Treatment Plant Operator - Water

About the role

Operates, maintains, and repairs drinking water supply and treatment infrastructure for the City of Pittsfield’s Water Division.

Responsibilities

• Operates, maintains, and repairs machinery and equipment including watersheds, reservoirs, water treatment plants, chlorinators, transmission mains, flow control stations, chemical feed equipment, pumps, ejectors, motors, air compressors, valves, gates, and related systems.
• Performs routine laboratory tests at various treatment stages, adjusts treatment chemicals and equipment to maintain performance within established limits.
• Records instrument readings, makes necessary equipment adjustments, and maintains operation and treatment logs.
• Inspects machinery for malfunctions, conducts preventative maintenance, and assists in repairs or overhauls of process equipment.
• Performs treatment-related duties such as grounds maintenance, water and waste stream sampling, operating valves and gates, adjusting recording instruments, inventorying and ordering chemicals, changing chlorine cylinders, and operating motor vehicles.
• Handles incidental custodial tasks, including cleaning and maintenance painting to keep facilities neat and orderly.
• Performs snow removal, salting, and sanding to support facility operations.
• Completes other duties as required.

Requirements

• Valid (any grade) Massachusetts Drinking Water Operator’s Certificate for Treatment, or an advanced degree in physical or biological sciences with emphasis on water or wastewater treatment, plus a high school diploma or equivalent and two years of experience in a water or wastewater treatment facility.
• Ability to obtain a valid Massachusetts Drinking Water Operator’s Certificate within eighteen months of appointment.
• Valid Massachusetts driver’s license.
• Knowledge of water or wastewater treatment processes and operations, demonstrated through relevant experience.
• Familiarity with basic water chemistry, laboratory procedures, and equipment used in water and wastewater analysis.
• Competence in mathematics and routine calculations for water or wastewater treatment, such as detention time, filtration rate, chemical dosage, feed rate, pollutant concentration, and process loading rate.
• Knowledge of construction and operating characteristics of valves, gates, pumps, motors, compressors, and other treatment plant equipment.
• Physical ability to operate valves, gates, and other equipment, including entering manholes and vaults, climbing ladders, and performing related tasks.

Pay

Starting hourly rate: $19.10–$20.27, with annual increases up to $26.44 per hour. With a T1 license, starting rate is $21.02–$22.30 per hour, with annual increases up to $29.10 per hour.

Schedule

40 hours per week, Monday–Friday, 7:00 AM–3:30 PM.