Water Treatment Plant Operator III

PURPOSE OF POSITION: Demonstrate competency and dedication while operating and maintaining the City's Class III Water Treatment Plant in compliance with regulatory agency requirements. Protect public health and the environment by providing safe, potable drinking water for the community. ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: Monitor and adjust water plant operating processes in compliance with regulations, including pre-treatment, coagulation, sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection. Check flows, chemical feeds, levels, water quality indicators, and measuring systems as scheduled. Take water samples. Perform daily laboratory tests for turbidity, coagulation, pH, temperature, chlorine residuals, and alkalinity as scheduled. Submit samples to a certified testing lab for other tests as required. Demonstrate an understanding of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and State rules for water quality compliance, including how these complex rules apply to the City's Water District. Plan, schedule, and perform preventive and corrective maintenance on plant equipment, e.g., pumps, valves, motors, electrical systems, air systems, measuring instruments, etc. Use Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system to monitor and control the Water System onsite and remotely. Act as an Operational Decision Maker consistent with Oregon Health Authority guidelines. Operate and maintain the watershed, supply, production and distribution system such as water booster stations and generators, reservoirs, fire pumps, and pressure sustaining valves Order chemical supplies, tools, and equipment, as necessary. Prepare and maintain accurate records, reports and logs of plant processes, laboratory tests, sampling, and maintenance activities. Perform various inside and outside facilities/grounds maintenance activities at plant, and off-site facilities and stations. Act as a back-up for the Water Distribution Operator I as needed. Demonstrate excellent customer service when responding to customer complaints and questions regarding water quality. Use Microsoft Word and Excel and other City programs and systems to perform job duties. This includes using the City's e-mail system to engage in appropriate and professional communications internally and externally as needed to perform job duties. Maintain professional, respectful, and cooperative working relationships with City staff, other organizations, and the public. Follow all safety rules and procedures for work areas. This includes wearing necessary Personal Protective Equipment. This also includes managing the Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for all chemicals onsite. Other related duties as assigned. AUXILIARY JOB FUNCTIONS: Provide assistance to other staff as workload and staffing levels dictate. Maintain proficiency by attending training/Continuing Education and meetings, reading materials, and meeting with others in areas of responsibility. Maintain work areas in a clean and orderly manner. JOB QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS: High School education or equivalent plus one year post-High School (includes Continuing Education) and five years' experience in a Class II (or higher) Water Treatment Plant with two and a half years of that as an ODM or any satisfactory combination of experience and training that demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the above duties in compliance with the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) guidelines. Thorough knowledge of principles and practices of operation, repair, and maintenance of a Water Treatment Plant, including knowledge and experience with water sampling, testing and evaluation techniques. Thorough knowledge of and experience with the variety of chemicals used to ensure safe and potable drinking water. Knowledge of and experience with the safe operation of Water Treatment Plant, pump stations and reservoir equipment required in the position. Demonstrated ability to accurately create and maintain records and perform arithmetic calculations. Ability to use Microsoft Word and Excel to prepare documents. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS/LICENSES: Possession of Level III Water Treatment Certification. Ability to obtain a Level I Distribution Certification within one-year of appointment and maintain throughout employment. Ability to obtain a CPR/First Aid card or the ability to obtain one within six months of appointment and maintain throughout employment. Must be able to respond onsite to an emergency within thirty minutes. DESIRABLE REQUIREMENTS: Previous experience within a Class III City Water Treatment Facility. CPR/First Aid card at time of appointment. PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF POSITION: While performing the duties of this position, the employee is frequently required to sit, bend, kneel, stoop, push, pull, twist, communicate, balance, reach, and manipulate objects, tools or controls. The position requires mobility, including climbing a ladder for up to fifty-five feet wearing harness equipment. Position duties regularly require the movement of materials weighing up to twenty-five pounds. Some duties are physically demanding, requiring exertion equivalent to moving materials weighing up to seventy-five pounds. Manual dexterity and coordination are required over 50% of the work period while operating equipment such as computer keyboard, calculator, telephone and other standard office equipment as well as heavy field equipment such as backhoe, tapping tools, etc. The ability to obtain and maintain certification to wear a respirator while performing some duties is required. WORKING CONDITIONS: Work is performed in a wide variety of environments including laboratory, Water Treatment Plant, in and around water, confined spaces, heights and outside weather conditions. Employees may be exposed to fumes, oils, chemicals (such as chlorine gas), etc. Must be available for extensive "on-call" response after normal work hours on a rotational basis, according to demonstrated competency and Water Plant protocol. Must also be available to act as an Emergency Responder. SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: Supervision is not a function assigned to this position. May provide training to more junior Water Treatment Operators. SUPERVISION RECEIVED: Works under the general supervision of the Water Treatment Plant Supervisor who reports to the Public Works Director, also takes direction from the Lead Water Treatment Plant Operator.