Plant Operator

City of Columbia; Columbia (TN); On-site; USD 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Columbia operates a wastewater treatment facility and seeks a qualified individual to perform operations and maintenance duties, monitor equipment, and assist with routine tasks across shifts, including nights, weekends and holidays. The role requires learning and applying plant procedures, recording readings, and maintaining logs while ensuring safety and compliance with regulations.

Overtime and standby may be required.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of wastewater treatment processes and plant operations.
• Ability to read meters, gauges, and control panels.
• Proficiency with MS Office for logging and reporting.
• Strong safety mindset and adherence to standard procedures.

Responsibilities

• Operate and monitor wastewater plant equipment to meet quality standards.
• Conduct daily rounds and check equipment for leaks or failures.
• Enter readings into logs and databases; maintain accurate records.
• Perform routine maintenance and minor repairs as needed.

Skills

Wastewater operations

Operating equipment

Reading instruments

Safety procedures

Education

Associate's degree or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job Summary

The primary function of an employee in this class is to perform operations and maintenance duties, including monitoring, operating, maintaining, and adjusting equipment. Employees in this classification will acquire the necessary skills and related training to perform the more routine operation and maintenance duties at the wastewater treatment facility. This position may be required to work varied shifts throughout the year including nights, weekends and holidays and must be able to work overtime and standby as required.

Essential Functions

• Assists in operating, maintaining, monitoring, and adjusting all wastewater plant process equipment, including pumps, motors, gauges, meters, aerators, blowers, chlorinators, chemical feeds, sludge equipment to ensure treated water meets State quality standards;
• Performs daily rounds at the plant by visually checking facilities, equipment, machinery, chemical levels and related systems to ensure proper operation and to detect equipment failures, potential leaks, or other problem situations;
• Assists in monitoring off-site wells and reclaimed distribution systems, including operating equipment by reading chemical and flow levels; inspects equipment, identifies equipment problems, may make minor repairs and adjustments;
• Operates valves, gates and pumps to adjust water flows and chemical injection rates; performs routine maintenance work on valves, feeders, and related equipment as required;
• Assists in monitoring and adjusting flows through wells, pumps, and meters to control the distribution system and system pressure;
• Learns to recognize the need for and may make basic treatment and operational changes to the wastewater processes and distribution systems;
• Reads and interprets meters, gauges, and instruments; enters daily readings into computer databases and/or spreadsheets;
• Performs general site maintenance activities; cleans out basins, clarifiers, channels, reservoirs, filters, and cleans plant process and building and areas;
• Helps organize contracted sludge hauling activities;
• Assists with maintenance, repair, and overhaul of equipment and machinery;
• Performs building and facility maintenance and custodial tasks;
• Prepares and maintains work records, including work orders, maintenance and repair logs, flow records, vehicle inspection forms, daily work logs, and other documentation;
• Performs general cleaning/maintenance tasks necessary to keep vehicles, equipment, and tools in operable condition, which may include inspecting equipment, checking fluid levels, replacing fluids, washing/cleaning equipment, or cleaning shop/work areas; monitors equipment operations to maintain efficiency and safety;
• Performs all work duties and activities in accordance with City policies and procedures;
• Works in a safe manner and reports unsafe activities, conditions and faulty equipment. Follows City-wide safety policy and practices and adheres to responsibilities concerning safety prevention, reporting and monitoring as outlined in the City's Safety Handbook;
• Monitors operation workers;
• Answers phone;
• Displays courteous, civil, and respectful behavior to all persons and shall make every effort to meet the needs of citizens requesting assistance;
• Refrains from the use of abusive, indecent or profane language or gestures in the workplace, in the performance of duties or in the presence of a member of the public;
• Performs duties in a manner that is fair, impartial, and without prejudice toward any person or group;
• Refrains from arguing unnecessarily with any person or otherwise showing a lack of self-control, ridicule, or defame any employee, elected official or any other person or any agency of the City of Columbia;
• Displays responsibility for attendance and promptness and report to the work area on time.

Secondary Functions

Performs other related duties as required.

Supervisory Functions

None.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

Knowledge, Skills

• Methods, equipment, materials, tools, and standard practices for the operation and maintenance of a wastewater treatment facility;
• Methods of sampling and laboratory testing of wastewater;
• Methods of biological, physical and chemical treatment of wastewater;
• Maintenance procedures, including equipment, pumping systems, and valves related to the operation of a wastewater treatment facility;
• Operational standards of wastewater treatment;
• Safety practices in operation of electrical and mechanical equipment used in wastewater facilities;
• Ordinances and regulations governing operation and maintenance of the wastewater facilities;
• Wastewater treatment plant emergency procedures;
• Equipment and tool operation and maintenance practices;
• Occupational hazards and safety precautions involved in wastewater facility operations;
• Proper use and disposal of hazardous materials in accordance with established guidelines;
• Confined spaces entry procedures, Federal OSHA regulations and City policies regarding safe work practices;
• Must possess computer application skills that at a minimum include Microsoft Office Suite products including Word and Excel.

Ability

• Read and interpret maps, technical specifications and operation manuals;
• Read and interpret meters, gauges, control panels, and testing and monitoring equipment;
• Inspect machinery, equipment, and mechanical systems in operation to detect flaws and defects;
• Operate manual and automated valve, pump, and control systems; operate a motor vehicle, power equipment, hand tools, sampling and testing equipment, and respirators;
• Prepare daily logs and maintain system performance records;
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals; Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent to draw and interpret bar graphs;
• Ability to speak clearly and persuasively in positive and negative situations; listens and gets clarification; responds well to questions; participates in meetings;
• Ability to write clearly and informatively; edits work for spelling and grammar; able to read and interpret written information;
• Ability to follow instructions, responds to management direction; completes tasks on time or notifies appropriate person with an alternative plan;
• Ability to meet scheduling and attendance requirements.

Certifications, Licenses, Registrations

• Tennessee Certificate of Competency (grade 2, 3 or 4) in wastewater operations must be obtained within 4 consecutive testing opportunities after eligibility.
• Valid Tennessee Driver's License.

Preferred Education

• Associate's degree (A.A.) or equivalent from two year-college or technical school; or one year to two years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Physical Conditions

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to walk. The employee is occasionally required to sit; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 ounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision and peripheral vision.

Working Conditions

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is always exposed to moving mechanical parts; high, precarious places; fumes or airborne particles; toxic or caustic chemicals; outside weather conditions; risk of electrical shock and explosives. Uses personal protective equipment. Position may be called out.