Mains Laying Operative

The Clancy Group; Greater London; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Clancy Xtras

Pension

Healthcare

28 days holiday

Job summary

The Clancy Group is seeking a Mains Laying Water Operative to join our field-based team in London. This role involves hands-on work outdoors, installing and repairing water mains, backfilling trenches, and ensuring work complies with safety and quality standards.

You will be supported by an experienced Team Leader and will develop skills in clean water infrastructure, hydraulic testing, and site reporting. A full UK driving licence is essential, with NRSWA accreditation desirable.

Qualifications

• Must be comfortable performing physically demanding outdoor work.
• Good understanding of health and safety practices on site.
• A full, clean UK driving licence is required.
• NRSWA accreditation is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Install, repair, and maintain water mains and service connections.
• Excavate, backfill, and reinstate trenches to specification.
• Locate water mains defects and carry out repairs.
• Operate tools, equipment, and plant used in mains laying and repair works.
• Perform pressure testing, disinfection, and chlorination activities.
• Complete risk assessments and follow safe systems of work.
• Record daily activities and complete site reports.

Skills

Outdoor work

UK Driving Licence

NRSWA desirable

Water mains

Job description

hat’s why we need people like you to help us deliver on our promises. People who enjoy getting things done!

We’re looking for a Mains Laying Water Operative to join our team delivering clean water works. This is a hands‑on, field‑based role, ideal for someone who enjoys physical work, being outdoors in all weather conditions, and playing a direct role in maintaining vital water infrastructure.

You’ll be paired with an experienced Team Leader who will support your development and help you build your skills within the clean water environment.

Here are some of the activities you will be involved in…

• Installing, repairing, and maintaining water mains and service connections
• Excavating, preparing, backfilling, and reinstating trenches and working areas to specification
• Locating and repairing water mains defects
• Operating tools, equipment, and plant associated with mains laying and repair works
• Carrying out pressure testing, disinfection, and chlorination activities
• Completing risk assessments and following approved safe systems of work
• Ensuring full compliance with health, safety, environmental, and quality standards
• Using traffic management systems where required to protect the work area
• Recording daily activities and completing digital job and site reports

We would love to hear from you if…

You have previous experience working on clean water networks, mains laying, utilities, or civils projects and are comfortable carrying out physically demanding, outdoor work. A good understanding of water mains installation techniques, health and safety requirements, and site working practices is essential.

A full, clean UK driving licence is required, and NRSWA accreditation is highly desirable. Experience using hand tools, site equipment, and plant is important, along with the ability to read basic drawings and work effectively as part of a site team.

Additional tickets such as CPCS/NPORS, CAT & Genny, confined space, or similar utilities qualifications would be beneficial, but training and development will be supported.

If you take pride in quality workmanship, enjoy working as part of a team, and want to build a long-term career in clean water, we’d love to hear from you.

Our Company

Every day we work smarter, greener and use our imaginations.

Our purpose at Clancy is simple – we make life better for everyone’s growing families. We play a vital role in providing fresh drinking water and power to millions of homes and businesses and so much more.

We are one of the biggest family owned construction businesses in the UK and we care about our people, our clients and the environment.

What Next

You apply, and we respond within two weeks (we know how annoying it is not to hear anything back)! If you don’t receive feedback within that timescale, please don’t be afraid to chase us – one of our values is to do what we say we will do!

In addition to helping you reach your career goals, a competitive salary, pension, healthcare and holiday allowance starting at

22 days per annum, we also offer perks including Clancy Xtras, our employee benefits programme with discounts for numerous well-known retailers such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Currys PC World and Vue Cinemas, cycle to work scheme as well as an Employee Assistance Programme.

Clancy is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all our employees. If you require any reasonable adjustments to be made for you to attend an interview, please do let us know and we will be happy to accommodate.

We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and Disability Confident Committed.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

Mains Laying Operative

Company: The Clancy Group Salary: Not specified Hours: Full‑time Location: London, E6 7FB Job type: Permanent Posting date: 3 Nov 2026 Closing date: 3 Dec 2026