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What Does it Take to Be a Water Treatment Plant and System Operator?

Job Description & Duties Operate or control an entire process or system of machines, often through the use of control boards, to transfer or treat water or wastewater.

A Day in the Life of a Water Treatment Plant & System Operator

Inspect equipment or monitor operating conditions, meters, and gauges to determine load requirements and detect malfunctions.
Operate and adjust controls on equipment to purify and clarify water, process or dispose of sewage, and generate power.
Add chemicals, such as ammonia, chlorine, or lime, to disinfect and deodorize water and other liquids.
Record operational data, personnel attendance, or meter and gauge readings on specified forms.
Direct and coordinate plant workers engaged in routine operations and maintenance activities.
Clean and maintain tanks, filter beds, and other work areas, using hand tools and power tools.

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Water Treatment Plant & System Operator Needed Skills

Below is a list of the skills most Water Treatment Plant and System Operators say are important on the job.

Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

Equipment Maintenance: Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.

Water Pumper
Filtration Plant Operator
Wastewater Operator (WW Operator)
SCADA Operator (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Operator)
Wastewater Plant Operator

Is There Going to be Demand for Water Treatment Plant and System Operators?

There were about 119,200 jobs for Water Treatment Plant and System Operator in 2016 (in the United States). There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Water Treatment Plant and System Operator. The BLS estimates 9,200 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Water Treatment Plant & System Operator are Colorado, Washington, and Georgia. Watch out if you plan on working in New Jersey, Maine, or Ohio. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Salary for a Water Treatment Plant & System Operator

The average yearly salary of a Water Treatment Plant & System Operator ranges between $28,300 and $76,200.

Water Treatment Plant and System Operators who work in California, Connecticut, or Nevada, make the highest salaries.

How much do Water Treatment Plant and System Operators make in different U.S. states?

State	Annual Mean Salary
Alabama	$43,890
Alaska	$63,160
Arizona	$46,780
Arkansas	$35,380
California	$72,650
Colorado	$55,890
Connecticut	$66,560
Delaware	$45,960
Florida	$48,710
Georgia	$39,280
Hawaii	$53,530
Idaho	$44,970
Illinois	$57,310
Indiana	$42,750
Iowa	$45,060
Kansas	$40,210
Kentucky	$38,540
Louisiana	$36,910
Maine	$46,140
Maryland	$48,080
Massachusetts	$57,320
Michigan	$47,540
Minnesota	$53,930
Mississippi	$36,760
Missouri	$43,400
Montana	$43,270
Nebraska	$45,180
Nevada	$63,110
New Hampshire	$50,960
New Jersey	$59,590
New Mexico	$42,370
New York	$59,190
North Carolina	$42,730
North Dakota	$38,950
Ohio	$49,060
Oklahoma	$35,130
Oregon	$55,780
Pennsylvania	$49,810
Rhode Island	$51,390
South Carolina	$45,240
South Dakota	$42,580
Tennessee	$41,910
Texas	$39,360
Utah	$46,480
Vermont	$47,930
Virginia	$46,310
Washington	$63,520
West Virginia	$36,480
Wisconsin	$51,540
Wyoming	$52,710

What Tools do Water Treatment Plant and System Operators Use?

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Water Treatment Plant and System Operators may use on a daily basis:

Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Office
Microsoft PowerPoint
Microsoft Outlook
Word processing software
Database software
Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
Timekeeping software
Human machine interface HMI software
Records management software
Material safety data sheet MSDS software
Data logging software
Compliance software

Becoming a Water Treatment Plant & System Operator

What education or degrees do I need to become a Water Treatment Plant and System Operator?

How Long Does it Take to Become a Water Treatment Plant & System Operator?

Those thinking about becoming a Water Treatment Plant and System Operator might also be interested in the following careers:

Those who work as a Water Treatment Plant and System Operator sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:

Forest and Conservation Workers

References:

Image Credit: Airman 1st Class Ryan Conroy via Public domain

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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