Plant Operator II - Wastewater Subregional Utilities

Job Summary

Operates, monitors, and maintains water/wastewater treatment plant systems and related equipment to provide quality drinking water for public use and to produce quality effluent water in compliance with federal, state, and local requirements. This position may initially be located at any one of the three subregional facility locations. All staff hired in this position may be transferred to other County facility locations at the option of the management team.

Essential Functions

• Controls water treatment plant and/or wastewater treatment plant operations in accordance with all established regulations, standards, and procedures; operates and monitors plant/systems via computer; conducts visual plant inspections and monitors plant operations/processes to ensure proper operations and to detect equipment failures, potential leaks, or other problem situations; conducts field inspections or remote station inspections; troubleshoots outlying wells and pump stations; makes adjustments in plant operations as appropriate; performs preventive maintenance checks and procedures on plant equipment; reports faulty equipment or problem situations to appropriate personnel.

• Operates water treatment plant equipment to maintain adequate water flow, proper water treatment, and proper plant functions; monitors plant treatment process and distribution system; shuts down and starts plant as necessary; fills and pumps tanks at remote pump stations; monitors chemical levels in water; monitors and fills day tanks of sulfuric acid, caustic, scale inhibitor, fluoride, phosphate, and salt; transfers chemicals from bulk storage to day tanks to fill hoppers; adjusts and fills chemical feeders as needed; adjusts and monitors ammonia feeds and chlorine feeds; monitors and records differential pressures on cartridge filters; runs reverse osmosis series; monitors membrane and reverse osmosis membranes for efficiency; monitors and adjusts pH of pre-/post-feeds to membranes and distribution system; opens/closes fill valves; changes chlorine cylinders; adjusts high service pumps for distribution flow; adjusts and monitors sulfuric acid pumps, sodium hydroxide pumps, scale inhibitor pumps, phosphate pumps, transfer pumps, and concentrate pumps; adjusts well flows; monitors and records deep well injection flows; adjusts and monitors odor control caustic pumps, GST levels, clearwell levels, and concentrate well levels; resets tripped wells; cleans degasifiers towers and odor control towers; controls suction pressures; monitors feed pressures and skid pressures; monitors weather station and logs data.

• Operates water/wastewater treatment plant equipment to ensure proper treatment of water/wastewater and production of effluent water; monitors effluent storage facilities, conducts laboratory testing, and logs meter readings of effluent sites and plant flow; monitors and maintains side stream flows during low-flow situations; monitors holding ponds, park ponds, and golf course ponds; monitors chemical levels and administers chemicals into processes; adds enzymes to process; raises and lowers baffles in aeration basins; monitors and administers alum; checks odor control equipment; checks sludge blankets; monitors and controls return sludge rates and waste sludge rates; runs sludge dewatering presses in emergency situations; transfers sludge to gravity thickener; presses sludge; changes chlorine cylinders and bar screens; maintains grit system; drains clarifier scum troughs; skims and backwashers filters; disinfects filters; troubleshoots wastewater pump stations; monitors odor control systems; opens/closes valves; applies lime to ground; cleans, contains, and decontaminates spills; bleeds condensation from air tanks; exercises pumps; bleaches auto sampler; hoses down aeration basins, clarifiers, and rotor walls.

• Collects or receives water/wastewater samples for chemical analysis; conducts regular chemical tests to determine the chemical composition of water, to control quality, and to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations; performs testing to identify levels of alkalinity, calcium hardness, chlorine, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, phosphate, pH, silt density index, settleable solids, suspended solids, total dissolved solids, total hardness, volatile solids, or other materials; conducts periodic quality control tests; logs test results on daily charts and log sheets.

• Monitors gauges, meters, and charts to ensure proper plant operations; maintains logs/records of plant operations, meter/gauge readings, test results, chemical applications, and other data; assists in preparing mandatory reports for submission to regulatory agencies.

• Performs plant maintenance, building maintenance, grounds maintenance, or general/manual tasks in support of division operations; calibrates equipment/instruments; cleans/replaces cartridge filters; cleans and replaces vessel membranes; mixes chemical solutions; inspects fire extinguishers; resets electrical circuits; paints surfaces; rakes grounds around dumpster; loads/unloads materials; lifts/moves heavy materials; maintains plant security.

• Performs general cleaning/maintenance tasks necessary to keep plant facilities, equipment, and tools in operable condition, which may include inspecting equipment, performing minor repairs, replacing parts, washing/cleaning equipment, or cleaning work areas; monitors equipment operations to maintain efficiency and safety; reports faulty equipment.

• Operates various machinery, equipment and tools associated with plant operations, which may include a motor vehicle, dump truck, backhoe, loader, chemical feeder, pump, well, motor, valve, generator, reverse osmosis skid, membrane softening skid, chlorinator, hoist, pH meter, turbidimeter, spectrophotometer, dissolved oxygen meter, hazardous gas meter, gauges, chlorine analyzer, belt press, titration equipment, degasifiers, odor control unit, telemetry system, vacuum cleaner, safety equipment, laboratory instruments, testing materials, rake, shovel, hand tools, or mechanic tools.

• Follows safety procedures, utilizes safety equipment, and monitors work environment to ensure safety of employees and other individuals; and reports unsafe activities and conditions to supervisor.

• Monitors inventory levels of division equipment, chemicals, and supplies; ensures availability of adequate materials to conduct work activities; initiates requests for new or replacement materials; receives incoming orders of chemicals and supplies; conducts periodic inventory counts.

Minimum Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED* required.

• One (1) year of related experience.

• Fingerprinting required.

• Must possess and maintain a valid Florida Department of Environmental Protection Class C Wastewater Treatment license,

• General Educational Development (GEDs) must be issued by the American Council on Education through an approved GED Administrator. For Florida the approved GED Administrator would be the Florida Department of Education (public schools or adult education centers).

Supplemental information

• Essential Employees may be required to work during an undeclared or declared emergency. The County's Administrative Office will determine who will be required to work on an incident-by-incident basis.

• This job posting is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of responsibilities, skills, or working conditions associated with the position.