WATER UTILITY OPERATOR 5854 (A)

City of Los Angeles; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 74,000 - 119,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Los Angeles is seeking a Water Utility Operator to inspect, operate and maintain electric pumping plants, reservoirs, wells and related facilities. You will patrol reservoirs to locate hazardous conditions and monitor SCADA to ensure reliable water service.

Required: California D2 license, two years of water system experience, plus one year in electrical/mechanical work; U.S. Armed Forces experience may count; a valid CA driver’s license; overtime and weekend shifts may be assigned.

Qualifications

• Valid California State Water Resources Control Board Grade D2 Water Distribution Operator license.
• Two years of full-time paid potable or waste water system experience in the construction, maintenance, or operation of water system facilities.
• One year of full-time paid experience in electrical or mechanical work involving the operation, maintenance, or repair of large pumps, motors, engines or generators such as those found in an engine room on a ship or in an electric pumping plant.
• One year of full-time paid experience in electrical or mechanical work while in the United States Armed Forces involving the operation, maintenance, or repair of large pumps, motors, engines or generators such as those found in an engine room on a ship or in an electric pumping plant.

Responsibilities

• A Water Utility Operator inspects, operates, and maintains electric water pumping plants, reservoirs, wells and related water facilities.
• Patrols reservoirs to locate hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions; monitors the operation of the SCADA system.

Education

California State Water Resources Control Board Grade D2 Water Distribution Operator license

Job description

ANNUAL SALARY

$74,144 to $92,122; $82,288 to $102,249; $86,088 to $106,968; $95,901 to $119,120

NOTES

1. Candidates from the eligible list are normally appointed to vacancies in the lower pay grade positions.
2. Annual salary is the start of the pay range. The current salary range is subject to change. Please confirm the starting salary with the hiring department before accepting a job offer.
3. For information regarding reciprocity between the City of Los Angeles departments and LADWP, go to http://per.lacity.org/Reciprocity_CityDepts_and_DWP.pdf.

A Water Utility Operator inspects, operates, and maintains electric water pumping plants, reservoirs, wells and related water facilities; patrols reservoirs to locate hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions; and monitors the operation of the computerized Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System (SCADA).

• A valid California State Water Resources Control Board Grade D2 Water Distribution Operator license; and
• a. Two years of full-time paid potable or waste water system experience in the construction, maintenance, or operation of water system facilities;
• b. One year of full-time paid experience in electrical or mechanical work involving the operation, maintenance, or repair of large pumps, motors, engines or generators such as those found in an engine room on a ship or in an electric pumping plant;
• c. One year of full-time paid experience in electrical or mechanical work while in the United States Armed Forces involving the operation, maintenance, or repair of large pumps, motors, engines or generators such as those found in an engine room on a ship or in an electric pumping plant.

PROCESS NOTES

1. Candidates who lack six months or less of the above required experience at the time of filing may file for this examination. However, they cannot be appointed until the full experience requirement is met.

2. Active United States Military personnel may file for this examination. However, they cannot be appointed until they have completed their military service and have been discharged with satisfactory performance. Proof of military service and satisfactory performance must be provided prior to appointment.

3. As a condition of employment, a valid Class C driver’s license issued by the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is required at the time of appointment. Applicants will be disqualified or deemed ineligible for hire if their DMV record reflects three or more moving violations and/or at-fault accidents, or a conviction of a major moving violation within the last 36 months in any state or jurisdiction. The City of Los Angeles reserves the right to issue a notice of disqualification or ineligibility at any time before a final job offer is extended.

4. Applicants residing outside the State of California may apply with a valid driver’s license at the time of hiring, and a valid California driver’s license must be obtained within 30 days of hire, and maintained during the course of employment.

5. Applicants must submit proof of possession of a valid California State Water Resources Control Board Grade D2 Water Distribution Operator license at the time of filing. The document (or proof) must be attached to the on-line application in the Attachments section BEFORE the application is submitted. If the certificate is attached AFTER the on-line application has been submitted, it will not be available to the City and applicants WILL NOT be credited with having submitted it. Applicants who fail to submit their proof of their valid license at the time of filing by attaching it to the on-line application will not be considered further in this examination.

6. Applicants filing under Requirement “b” may use their experience while in the United States Armed Forces performing the specified tasks.

7. Entry-level positions in this class are temporary training positions as defined in Civil Service Commission Rule 5.30, and receive training in the operation and maintenance of electric pumping plants, reservoirs, wells and related facilities, and are expected to satisfactorily complete the training program within 30 months of appointment.

8. Water Utility Operators may be assigned to work overtime, irregular shifts, weekends and holidays.

NOTE

Applicants are urged to apply early to ensure you have time to resolve any technical issues you may encounter.

APPLICATION DATES

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2026 to THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2026.

The examination may close without prior notice at any time after a sufficient number of applications have been received. Filing periods may change without prior notice or additional dates may be added, as needed, at a later date. For administrative purposes, filing will close periodically and reopen on the dates noted in the Application Deadline section of this bulletin.

