Wastewater Technician

North Lawrence Plant (NCD)
North Lawrence, NY 12967, USA

Join a team that nourishes life from farm to table! Upstate Niagara Cooperative, proudly owned by 200+ local family farms, is one of America’s largest and most stable dairy cooperatives. Guided by farmer- and employee-led values, we process and market high-quality milk, yogurt, dips, sour cream, cottage cheese, and more under our trusted brands:
Upstate Farms®, Bison®, Milk for Life®, and Intense Milk®. Here, you’ll support sustainable farming, strong communities, and the mission to deliver fresh, local dairy to families every day.

Job Summary:

The Wastewater Treatment System (WWTS) Technician will be responsible for the daily oversight of the WWTS for the North Country Dairy, LLC (NCD) facility. This role is responsible for ensuring full regulatory compliance with occupational health, safety, and environmental laws while cultivating a strong, proactive safety culture and driving environmental initiatives. The WWTS Technician partners with plant leadership, operations, maintenance, safety, and quality teams to ensure safe, clean, and compliant operation of the WWTS.

Key Responsibilities:

• Ensure facility compliance with all applicable environmental laws and regulations (EPA, Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, RCRA, etc.).
• Manage compliance efforts for environmental permits including air, wastewater, stormwater, and waste management.
• Conduct routine site inspections, environmental audits and risk assessments.
• Monitor environmental programs including spill prevention, waste reduction, and recycling initiatives.
• Assist in meeting DOH requirements related to drinking water.
• Oversee daily operations associated with the WWTS including general housekeeping, taking routine samples, coordinating and tracking PM tasks, and ensuring that the system is maintained to be in good working order.
• Operate, monitor, and maintain wastewater treatment equipment including aeration system and blowers.
• Monitor wastewater treatment processes to ensure compliance with discharge permits, environmental regulations, and facility operating requirements.
• Adjust chemical feed systems and treatment parameters to optimize wastewater treatment performance and system efficiency.
• Performing basic inspection, testing and maintenance tasks which will require a strong mechanical aptitude including blower repairs, inspecting air piping systems, using a mower with brush hog, removing cattails or other botanicals from lagoons, cutting trees or removing brush, adding barley straw to the lagoons annually, etc.
• Obtaining wastewater samples, running analysis in the lab, and completing chains of custody when sending samples to labs to run analysis. Sampling includes grab and composite sampling at different locations throughout the WWTS.
• Maintain accurate operational records, laboratory results, compliance documentation, and regulatory reporting requirements.
• Coordinate maintenance and repair activities with Engineering, Maintenance, and external service provider as needed.
• Analyze site-specific WWTS performance data and recommend corrective actions or improvements.
• Maintain accurate records of all environmental documentation, permits, and compliance activities.
• Collaborate with operations, maintenance, and engineering teams to incorporate environmentally sound practices in day-to-day operations.
• Lead environmental incident investigations and root cause analysis.
• Deliver environmental compliance training to plant personnel.
• Support sustainability goals related to energy use, water conservation, and waste reduction.
• Involvement in daily huddle meetings to provide a safety department presence and message.
• Walkthroughs to ensure boots on the ground with a focus on behavior and adherence to safe…