Water & Wastewater Treatment Technician

Whakatāne District Council; Whakatāne; On-site; NZD 50,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Five weeks' annual leave

Job summary

Whakatāne District Council in Whakatāne, New Zealand is seeking a hands-on Water/Wastewater Operator to keep drinking water safe and wastewater systems functioning. You will monitor and operate treatment plants, test water quality and maintain equipment.

This role includes weekend roster and after-hours callouts. A National Certificate in Water or Wastewater is preferred, with experience in process control and field instrumentation; training will be provided for the right candidate.

Qualifications

• Experience operating water or wastewater treatment plants.
• National Certificate in Water or Wastewater Treatment is preferred.
• Knowledge of process control, field and laboratory instrumentation, calibration and maintenance of continuous reading analysers is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Monitor and operate treatment plants.
• Test water quality and maintain equipment.
• Troubleshoot issues and help ensure standards are met.
• Participate in weekend roster and after-hours callouts as required.

Skills

Team player

Willingness to learn

Good communication

Education

National Certificate in Water or Wastewater Treatment

Tools

Process control systems

Field instrumentation

Laboratory instrumentation

Calibration of analysers

Job description

Whakatane, New Zealand

Reference: 6940886

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

You'll be part of the team keeping safe drinking water flowing and our wastewater systems working as they should - an essential service our communities rely on every day.

• Help keep our community's water safe and flowing
• Five weeks' annual leave + a lifestyle that's hard to beat
• Bring the right attitude - we'll help you build the skills

This is a varied, hands-on role. You'll monitor and operate treatment plants, test water quality, maintain equipment, troubleshoot issues and help make sure our water and wastewater treatment meets the required standards and regulations.

Water doesn't stop after 5pm, so you'll also join the roster for routine weekend work and after-hours callouts when required.

Ko wai koe | About you

You’ll be joining a team that believes in being better together, so you’ll be a team player that upholds the values of Council.

Ideally, you’ll have experience operating water or wastewater treatment plants and hold a National Certificate in Water or Wastewater Treatment. Knowledge of process control, field and laboratory analytical instrumentation, calibration and maintenance of continuous reading analysers and familiarity with monitoring and sampling of water and wastewater would also be great. But if you don’t tick every box, keep reading.

Not quite qualified yet?

That’s ok - this is a specialised role, and we know the right person might not have all the qualifications yet. If you’re practical, reliable, and ready to grow your skills, we’ll back you with the training you need. Whether you’re starting out or looking for a career change, this could be your opportunity to step into a vital role in protecting our environment and community health.

This is an active role, so you’ll also need a good level of fitness and a strong commitment to health and safety.

This role is considered health sensitive and safety sensitive so the successful candidate will be required to under go and pass a pre employment health check and drug test.

What We Offer

• five weeks' annual leave

Our values

• We’re always learning and improving - Toitū te Taumata
• We’re passionate and proud - Toitū te Mauri Ora
• We work as one team - Toitū te Mahi Tahi
• We put people at the heart of everything we do - Toitū te Tangata
• We care about our environment - Toitū te Taiao

Applications Close: 01 Nov 2026