In accordance with Civil Service Rule 4.2, all applicants who apply may not be tested in this examination. To meet anticipated hiring needs, only a limited number of qualified applicants will be invited to participate in the weighted multiple-choice test in the following order: 1) Los Angeles City Promotional applicants who meet the minimum requirements. You must have received a regular appointment to a City position or be on a reserve list to apply for this examination as a promotional candidate; 2) Applicants currently employed by the City of Los Angeles on a part-time or exempt basis who meet the minimum requirements; 3) Remaining applicants who meet the minimum requirements in sufficient numbers to meet hiring needs based on a random sampling of those qualified candidates. Applicants not selected to be tested may re-apply in a subsequent filing period in order to be considered for that period's selection process.

EXAMINATION WEIGHT

Multiple-Choice Test - 100%

The examination will consist entirely of a weighted multiple-choice test administered and proctored online. In the online multiple-choice test, the following competencies may be evaluated: Mathematics; Judgment and Decision Making; Mechanical Aptitude; Follow Written Directions; Safety Focus, including knowledge of: Cal/OSHA regulations regarding the safe handling and disposal of hazardous materials; lockout/tagout procedures for energized equipment that requires maintenance or repair; the proper use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); working in environments with high temperatures, including heat prevention procedures and heat illness treatment; safe practices for carrying, lifting, loading and unloading supplies and equipment in order to avoid bodily injury to oneself and others; Job Knowledge including knowledge of: how to properly tag equipment (e.g., pumps, valves, and control panels) and logging procedures in order to indicate that the equipment is being replaced, out of service, and undergoing routine maintenance; fundamentals and principles of basic electricity, mechanics, hydraulics, and geology in order to determine if equipment is operating properly or needs repair by manual, audible, or visual inspection and/or to recognize and report to management potential dam problems after conducting a visual inspection of the dam face; water system workings including, water service zones, pumping plants, regulators, trunk lines, and water storage facilities in order to determine system irregularities and to ensure proper operation; various pumps, electrical motors, internal combustion engines, and valves sufficient to identify them and to operate them safely and properly; various meters and gauges sufficient to read them and determine if the readings are within the predesignated operating parameters; preventive and routine maintenance on mechanical equipment sufficient to ensure that the equipment operates properly; and other necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Additional job analysis information can be obtained by going to https://personnel.lacity.gov/jobs/job-analyses.cfm and clicking on Competencies under Water Utility Operator.

The multiple-choice test will be proctored and administered online during a single session. Candidates invited to participate in the online multiple-choice test will be able to take the test as instructed from a remote location (i.e., their home) using a computer with a webcam and a reliable internet connection. Candidates will receive an e-mail from the City of Los Angeles outlining the dates and specific steps on how to take the multiple-choice test online. Candidates who do not complete and submit the remote proctored multiple-choice test online using a computer by the specified date and time will not be considered further in this examination.

For candidates who apply between FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2026 and THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2026, it is anticipated that the online multiple-choice test will be administered between TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2026 AND MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2026.

FAQs for online testing is available at https://personnel.lacity.gov/faqs/employment-testing-process.html. Candidates who do not have the required equipment may have the option to take the multiple-choice test onsite at a City facility.

NOTES

1. This examination is based on a validation study, and as provided by Civil Service Commission Rule 4.20, the multiple-choice test will not be subject to candidate inspection.

2. As a covered entity under the Fair Employment and Housing Act and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not discriminate on the basis of disability and upon request, will provide reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access to its programs, services, and activities. To request a disability accommodation, please complete the Disability Accommodation Form within 14 calendar days of the submittal of the City application. The Disability Accommodation Form can be obtained at https://personnel.lacity.gov/exams/verify_disability.pdf.

3. Applications are accepted subject to review to ensure that minimum qualifications are met. Candidates may be disqualified at any time if it is determined that they do not possess the minimum qualifications stated on this bulletin.

4. A final average score of 70% or higher is required to be placed on the eligible list.

5. In conjunction with Civil Service Rules, applicants who have received a regular appointment to a City position or are on a reserve list will be considered Promotional candidates while all other applicants will be considered Open candidates.

6. The promotional list will ordinarily be used ahead of the open competitive list. However, if open competitive candidates receive a higher score, without military credits, than the highest available promotional candidate, after adding 0.25 of a point seniority credit for each year of continuous classified City service, the Civil Service Commission, upon request of the appointing authority, may approve certification of such open competitive candidates ahead of the promotional candidates.

7. You may take the Water Utility Operator multiple choice test only once every 24 months under this bulletin. If you have taken the Water Utility Operator multiple-choice test during an open filing period in the Personnel Department within the last 24 months, you may not file for this examination at this time.

8. Your rank on the employment list may change as scores of candidates from other administrations of the examination are merged onto one list.

9. In accordance with Civil Service Rule, Sec 4.24, review periods may be combined. Candidates in the examination process may file protests as provided in Section 4.20, 4.22, and 4.23 as applicable and within the required time frame; however, the Personnel Department may respond to and resolve problems prior to the establishment of the eligible list.