCRIPTION:

Under general direction, the Water Treatment Plant Operator, Senior acts as Shift Operator to supervise, operate, monitor, and inspect the Water Treatment Plant and ancillary facilities.

This classification is assigned to the Turlock City Employees Association bargaining unit for labor relations purposes and is subject to overtime, call back, and standby assignments.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

General supervision is provided by the Water Treatment Plant Operations Supervisor and may provide technical direction to assigned staff.

• Operate all necessary water treatment plant equipment to deliver potable water to the customers including plant flow and chemical feed rates.
• Operate pumps, valves, and other equipment manually and remotely.
• Inspect, adjust, and operate water treatment plant equipment as required.
• Conduct water treatment sampling and process analysis to effectively produce potable water meeting all regulatory requirements.
• Maintain necessary reports and records.
• Observe and enforce safety rules.
• Supervise and train subordinate staff.
• Monitor and control plant operations using SCADA.
• Understand the proper use and safe storage and handling of chemicals.
• Coordinate the delivery and receipt of plant chemicals and materials.
• Evaluate operations and maintenance activities within the area of responsibility and recommend improvements and modifications, document operation or maintenance procedures accordingly.
• Ensure potable water meeting all regulatory requirements is always delivered in the required quantities.
• Subject to rotating shifts, including nights, weekends, and holidays. On Call may be required.
• Maintain accurate records and prepare reports regarding plant operations and water quality.
• Ensure that all analyzers and monitoring equipment are appropriately sending and storing accurate information via a cyber-secure SCADA system.
• Monitor processes using a SCADA control system.
• Participate in and provide documentation for studies related to plant and filter rerating including operation of parallel pilot filters. Collate and analyze the data from the studies, prepare reports, and assist with reports prepared for the Division of Drinking Water (DDW) toward the goal of rating the plant for higher throughput.
• Participate in special projects or studies as assigned.
• Assist with the preparation of technical and administrative reports, and other written documents, including the submittal of all regulatory required reports.
• Operate specialized equipment involved in water treatment plant operations; assist maintenance staff with preventative and corrective maintenance; recommend equipment maintenance and replacement.
• Make critical decisions to resolve emergency situations.
• Participate in the planning and implementation of upgrades, changes or expansions of water treatment and conveyance facilities.
• Build and maintain positive relationships with staff, Cities employees, outside agencies, and the public through clear and concise communication.
• Other duties as assigned.

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of water treatment, water transmission, and water storage.
• Drinking water quality regulations.
• Equipment, tools and materials use in the operation and maintenance of the water treatment plant.
• Safety rules and regulations.
• Hydraulics, applied mathematics, chemical metering, pumps, SCADA and chemicals used in water treatment.
• Water sampling and analysis, including jar testing.
• Regulatory reporting.
• Use of modern office equipment and applicable software.

Ability to:

• Work with minimal supervision.
• Ability to follow oral and written instruction.
• Assess changing conditions and initiate appropriate action.
• Know appropriate laws, regulations, codes, and evaluate plant conformance.
• Understand and troubleshoot operations and maintenance problems and serve as a resource to staff to solve problems.
• Operate modern office equipment and software programs.
• Communicate clearly and concisely orally and in writing.
• Operate and maintain SCADA systems.
• Maintain and track chemical inventory, usage and order chemicals as needed.

Any combination of education, training and experience that would provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required knowledge and ability is as follows:

Equivalent to a high school diploma or GED certificate and six college units or CEU’s in a related field or scholastic general education (i.e. Speech, Math, English, Science, Foreign Language etc.) and three college units or CEU’s in Supervision or Management for a total of nine college units or CEU’s.

three years of increasingly responsible experience in the operation and maintenance of a domestic water treatment plant, and operation of a water distribution system similar or greater in size and complexity to the SRWA plant, finished water transmission, and ancillary facilities.

Successful completion of the Water Treatment Plant Apprentice Program or equivalent program in water treatment plant operation; or two (2) years of experience in operation and maintenance of a water treatment plant including one (1) year working as a certified T-2 operator for a T-2 facility or higher working as a certified treatment operator

Additionally, two (2) years working as a certified treatment operator working as a certified T-2 operator for a T-2 facility or higher including one (1) year as an operator in charge of a shift as a T-3 operator.

License:

Possession of an appropriate, valid Class C California Driver's License at the time of appointment, to be maintained as a condition of continued employment.

Certificate(s):

• Possession of a valid California Water Treatment Operator T-3 Certificate at the time of appointment.
• Obtain California Water Treatment Operator T-4 within 18 months of appointment to this position and maintain thereafter as a condition of employment.
• Possession of a valid California Water Distribution Operator D-2 Certificate at the time of appointment.
• Obtain California Water Treatment Operator D-3 within 24 months of appointment to this position and maintain thereafter as a condition of employment.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Maintain the following physical abilities: see well enough to read, write and make observations, operate hand and power tools, vehicles and heavy equipment; hear well enough to converse on the radio, telephone and in person; bodily mobility to walk, bend, stand, crouch or climb for extended periods of time, operate assigned equipment and vehicles and perform heavy manual labor for extended periods; ability to tolerate extreme fluctuations in temperature while performing essential functions and be able to lift equipment on a frequent basis 25lbs, and on an occasional basis 50lbs.