Plant Operator - Wastewater Utility Plant

City of Richmond, VA; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 47,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Richmond, Virginia's Wastewater Utility Plant is seeking a Plant Operator to monitor, control, and optimize wastewater treatment processes, ensuring compliance with Virginia DEQ permits and EPA regulations. This broadbanded, essential-position requires a high school diploma and the ability to obtain proper Virginia wastewater licenses within 18 months.

duties include sampling, data logging, equipment operation, and routine maintenance in all weather and shifts.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of wastewater treatment processes and regulations.
• Knowledge of safety principles and safe work practices.
• Familiarity with SCADA programs used to monitor operations.

Responsibilities

• Monitor, document, and optimize plant process controls.
• Operate valves, pumps, and equipment to control treatment processes.
• Collect samples, perform tests, and document results.
• Maintain log books and digital records of operations.
• Perform routine preventative maintenance on plant equipment.
• Participate in safety and stormwater pollution prevention programs.

Skills

Wastewater treatment knowledge

Safety practices

SCADA familiarity

Mathematical calculations

Manual dexterity

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Virginia wastewater license (Class 3/4)

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

SCADA systems

Job description

The anticipated hiring range is $47,490 - $68,224.

The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities is seeking qualified candidates to fill a Plant Operator position in the Wastewater Utility Plant. The Plant Operator will perform work of moderate to considerable difficulty in the operating of a wastewater treatment plant in accordance with applicable laws, ordinances, and regulations. The Plant Operator is a career broadband position.

Incumbents serve as an Essential employee, which means that the incumbent is required to work when the City is closed due to public emergencies, critical or hazardous conditions, or inclement weather.

• Monitoring, documenting, and optimizing wastewater plant process controls to include adjusting wastewater flow rates, chemical dosage set points, air compressor discharge pressures, and blower output settings;
• Maintaining compliance with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality VPDES permit and the Environmental Protection Agency’s federal regulations;
• Recognizing and correcting negative impacts to wastewater quality;
• Sampling, collecting, documenting chain of custody information, transporting, and performing laboratory testing and analysis on wastewater, sludge, and biosolids samples;
• Reading and interpreting gauges, meters, wastewater quality analyzers, and control panels to monitor plant equipment and adjust treatment processes to maintain compliance with the wastewater treatment plant permits;
• Observing and documenting variations in operating conditions and wastewater treatment techniques to determine proper process control adjustments;
• Recording operational data in wastewater control station log books, digital databases, daily log sheets, and supervisory control and data acquisition systems;
• Operating valves, gates, pumps, and plant equipment to control and adjust wastewater treatment processes;
• Adjusting, monitoring, and responding to normal and abnormal operational situations involving the wastewater collection system, combined sewer overflows, retention basin, diversion structure, remote collection stations, and wastewater treatment plant;
• Completing visual inspections of assigned duty stations and treatment facilities several times each shift;
• Perform regular preventative maintenance on plant equipment, structures, tanks, and grounds (groundskeeping and housekeeping);
• General housekeeping and cleaning in and around wastewater operator control stations;
• Ability to use and navigate applications and programs on desktop computers, laptop computers, smartphones, tablets, human machine interfaces, programmable logic controllers, and operator interface terminals;
• Perform complex mathematical calculations to determine areas, volumes, averages, means, geometric means, minimums, maximums, percentages, wastewater flow rates, sludge flow rates, return activated sludge flow rates, waste activated sludge flow rates, filter influent flow rates, pump speeds, blower speeds, chemical demands, chemical dosages, and chemical residuals;
• Active participation in the stormwater pollution prevention program which includes regular inspections and daily groundskeeping responsibilities;
• Walking for long periods of times indoors and outdoors, up and down several flights of stairs, during the day or at night, in all types of weather, wearing the appropriate level of personal protective equipment;
• Active participation in utility wide safety programs;
• Active participation in employee training programs;

• Knowledge of wastewater treatment processes;
• Knowledge of safety principles and safety practices;
• Knowledge of Scada programs used to monitor, control, and document wastewater plant operations and compliance;
• Strong mathematical background in Algebra and Geometry;
• Ability to safely use hand tools;
• Knowledge of wastewater laboratory equipment including spectrophotometers, p.H. probes and meters, dissolved oxygen probes and meters, incubators, ovens, and glassware;
• Knowledge of computerized maintenance management systems

MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

• High School Diploma or GED.
• Zone I requires a year of maintenance experience, preferably in the performance of utility tasks (Zones II through V will require additional experience and certifications as defined in the broad band program).
• An equivalent combination of training and experience (as approved by the department) may be used to meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.

PREFERRED TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

• Experience with utility plant maintenance;
• Valid Virginia driver’s license;
• Microsoft Office Suite including Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Teams;
• Completion of Wastewater treatment training courses;
• Ability to properly use personal protective equipment.
• Knowledge of wastewater treatment techniques

LICENSING, CERTIFICATIONS, and OTHER SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

The Plant Operator is a Broadbanded position.

• Incumbents assigned to Zone I require a high school diploma or G.E.D. Must obtain a Virginia Class 3 Wastewater Works Operator License within 18 months of initial hire date. If the license requirement is not met within the specified timeframe the candidate will be separated from employment;
• Incumbents assigned to Zone II require a Commonwealth of Virginia Class 4 Wastewater Works Operator License. Must obtain a Class 3 Virginia Wastewater Works Operator License within 18 months of initial hire date. If the license requirement is not met withing the specified timeframe the candidate will be separated from employment:
• Incumbents assigned to Zone III require a Commonwealth of Virginia Class 3 Wastewater Works Operator License;
• Incumbents assigned to Zone IV require a Commonwealth of Virginia Class 2 Wastewater Works Operator License;
• Incumbents assigned to Zone V require a Commonwealth of Virginia Class 1 Wastewater Works Operator License.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Prospective and current employees are invited to discuss accommodations.

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS:

Working conditions may include exposure to travel to other locations within the City of Richmond as well as outside of the City of Richmond; exposure to hazardous physical conditions such as mechanical parts, electrical currents, vibrations, etc.; atmospheric conditions such as fumes, odors, dusts, gases, and poor ventilation; inadequate lighting; intense noise; and environmental hazards such as disruptive people, imminent danger, and a threatening environment.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT:

Due to the nature of work assignments, incumbents must be able to perform detailed work on multiple, concurrent tasks, with frequent interruptions and under time constraint. The essential duties of this classification may require the ability to balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, reach, stand, walk, push objects, pull objects, lift, use fingers and grasp objects. The working conditions may include exposure to noise, dust, grease, smoke, fumes, gases and potentially hazardous chemicals, working in or with wastewater. In terms of the physical strength to perform the essential duties, this classification is considered to be medium work, exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, up to 20 pounds of force frequently, and up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects.