Water Treatment Plant Operator & Manager

Salary
Junior Operator: £9,500
Experienced Operator: £15,000
Manager: £35,000 - £45,000

Main Employers
• Water companies
• Sewage companies
• Utilities companies
• Private waste treatment operators
• Local government

Job Profile
Water is pumped from wells, rivers, streams, and reservoirs to water treatment plants, where it is treated and distributed to customers. Water treatment plant operators treat water so that it is safe to drink, installing, repairing and maintaining the water distribution systems which take water into peoples’ homes and businesses.

They may divert the water supply by switching valves, work inside sewers, maintain reservoirs, water towers and sewage treatment works or control equipment and processes that remove or destroy harmful materials, chemical compounds, and micro-organisms from the water. Their role involves planned maintenance work and responding to emergencies such as burst mains pipes and major leaks.

Water treatment plant managers are responsible for the day to day management of the treatment facility, optimising and improving the process performance, and contributing to the maintenance and improvements of the areas.

Role and Responsibilities
The specific duties of water treatment plant operators and managers depend on the type and size of the plant. In smaller plants, one operator may control all of the machinery, perform tests, keep records, handle complaints, and perform repairs and maintenance. A few operators may handle both a water treatment and a wastewater treatment plant (see wastewater treatment plant operator job profile). However, in larger plants with many employees, operators are generally more specialised and monitor only one process.

Jobs will vary according to each employer; however you could expect to be involved in:

• Digging holes using machines and hand tools
• Mending, cleaning  and checking pipes via CCTV
• Installing water meters, hydrants and stopcocks
• Planned maintenance work
• Responding to emergencies, e.g. burst mains pipes and major leaks caused by frost, soil movement, traffic or roadworks
• Reading, interpreting and adjusting meters and gauges to make sure that plant equipment and processes are working properly
• Operating chemical-feeding devices
• Performing chemical and biological laboratory analyses
• Sampling and measuring water quality
• Making process-control decisions
• Co-ordinating activities with other service providers to comply with statutory and quality regulations
• Identifying and managing risks

Qualifications
Qualifications are not always required for Water Treatment Plant Operators but some companies ask for five pass GCSE grades, including English and Maths. Apprenticeships are available for some positions or qualifications such as NVQ/SVQ Level 2 in Water Industry Operations. Sewerage Maintenance, may be available for those who do not enter the industry as apprentices. Some organisations run training schemes for junior operatives aged 16 to 18, while others take operatives at age 18.

Training is mostly on the job with junior operators studying subjects such as water technology and supply, distribution system construction, health, safety, the environment and customer care. They receive practical training working with an experienced operative on subjects like monitoring and maintenance.

The completion of a degree in relevant subject to Water Quality or Wastewater Treatment Technology increases an applicant’s chances for promotion as educational requirements are rising, due to more complex treatment plants being built to meet new drinking water and water pollution control standards.

Water treatment plant managers require at least an HNC qualification or above in Chemistry, Engineering, Science or related degree and five years worth of relevant industry experience

Career Opportunities
In England and Wales, there are nearly 20 privately owned water and sewerage companies. In Northern Ireland and Scotland, water services are publicly owned.
There are a number of large companies which work under contract to the water companies to construct and maintain the water system.

Opportunities exist throughout the UK and the number of vacancies is currently stable. There may be some opportunities overseas, particularly in developing countries.

Junior operators usually learn their skills on the job under the direction of an experienced Operator. They learn by observing and doing routine tasks such as recording meter readings, taking samples of wastewater and sludge, and performing simple maintenance and repair work on pumps, electric motors, valves, and other plant equipment. As operators are promoted, they become responsible for more complex treatment processes.

Water treatment plant operators with the right experience and qualifications can be promoted to supervisor, inspector, area superintendent or controller. It may be possible to move into management positions, with some operators studying for engineering degrees.

Job prospects are good for qualified individuals because the number of applicants in this field is normally low, due primarily to the unclean and physically demanding nature of the work. Workers who have training in all aspects of water and wastewater treatment and who can handle multiple duties will have the best opportunities.

The increasing population and the growth of the economy are expected to boost demand for essential water and wastewater treatment services. As new plants are constructed to meet this demand, employment of water treatment plant operators and managers will increase.