Water & Wastewater Operator

Environment, Conservation and Parks | Environnement, Protection de la nature et Parcs; Varna; On-site; CAD 39,000 - 43,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible learning opportunities

Career advancement & specialization

Defined benefits & health plan

On-call and shift pay

Job summary

Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA) is seeking an Operator to operate and maintain the Region's water and wastewater facilities. You will participate in the Operator Career Path with increasing responsibilities and certification-led pay increases.

Mandatory Class 1 certifications, valid G license, and ability to work overtime are required. OCWA offers on-call rotation, safety training, and competitive hourly pay with certification premiums.

Qualifications

• Certification in Class 1 water/wastewater required or under-fill option with certification plan.
• Knowledge of safety regulations and environmental standards.
• Ability to operate and maintain water and wastewater facilities.

Responsibilities

• Operate and maintain water and wastewater facilities within the Region.
• Respond to on-call rotations and overtime as required.
• Document operations and monitor performance data.

Skills

Wastewater knowledge

Maintenance skills

OHSA awareness

Chemistry & math

Reading blueprints

Teamwork

Communication

Problem solving

Education

Class 1 Wastewater Treatment

Class 1 Wastewater Collection

Class 1 Water Treatment

Class 1 Water Distribution & Supply

Tools

CMMS

Job description

Apply By:Friday, October 30, 2026 11:59 pm EDT

$27.92 - $31.06 Per hour* (plus pay for water and wastewater certification)
*Indicates the salary listed as per the OPSEU Collective Agreement.

Water is our business and our passion. It can be yours too. The water professionals at OCWA know the value of water better than anyone. Our work benefits communities across Ontario every day.
Our job (and possibly yours) is also to return treated and safe water back to our lakes and rivers. At OCWA, we have a deep respect for the environment and our responsibility for the health of the communities we serve drives us.
A job at OCWA is an opportunity to make a positive impact on millions—a big responsibility. Are you ready? We think you are. So come on in. The water is perfect.

About the job

In this role, you will use your skills to operate and maintain the water and wastewater facilities within the Region.

OCWA's Operator Career Path Program:

The Operator Career Path Program provides learning, continuing education, career development and certification advancement opportunities. As you develop and obtain higher level licenses, you will progress through the Operator Career Path with increased operational responsibilities as well as training and mentoring opportunities. When you successfully obtain a higher certification/license, you will be eligible for additional base or premium pay in accordance with the schedule below.

• $24.88 to $26.41 per hour (OIT)
• $27.92 to $31.06 per hour (Level 1 Operator)
• $29.49 to $32.83 per hour (Level 2 Operator)
• $30.67 to $38.04 per hour (Level 3 or 4 Operator)

*OCWA provides additional pay for water and wastewater certification/license

Mandatory requirements

• Class 1 Wastewater Treatment, Class 1 Wastewater Collection, Class 1 Water Treatment and Class 1 Water Distribution and Supply.
• A lesser qualified candidate may be considered as an under-fill minimum Operator-in-Training (OIT), as specified in O.Reg. 128/04 of the Safe Drinking Water Act and O.Reg. 129/04 of the Ontario Water Resources Act.
• Should a successful applicant be employed as an under-fill Operator, he/she will be required to write and pass the required Class 1 certification exams and Limited Surface Water or Ground Water subsystem within 180 days from their start date.
• Must be available for overtime and ability to be on-call after regular working hours as part of a rotation and must be able to respond to on-call within a reasonable period of time.
• Valid Class G driver's license

Knowledge

• Good knowledge of wastewater treatment processes to operate the facilities.
• Working experience/knowledge of the skilled trades for the maintenance and repair of a variety of equipment and structures, including but not limited to the following skills: basic electrical repair, welding, plumbing, millwright and instrumentation.
• Sound knowledge of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and other relevant regulatory and legislative acts, codes, policies, guidelines and procedures related to wastewater operations and maintenance; health and safety procedures/WHMIS.
• Good knowledge of the relevant regulatory and legislative acts, codes, policies, guidelines and procedures related to water and wastewater operations and maintenance, including the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and health and safety procedures.
• Knowledge of basic mathematics and chemistry to make calculations for chemical and operating processes.
• Ability to interpret maintenance manuals, blueprints and other technical specifications; use and storage of industrial chemicals.
• Familiarity with computers, including monitoring and operating systems.
• Familiarity with Computerized Maintenance Management Systems would be an asset.

Skills and Ability include

• Analytical, problem-solving, planning and scheduling skills required to effectively inspect, operate and monitor the facilities processes and equipment.
• Ability to perform routine preventive maintenance; take samples, interpret results and make process control adjustments to resolve operating issues.
• Good oral and written communication skills to liaise with a variety of people including coworkers, clients, suppliers, while keeping accurate logs and writing reports.
• Ability to work in a team environment and take initiative.
• Ability to perform manual labour. labour.

How we support diversity, inclusion and accessibility

We are building an inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We encourage everyone interested in working with us to apply, including people with disabilities, Indigenous, Black and racialized individuals, as well as people from all ethnicities, cultures, sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions.

Our hiring process is accessible, consistent with Ontario's Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. We are working to prevent and remove barriers in our hiring processes and can offer accommodation to address specific needs related to Code-protected grounds such as disability, family status and religion. For more information about accommodation during the hiring process please contact us.

Learn more about the work the OPS is doing to create an inclusive, anti-racist, accessible and diverse workplace:

• diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives
• accessibility
• Anti-Racism Policy

We offer employment accommodation across the recruitment process and all aspects of employment consistent with the requirements of Ontario's Human Rights Code. Refer to the application instructions below if you require a disability-related accommodation.

The Ontario Clean Water Agency is an agency of the Province of Ontario, reporting to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. As the largest provider of water and wastewater services in Canada, we manage over 800 facilities from small well systems and lagoons to large water and wastewater treatment plants. Consider this opportunity if you are a motivated, team oriented individual seeking a career in the water and wastewater industry.

We thank you for your interest, and we will only contact you if we choose you for further screening or an interview.

What we offer

What's in it for you?

• Flexible learning and development opportunities
• Opportunities for career advancement and specialization with the largest provider of water and wastewater services in Ontario.
• A wide-ranging compensation structure focused on pay for certification, on-call pay, call-back pay, over-time and Overall Responsible Operator (ORO) pay.
• Work with the partner of choice for more communities than any other water and wastewater service organization in Ontario for over 30 years.
• Work with an organization committed to innovation and advanced technology.
• A defined benefit pension plan; comprehensive health plan; life and disability insurance.
• Maternity and parental leave top-up benefits including for adoptive parents.

Information collection notice

We are collecting your personal information to assess how well you meet the qualifications for employment with the Ontario Public Service, and for related recruitment purposes. The collection of personal information is necessary to the proper administration of OPS Careers, which is an authorized common service in accordance with s. 6 of the Ministry of Government Services Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.25.

Please do not include any more personal information than is needed for your application (for example, do not include your photograph or social insurance number).

If you have any questions about how your information is collected, used, shared or saved, please contact us.