Wastewater treatment operators operate equipment used in a water or wastewater plant. They treat and clean drinking water before it is distributed to the consumer and process wastewater to remove harmful substances before returning it to rivers and seas. They take samples and perform tests to analyse the water quality.
The following job titles also refer to wastewater treatment operator:
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Wastewater treatment operators often work in industrial settings such as wastewater treatment plants, factories, or refineries. The job may require working in confined spaces or around hazardous chemicals, so following strict safety protocols is crucial. Wastewater treatment operators may also need to work in shifts, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.
A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required to become a wastewater treatment operator. Many employers also require an associate degree in a related field, such as environmental science or chemistry. In addition to formal education, on-the-job training is also essential to become proficient in the job duties of a wastewater treatment operator.
ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:
the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.
Wastewater treatment operator is a Skill level 3 occupation.
These occupations require some skills and knowledge of wastewater treatment operator. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of wastewater treatment operator with a significant experience and/or extensive training.
Use water disinfection equipment: Operate equipment for water disinfection, using different methods and techniques, such as mechanical filtration, depending on needs.
Maintain water treatment equipment: Perform repairs and routine maintenance tasks on equipment used in water and waste water purification and treatment processes.
Perform water treatments: Perform regularly water testing, ensuring that water management and filtration processes follow reasonable management practices, industry standards, or commonly accepted farming practices. Record previous water contaminations, the source of contamination and the contamination remedied. Take mitigation measures to guard against further contamination.
Operate water purifying equipment: Operate and adjust equipment controls to purify and clarify water, process and treat wastewater, air and solids, recycle or discharge treated water, and generate power.
Carry out waste water treatment: Perform waste water treatment according to regulations checking for biological waste and chemical waste.
Dispose of sewage sludge: Operate equipment to pump the sewage sludge and store it in containers in order to transform the gases it emits into energy. After this phase, dry the sludge and evaluate its potential reuse as fertilizer. Dispose of the sludge if it contains hazardous elements.
Document analysis results: Document on paper or on electronic devices the process and the results of the samples analysis performed.
Perform water treatment procedures: Perform operations such as filtering, sterilising, and dechlorinating in order to purify water for consumption and food production using different procedures and technologies such as micro-filtration, reverse osmosis, ozonation, carbon filtration, or ultraviolet (UV) light.
Monitor water quality: Measure water quality: temperature, oxygen, salinity, pH, N2, NO2, NH4, CO2, turbidity, and chlorophyll. Monitor microbiological water quality.
This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of wastewater treatment operator. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
Water policies: Have a solid understanding of policies, strategies, institutions, and regulations concerning water.
Laboratory techniques: Techniques applied in the different fields of natural science in order to obtain experimental data such as gravimetric analysis, gas chromatography, electronic or thermic methods.
Water reuse: Principles of water re-use processes in complex circulation systems.
These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of wastewater treatment operator. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
Ensure compliance with environmental legislation: Monitor activities and perform tasks ensuring compliance with standards involving environmental protection and sustainability, and amend activities in the case of changes in environmental legislation. Ensure that the processes are compliant with environment regulations and best practices.
Operate pumping equipment: Operate pumping equipment; oversee gas and oil transport from wellheads to refineries or storage facilities.
Use personal protection equipment: Make use of protection equipment according to training, instruction and manuals. Inspect the equipment and use it consistently.
Operate sewage treatment plants on ships: Operate sewage treatment plants in ships, oversee plant maintenance, understand the mechanical functioning of the machine and comply with regulatory mandates of materials discharge to the sea.
Test samples for pollutants: Measure concentrations of pollutants within samples. Calculate air pollution or gas flow in industrial processes. Identify potential safety or health risks such as radiation.
Maintain water distribution equipment: Perform routine maintenance tasks, identify flaws, and perform repairs on the equipment used to supply and distribute clean water.
Maintain specified water characteristics: Turn valves and place baffles in troughs to adjust the volume, depth, discharge, and temperature of water as specified.
Ensure proper water storage: Ensure that correct procedures are followed and the required equipment is present and functional for water storage before treatment or distribution.
Perform sample testing: Examine and perform tests on prepared samples; avoid any possibility of accidental or deliberate contamination during the testing phase. Operate sampling equipment in line with design parameters.
Operate hydraulic machinery controls: use correctly the controls of specialized machinery by turning valves, handwheels, or rheostats to move and control flow of fuels, water, and dry or liquid binders to machines.
Ensure equipment maintenance: Ensure that the equipment required for operations is regularly checked for faults, that routine maintenance tasks are performed, and that repairs are scheduled and performed in the case of damage or flaws.
Prepare samples for testing: Take and prepare samples for testing, verify their representability; avoid bias and any possibility of accidental or deliberate contamination. Provide clear numbering, labelling and recording of the sample details to make sure that the results can be accurately matched to the original material.
