Utilities System Specialist - Apprentice - UIC Municipal Services

Overview

UIC Municipal Services is based in Utqiagvik. Our mission is to help the North Slope Borough achieve their goals “to sustain and improve the quality of life for the North Slope Borough residents by providing a wide range of cost‑effective and well‑coordinated essential municipal services.” During their certification training, the USS Apprentice will be expected to work with a Utility System Specialist (USS) on the operation and maintenance of treatment, distribution and collection systems.

The USS Apprentice will be under the direct supervision of the USS (Utility System Specialist). Work with a team of local operators to maintain operational and regulatory compliance status of local municipal water and sewer utility systems. USS Apprentice will rotate in and out of each of the seven villages on North Slope, where populations range from 250 to 1000 residents.

Work schedule will be 10 hours daily at a minimum, with longer days to meet repair and call out needs. Summer water pumping will be 12 hour days for approximately 3 calendar months. Rotation schedule will be 3 weeks on (23 days), 3 weeks off (19 days). $70 a day per diem is provided.

The USS Apprentice will be staying in provided local housing (no camp). Travel from/to Anchorage, AK or Fairbanks, AK to the villages are paid by employer – all other travel expenses are responsibility of the employee. The USS apprentice will report directly to the Field Operations Lead, or to the Project Manager when the Field Operations Lead is unavailable. Equipment preventative maintenance and repairs will be required.

This will include directing or accomplishing the excavation and repair of buried pipes in arctic conditions, and repair of individual residential and commercial service connections. The USS Apprentice will be trained to maintain, clean and organize the Water and Wastewater plants. Maintain daily reporting to the central office in Utqiagvik. Report emergency incidents when they occur. Communicate system issues to engineers.

Keep daily water and wastewater logs on the Windows software. Prepare and send wastewater samples on a timely basis for monthly discharge monitoring reports. These are municipal sites and systems; they are not industrial. The USS Apprentice must be able to interface with the public, maintain a professional demeanor, and work with municipal employees to maintain utility service. On‑job training of local operators may be required.

Water Treatment:

• Raw water intake
• Bag/Micro/Nano filtration with chemical disinfection, backwash, and cleaning systems
• Short water production season to store annual water supply

Water Distribution:

• Water storage tanks with volumes totaling 3 to 10 million gallons in storage
• Central water circulation plant with fire pumps, water monitoring systems, and chemical dosing
• Direct‑buried water circulation loops
• Residential and commercial service connections

Wastewater Collection:

• Direct‑buried gravity or vacuum collection systems
• Sewage holding tanks

Wastewater Treatment:

• Extended aeration/activated sludge/MB  waste treatment and sludge dewatering
• Ocean, surface water, and sub‑surface effluent discharge

Essential functions will include:

• Ensure compliance with Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) regulations for utility plant operations.
• Maintain a safe working environment and promptly report safety concerns to the supervisor.
• Support, train, or mentor local utility operators as needed or as directed.
• Communicate with the central office daily via phone or email.
• Perform operational tasks at small water and wastewater treatment facilities.
• Operate and maintain water distribution and wastewater collection systems.
• Inspect, operate, monitor, and maintain equipment and systems in water/wastewater treatment processes.
• Monitor plant operations using visual inspection and SCADA systems.
• Regulate flows and conduct chemical analyses to ensure water quality.
• Maintain compliance with regulatory requirements for treated water and wastewater effluent.
• Perform seasonal raw water pumping and treatment to ensure adequate reserves.
• Maintain operation logs and inspect system…