Plant Operator - Wastewater

Collier County strives to be an employer of choice, and many of our employees build long‑term careers with us. The salary listed in the job description reflects the full pay range for this position, from entry level through advanced career stages.

NEW EMPLOYEES ARE HIRED AT, OR NEAR THE ENTRY POINT SHOWN, DEPENDING ON QUALIFICATIONS AND RELEVANT EXPERIENCE.

Start your career in a dynamic and rapidly growing field that supports essential services like wastewater treatment and the production of irrigation‑quality water. As a Plant Operator I, you’ll play an important role in protecting public health, supporting water conservation, and delivering high‑quality service to the communities of Collier County.

In this hands‑on position, you’ll develop valuable technical skills by collecting and analyzing water samples, maintaining pumps and treatment systems, and assisting in daily plant operations. You’ll gain practical experience with advanced treatment processes while learning how to ensure water meets strict environmental and regulatory standards.

This role offers a clear pathway for growth through comprehensive education, personalized on‑the‑job training, and support in achieving Florida state certification. As you progress, you’ll build the expertise needed to become a certified treatment plant operator, opening the door to strong earning potential and long‑term career advancement.

If you’re looking for a meaningful career with stability, growth opportunities, and a direct impact on your community and environment, Collier County is the perfect place to start.

Performs entry‑level work involving operation and maintenance of plant systems and related equipment for an assigned division/function, which may involve wastewater treatment plant systems, cooling plant systems, or other facilities as assigned. This classification works under the close supervision of licensed operators and is intended to serve as a training position.

• Assists in operating wastewater treatment plant equipment to ensure proper treatment of wastewater and production of effluent water, with work performed under supervision of certified operators; monitors effluent storage facilities, conducts laboratory testing, and logs meter readings of effluent sites and plant flow; monitors and maintains sidestream flows during low‑flow situations; monitors holding ponds, park ponds, and golf course ponds; monitors chemical levels and administers chemicals into processes;
  
  adds enzymes to process; raises and lowers baffles in aeration basins; monitors and administers alum; checks bioxide stations; checks sludge blankets; monitors and controls return sludge rates and waste sludge rates; runs sludge belt presses in emergency situations; transfers sludge to gravity thickener; presses sludge; changes chlorine cylinders and bar screens; maintains grit system; drains clarifier scum troughs; skims and backwashers filters;
  
  disinfects filters; troubleshoots lift stations; monitors odor control systems; opens/closes valves; applies lime to ground; cleans, contains, and decontaminates spills; bleeds condensation from air tanks; exercises pumps; bleaches auto sampler; hoses down aeration basins, clarifiers, and rotor walls.
• Maintains chiller equipment for campus buildings; maintains chiller supply and return to/from buildings; operates icemaking chiller and associated pumps/controls; checks cooling towers and chiller/condenser pumps; maintains logs of chiller operations.
• Collects water/wastewater samples for chemical analysis; conducts regular chemical tests to determine the chemical composition of water, to control quality, and to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations, with work performed under supervision of certified operators; prepares samples for laboratory testing; performs testing to identify levels of alkalinity, calcium hardness, chlorine, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, phosphate, pH, silt density index, settleable solids, suspended solids, total dissolved solids, total hardness, volatile solids, or other materials;
  
  conducts periodic quality control tests; logs test results on daily charts and log sheets.
• Monitors…