Water Treatment Operator -II

Build a stable career keeping our community safe:
Join the City of Tulare as a Water Treatment Operator!

Are you a mechanically minded professional looking for a secure, hands‑on career with excellent growth potential? The City of Tulare is hiring for the Water Treatment Operator I/II series. Whether you are looking to break into the industry at the entry level (Operator I) or bring established journey‑level expertise (Operator II), this alternately‑staffed role allows you to grow your skills, earn advanced certifications, and directly protect the health and safety of our community's water supply.

Water Treatment Operators are the frontline defenders of our city's public health. In this role, you will do much more than basic maintenance. You will operate high‑tech SCADA and PLC software systems, handle water safety calibrations, manage chlorination equipment, and perform skilled mechanical repairs on well pumps, motors, and treatment facilities.

• System Operations & Tech: Monitor, test, and troubleshoot automated data logging, telemetry systems, and SCADA infrastructure.
• Water Quality Safety: Collect field water samples, perform chlorine content testing, and safely operate chlorination and chemical‑feeding equipment.
• Mechanical Maintenance: Diagnose and perform preventative maintenance on water well pumps, motors, valves, regulators, and pressure gauges.
• Team Leadership (Operator II): Provide technical direction, quality control, and safety training to lower‑level operations staff.
• Emergency Response: Maintain accurate digital logs and participate in an after‑hours emergency standby rotation to keep infrastructure running smoothly.

Both Levels Require: Equivalent to completion of the 12th grade, supplemented by training in drinking water quality, treatment, or distribution. You must also possess or be able to obtain a valid Class C California driver’s license.

• Experience: 1 year of general construction or mechanical maintenance work using hand/power tools and operating light trucks.
• Certifications: Must obtain a Grade T1 Water Treatment and a Grade D1 Water Distribution certificate from the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) within 12 months of hire. (The City supports you through this during the probationary period!)

• Experience: 3 years of increasingly responsible experience in public works or water system maintenance, groundwater well sites, chlorination, and water testing.
• Certifications: Must already possess a Grade T2 Water Treatment and a Grade D2 Water Distribution certificate issued by the SWRCB.

This is the entry-level class in the water treatment operator series. Initially under close supervision, incumbents with basic maintenance experience learn City infrastructure, systems, and facilities, use of tools and equipment, and a wide variety of practices and procedures. As experience is gained, assignments become more varied and are performed with greater independence. This class is alternately‑staffed with Water Treatment Operator II and incumbents may advance to the higher level after gaining the knowledge, skill, experience, licenses, and certifications which meet the qualifications for and demonstrating the ability to perform the work of the higher-level class.

This is the journey-level class in the water treatment operator series responsible for providing day‑to‑day operations, maintenance and repair of assigned facilities, water distribution pipes, water well pumps, motors, controls, treatment equipment and related facilities, equipment, and systems. Responsibilities include inspecting, diagnosing, and attending to issues in a timely manner, and performing a wide variety of tasks in the maintenance and minor repair of assigned equipment, facilities, and systems.

This class is distinguished from the Water Utility Supervisor in that the latter is the full supervisory-level class in the series responsible for organizing, assigning, supervising, and reviewing the…