Watershed Maintainer

DEPT OF ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION; New York (NY); On-site; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) seeks two Watershed Maintainers to operate and maintain water treatment facilities, reservoirs, and aqueduct systems in Valhalla, NY. You will be part of Drinking Water Operations, ensuring safe drinking water for NYC and upstate regions.

Ideal candidates are mechanically inclined with CDL and NYS 2B water treatment certification preferred, and must be able to work shifts including nights; strong record-keeping and safety mindset required.

Qualifications

• Experience operating and maintaining water treatment facilities and watershed systems in compliance with DEP requirements.
• Ability to maintain logs, records, and ensure water quality per regulatory standards.
• Experience loading chemicals (chlorine, fluoride, alum) safely and identifying leaks with emergency equipment.
• Familiarity with SCADA/PMCS or similar process-control systems for monitoring.

Responsibilities

• Monitor and control process equipment using PMCS or SCADA.
• Take water samples and maintain control room and equipment logs, ensuring drinking water quality.
• Load and manage chemicals (chlorine, fluoride, alum) safely; identify leaks using emergency equipment.
• Install, maintain and repair pipes, mains, meters, and other watershed equipment.
• Inspect reservoirs, lands, and aqueduct systems for regulatory compliance.
• Maintain lands, roads, bridges, dams, and related infrastructure.
• Perform routine maintenance and repairs on tools and equipment; operate vehicles.
• Mow, prune, and maintain lawns and grounds; perform general cleaning and painting.
• Work in permit-confined spaces and comply with safety laws; join Emergency Response Team.

Skills

Conscientious

Information Sharing

Critical and Analytical Thinking

Good Record Keeping

Mechanically inclined

Education

New York State Grade 2B Water Treatment Operator Certification

Class A Commercial Driver’s License

Tools

SCADA

PMCS

Water Treatment Controls

Job description

As per civil service Rule 3.2.11 candidates must live outside the five (5) boroughs or be permanent in the civil service title listed in order to be considered for appointment

The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) enriches the environment and protects public health for all New Yorkers by providing 1.1 billion gallons of high quality drinking water, managing wastewater and stormwater, and reducing air, noise, and hazardous materials pollution. DEP is the largest combined municipal water and wastewater utility in the country, with nearly 6,000 employees. DEP's water supply system is comprised of 19 reservoirs and 3 controlled lakes throughout the system’s 2,000 square mile watershed that extends 125 miles north and west of the City.

The Bureau of Water Supply seeks to hire two (2) Watershed Maintainers within the Drinking Water Operations Directorate, for a position(s) located in Valhalla, New York.

Drinking Water Operations (DWO) is responsible for the operation, maintenance, treatment and quality of three water supply systems and all associated infrastructure that conveys water to New York City. These systems include the Croton, Catskill, and Delaware Systems. The Directorate also operates and maintains seven Water Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRF’s), including five collection systems, that protect the headwaters of these systems. The directorate provides maintenance and operation of the Croton Water Filtration Plant, Jerome Park and Hillview Reservoirs, the Cat-Del UV Plant, Chlorination and Fluoridation at Delaware Aqueduct Shaft 18, Chlorine Dioxide at Croton Lake Gate House, Shaft #17 and the Ashokan Chemical Treatment Facility, Pleasantville Alum Plant, and other associated dams, aqueducts, shafts, waterworks, highways, support systems, and offices.

Drinking Water Operations South is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the treatment facilities located in Westchester County. The core mission is to protect the public and provide clean drinking water to approximately 9 million New York City residents and more than 1 million people in Upstate New York. Treatment processes include filtration, chemical addition and/or UV disinfection. The division also maintains treatment equipment, lands and facilities. These functions are a vital part of New York City’s water supply which must be provided 24 hours a day, seven days per week.

