Water Treatment Plant Operator

Tacoma Water is recruiting to establish an eligible list for the Water Treatment Plant Operator classification, which will be used to fill vacancies as they occur for one year unless the eligible list is extended or abolished. Operators are responsible for monitoring and controlling treatment processes, maintaining regulatory compliance, responding to changing source water conditions, and ensuring the continuous delivery of safe, reliable drinking water.

Our Water Treatment Plant Operators work both independently and as part of a team and exercise independent judgment in making operational decisions that directly affect water quality, treatment performance, and system reliability. In addition to day-to-day plant operations, operators actively participate in process optimization, operational improvements, and development of standard operating procedures. This position provides the opportunity to work with ozone treatment, conventional and direct filtration, chemical feed systems, laboratory analysis, SCADA, and large-scale transmission facilities.

Tacoma Water provides direct service to more than 300,000 people in the City of Tacoma, Pierce and King counties, and several other municipal water suppliers. We operate a 150 MGD conventional/direct filtration plant commissioned in 2015. Positions are located at the Green River Filtration Facility near Ravensdale, WA.

Hourly wage depends on Water Treatment Plant Operator certification level: Level 3 certification: $59.38 hourly;
Level 4 certification: $62.35 hourly; an additional 5% night shift premium when applicable.

• Coordinate, monitor and control water quality, and system integrity to assure public health protection and regulatory compliance.
• Start up, shut down, make periodic checks of plant equipment and make required adjustments.
• Collect water samples and perform water quality tests for regulatory compliance and system operation.
• Inspect various water facilities, stations, and systems to monitor status and assure proper operation.
• Follow safety rules for plant operations; log and monitor confined space entries, lockout/tag-out and unsafe site conditions.
• Follow established guidelines and regulatory requirements to perform independent system changes to assure proper water treatment, quality and supply.
• Maintain plant records, logs, diaries and inventories for regulatory compliance and operational needs.
• Prepare and maintain required reports and records in a clear, concise, complete, and accurate manner.
• Monitor and control access to water division facilities and watershed.
• Operate a wide variety of powered and non-powered equipment.
• Perform routine and corrective maintenance on plant equipment, grounds and buildings.
• Communicate and work cooperatively and effectively with others to ensure safe and uninterrupted treatment plant operation.
• Safely load and unload potentially hazardous chemicals by hand or using chemical–handling equipment.
• Perform other related incidental work.
• Monitor and operate water SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) system.

• Three years of experience working in the field of water treatment or water quality with a private or public water utility.

• Possession of a valid Water Treatment Plant Operator Level III certificate (or higher) with the Washington State Department of Health or other state agencies granted reciprocity by WADOH. (The Green River Water Treatment Facility has a Level IV rating established by the Washington State Department of Health.)
• Possession of a valid Washington State driver's license with mandatory maintenance thereafter.
• Valid First Aid Certificate and CPR card prior to completion of the probationary period with mandatory maintenance thereafter.
• Completion of Tacoma Water's Hazardous Chemical Training Class within six months of appointment.