Water Superintendent

Overview

Location:

Water Department / Ellsworth Public Works Campus

Reports To:

Public Works Director

Supervises:
Water Operators, Maintenance Workers, Administrative Staff, and Departmental Contractors

Employment Type:

Full-time, Exempt

Position Summary

The City of Ellsworth—one of Maine’s fastest-growing communities and the economic anchor of the Downeast region—is seeking a highly skilled, forward-thinking, and collaborative Water Superintendent to lead the Water Department through an unprecedented period of modernization and expansion.

This is a rare opportunity for a licensed water professional (Maine Class IV, or ability to obtain within 12 months with potential to extend) to guide a rapidly growing system that is constructing a new $20+ million water treatment plant, expanding distribution infrastructure, enhancing regional partnerships, modernizing SCADA systems, and undertaking a full GIS/asset management transformation.

The Superintendent is responsible for overseeing daily operations and maintenance of the municipal water system while leading long-term strategic planning, capital project development, regulatory compliance, emergency response, workforce development, and community engagement. This position ensures the safe, reliable, and cost-effective delivery of water to residents, businesses, and regional customers, and plays a key leadership role in shaping Ellsworth’s water infrastructure for the next 50 years.

• Direct, supervise, and support all Water Department staff including operators, maintenance personnel, and administrative staff.
• Build a positive, safety-focused, and productive work environment that encourages professional development, certification advancement, and teamwork.
• Develop and implement work schedules, task priorities, and staffing plans to ensure efficient and cost-effective operations.
• Participate in hiring, training, performance evaluations, succession planning, and team-building initiatives.
• Lead the relocation of the Water Department from its current leased space to a permanent facility.

• Direct and oversee all operations of the municipal water system including treatment, distribution, pumping, water quality testing, watershed protection, maintenance, and emergency response.
• Oversee the operation, maintenance, and repair of water treatment facilities, pipelines, valves, pumps, hydrants, booster stations, storage tanks, and associated infrastructure.
• Monitor system performance and implement improvements to optimize treatment efficiency, distribution pressures, service reliability, and water quality.
• Conduct inspections, audits, and system integrity checks to ensure safe and continuous water service.

• Ensure full compliance with all federal, state, and local water system requirements including DWP, DEP, EPA, and safety regulations.
• Oversee all water quality testing programs, watershed protection activities, and environmental compliance measures.
• Prepare and submit required regulatory reports, permits, and documentation.
• Maintain up-to-date emergency response and safety procedures.

• Lead the final phases, commissioning, and integration of the new $20M+ Branch Lake Water Treatment Plant.
• Oversee water line extensions, system upgrades, new service connections, and infrastructure for major city capital projects including expansion corridors.
• Manage engineers, contractors, consultants, and construction inspectors to ensure projects are completed on time, within budget, and to required quality standards.
• Support long-term planning for water tower upgrades, system expansion, and regional interconnections.

• Lead the modernization of digital systems including GIS upgrades, ESRI-based asset management, real-time SCADA enhancements, and digital workflow improvements.
• Champion data-driven decision-making including condition assessments, asset lifecycle analysis, and long-range capital forecasting.
• Support the transition to a fully digitized infrastructure management model aligned with best practices across modern…