Under the supervision, of the Supervisor (Watershed Maintenance) I, the Watershed Maintainers, working out of the Shaft 18 Facility will perform duties related to the operation, maintenance and inspection of equipment, water treatment facilities, watershed areas, reservoirs and aqueduct systems of the City of New York Water Supply. Specific duties include:

• Monitor and control the various process control equipment and treatment systems using various computer-based controls including the Process Monitoring and Control System (PMCS) or Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System (SCADA).
• Perform simple calculations, take water samples, maintain control room and equipment logbooks, complete inspection and work ticket records and maintain overall drinking water quality per regulatory and DEP requirements, Maintaining computer-based recordkeeping.
• Load, unloading and ensuring the feed of chemicals, such as chlorine, fluoride and alum, to water; Identifying and containing leaks using emergency equipment.
• Install, maintain and repair equipment, fixtures, gauges, meters and other equipment related to the watershed, reservoir and aqueduct systems.
• Inspect reservoirs, streams, water supply lands, groundwater systems and watersheds for compliance and conformity to rules and regulations.
• Maintain and repair the lands, roads, bridges, dams and other structures and equipment in the watershed area, aqueduct and reservoir systems.
• Maintain, install and repair pipes, mains, sewers, drains and appurtenances in the watershed area, aqueduct and reservoir systems; engage in excavating, sheathing and shoring using hand or powered tools.
• Perform rigging and hoisting; operate and maintain hand and power tools, machine tools and other types of tools and equipment.
• Operate, maintain and repair various types of motorized vehicles and equipment including but not limited to asphalt rollers, skid steers, backhoes, tractors, mowers, landscape trailers, and snow removal equipment.
• Mix concrete and prepares other materials in order to make repairs.
• Mowing, pruning, cultivating and maintaining lawns, shrubs, trees and grades.
• Cleaning and maintaining facilities, grounds, structures and equipment, painting structures, equipment and fences.
• Perform work in permit confined spaces.
• Serve as a member of the Emergency Response Team.
• Comply with all environmental, health and safety laws, agency policies, rules and regulations.

Medical Requirement

Candidates may be required to wear a respirator while performing the essential functions of this job. Employees must be physically able to wear a respirator. OSHA regulations have established medical guidelines for wearing a respirator. Therefore, applicants and employees will be required to have pre-appointment and periodic post-appointment medical examinations to demonstrate that they met applicable OSGHA Standards and to monitor their medical status. Once hired, employees must continue to satisfy OSHA regulations for the duration of their employment.

License Requirements

• Driver License Requirement: Coincident with your appointment to this position, you must have a motor vehicle driver license valid in the State of New York. If you have moving violations, a license suspension or an accident record, you may be disqualified. This license must be maintained for the duration of your employment. All candidates shall be required to obtain and maintain any licenses, certifications or endorsements that the Agency deems necessary to perform the duties of the position.
• Candidates must obtain and maintain a Grade 2B Water System Operator’s Certification issued by the New York State Department of Health after one (1) year of appointment.
• Class A Commercial Driver’s License valid in the State of New York may be required. If required, this license must be maintained for the duration of employment.

Technical Competencies

• Water Treatment Principals and Practices
• Mechanically inclined (plumbing, electrical or mechanical)

Non-Technical Competencies

• Conscientious
• Information Sharing
• Critical and Analytical Thinking
• Good Record Keeping

(This is a brief description of what a Watershed Maintainer might do in this position and does not include all the duties of this position)

Some of the physical activities performed by Watershed Maintainers and environmental conditions experienced are: lifting objects up to waist height; fingering, grasping, squeezing and/or turning objects such as tools and equipment; pushing and pulling objects such as tools and levers using one or two hands; reaching at a distance up to arm’s length; coordinating the movements of hands and feet; and balancing body on foot stools or ladders from 3 to 30 feet in height while standing and working with hands overhead. In order to perform the essential tasks of this position, Watershed Maintainers may be required to: wear protective equipment such as gloves, boots, goggles, earplugs, noise attenuators, face shields, and/or respirators; work in temperatures ranging from 0 F and 105 F in wetness and varying atmospheric conditions such as high and low humidity; work in the presence of toxic and/or corrosive chemicals and moving parts of machinery and equipment; and work in restricted spaces for up to 1 hour at a time and on surfaces made of metal gratings, macadam and/or cement.

Special Working Conditions: Watershed Maintainers may be required to work shifts including nights, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

Preferred Skills

• New York State Grade 2B Water Treatment Operator Certification
• Class A Commercial Driver’s License valid in the State of New York
• Ability to keep electronic logs of operation, equipment performance, maintenance activities and water quality
• Ability to operate equipment through SCADA, Process Logic Controllers or other
• Ability to work with hand or power tools
• Ability to operate motor vehicles and motor-powered equipment
• Ability to keep good written and electronic records
• Ability to collect water samples
• Ability to understand and use email

Hours/Shift

40 Hours per week / Shift work including nights