Wastewater Technician

Wastewater Technician – Atwater, CA. $32–34 per hour. This position is on the 2nd shift (12PM–8PM) with 3 shifts available overall.

Overview:
The Wastewater Treatment Technician is responsible for operating, monitoring, maintaining, and optimizing wastewater treatment systems to ensure regulatory compliance, environmental sustainability, and efficient plant operations. This position supports the safe and reliable operation of wastewater treatment equipment, including decanter centrifuges, VSEP membrane filtration systems, pumps, flow meters, process valves, and related treatment infrastructure within a food processing environment.

• Operate, monitor, troubleshoot, and maintain wastewater treatment equipment and systems, including decanter centrifuges, VSEP membrane filtration systems, pumps, and valves.
• Optimize centrifuge settings and polymer feed rates to maximize solids capture and dewatering efficiency.
• Monitor membrane filtration system performance (transmembrane pressure, flow rates, recovery rates, overall treatment efficiency).
• Perform equipment startups, shutdowns, and emergency procedures in accordance with OEM and facility operating requirements.
• Troubleshoot process issues related to membrane fouling, scaling, equipment malfunctions, and wastewater treatment performance.
• Conduct routine inspections, preventative maintenance, cleaning, and CIP (Clean-in-Place) procedures on wastewater treatment systems.
• Perform routine water sampling, testing, and analysis to verify compliance with operational and discharge specifications (pH, conductivity, and other required parameters).
• Maintain all required operational checklists, documentation, and regulatory records.
• Calibrate wastewater treatment instrumentation, sensors, and monitoring equipment regularly.
• Monitor sludge handling processes and ensure proper management and disposal practices.
• Respond promptly to equipment alarms, operational abnormalities, and treatment process upsets.
• Track system performance metrics and recommend process improvements to enhance treatment efficiency, equipment reliability, and operational effectiveness.
• Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local wastewater discharge regulations and environmental requirements.
• Maintain accurate operational logs, maintenance records, water quality reports, and regulatory documentation.
• Record and monitor decanter operational parameters (hydraulic pressure, differential speed, bowl speed, vibration levels, bearing temperatures, influent/effluent flow rates, solids capture performance).
• Maintain inventory levels of wastewater treatment chemicals, supplies, and operational materials.
• Safely operate forklifts and other material handling equipment as required.
• Properly handle treatment chemicals and consistently use required personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Perform housekeeping duties within wastewater treatment areas (cleaning equipment, sweeping, painting, trash removal, maintaining organized work spaces).
• Coordinate with maintenance personnel and contractors to support equipment repairs, upgrades, and capital improvement projects.
• Follow Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) in a food processing facility and adhere to all Food Safety, Food Security, and Food Quality requirements.
• Follow all company safety policies, environmental regulations, and standard operating procedures.

• Technical
  
  Skills:
  
  
  • 2–5 years of wastewater treatment experience within a food processing, manufacturing, or industrial environment (preferred).
  • Experience operating decanter centrifuge dewatering equipment (required).
  • Experience with VSEP systems, membrane filtration, reverse osmosis, or similar technologies (preferred).
  • Strong mechanical aptitude (required).
  • Proficiency with PLC/SCADA control systems, wastewater instrumentation, pumps, valves, and process equipment (preferred).
  • Basic computer skills (data entry, record‑keeping, report generation) (required).
• Communication
  
  Skills:
  
  
  • Good listening, problem‑solving, verbal and written communication (essential).
  • Ability to read, analyze, and interpret operational data, maintenance records, and regulatory reports.
  • Ability to effectively present information…