Water & Wastewater Treatment Plant & System Operators

Also called: Process Operator (Process Op), Wastewater Operator (WW Operator), Water Plant Operator

Career Cluster: Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
What they do:
Operate or control an entire process or system of machines, often through the use of control boards, to transfer or treat water or wastewater.
On the job, you would:
  • Add chemicals, such as ammonia, chlorine, or lime, to disinfect and deodorize water and other liquids.
  • Collect and test water and sewage samples, using test equipment and color analysis standards.
  • Record operational data, personnel attendance, or meter and gauge readings on specified forms.
KNOWLEDGE

Safety and Government
  • public safety and security
Engineering and Technology
  • mechanical
  • product and service development
Math and Science
  • chemistry
  • biology
Manufactured or Agricultural Goods
  • manufacture and distribution of products
SKILLS

Basic Skills
  • keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements
  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
People and Technology Systems
  • thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
  • measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it
Problem Solving
  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
ABILITIES

Ideas and Logic
  • use rules to solve problems
  • notice when problems happen
Verbal
  • communicate by speaking
  • listen and understand what people say
PERSONALITY

People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.

They do well at jobs that need:
  • Integrity
  • Dependability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Independence
  • Concern for Others
  • Initiative
TECHNOLOGY

You might use software like this on the job:

Spreadsheet software
  • Microsoft Excel
Presentation software
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
Data base user interface and query software
  • Database software
  • Operational Data Store ODS software
EDUCATION


high school diploma/GED or certificate after high school
usually needed SEARCH ALL PROGRAMS & MAJORS SEARCH COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES
JOB OUTLOOK

New job opportunities are less likely in the future.

Salary:
High: $86,160.00
Median: $58,260.00
Low: $37,870.00
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