Watershed Maintainer

City of New York; New York (NY); On-site; USD 55,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

55a Program

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Job summary

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) invites applicants for the Watershed Maintainer role at the Ashokan Chemical Treatment Facility, reporting to the Bureau of Water Supply. The position involves operating and maintaining water treatment facilities, conducting tests, and ensuring compliance with health and safety standards.

Qualified applicants will hold a NYSDOH Grade C and IIB water treatment certificates or be able to obtain them within the required timeline, and

Qualifications

• Required: four-year high school diploma or equivalent and one of: one year of full-time experience operating/maintaining water treatment or related facilities; or two years in electrical/mechanical trades or chemical processing facilities.
• Must have a NYSDOH water treatment licenses (Grade C and IIB) or higher, or ability to obtain within specified timeframe.

Responsibilities

• Inspect, operate, maintain, calibrate, and repair water treatment, storage, and conveyance infrastructure.
• Conduct chemical treatment samples and required tests.
• Monitor and operate SCADA/HMI systems.
• Maintain logs of operations, performance, and maintenance activities.
• Repair facilities, lands, roads, dams, and equipment using hand and power tools.
• Perform road repairs and seasonal groundskeeping.
• Maintain reservoirs and surrounding areas; support shift coverage including nights and weekends.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

New York Driver License

Tools

Plumbing tools

Chainsaw

Landscape equipment

Hand tools

Power tools

Mowers

String trimmers

Heavy equipment

Job description

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 New York City Bureau of Water Supply seeks to hire a Watershed Maintainer for a position within the Ashokan Chemical Treatment Facility (ACTF), in the Drinking Water Operations Directorate, located in Ashokan, New York. The Directorate is also responsible for maintaining compliance with all federal and state drinking water regulations through extensive water quality monitoring and research, resolution of water quality issues and data analysis and reporting both in the watershed and the distribution systems. Additional compliance and technical services provided include ensuring hazardous material cleanup throughout the watershed, Dam Safety, Risk Management Program and Environmental health and Safety compliance within the directorate. The directorate also provides direct oversight of implementation of the bureau Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS).

Under the Supervision of a Supervisor, Watershed Maintenance (Level I) the Watershed Maintainer will serve as a vital crew member assigned to the Ashokan Chemical Treatment Facility (ACTF) and will also be required to work with the NYS DOH Grade C Water distribution plant. On-site operators must complete the Grade IIB course per the timeline specified by the Regional Manager and then obtain a Grade IIB Water treatment license within one year of completing the course. This position will operate under the regulatory oversight of the Kensico Region's Grade 1B Chief Operator. They will also be required to have or obtain a NYSDOH Water treatment Grade C license in a timely manner as specified by the Regional Manager. In addition to daily plant operations, staff will execute comprehensive operations and maintenance tasks across the Catskill Region, including the routine inspection, repair, and upkeep of facilities, roads, bridges, dams, specialized equipment, valves, watershed lands, reservoirs, aqueducts, and related water and wastewater treatment systems.

Specific duties include:

• Responsible for the routine inspection, operation, maintenance, calibration, and repair of specialized water treatment, storage, and conveyance infrastructure. This includes hands on troubleshooting of chlorine dioxide equipment, water and chemical feed pumps, and dosing systems.
• Conducts chemical treatment samples and other required tests.
• Monitors and operates Supervisor Control Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Human-Machine Interface systems.
• Keeps paper and electronic logs of operational information, equipment performance, maintenance activities, water quality, and maintains communication using computers and other electronic equipment.
• Maintains and repairs facilities and their ancillary components, lands, roads, bridges, dams, and other structures using hand or power tools, machine tools, and industrial power equipment including snowplows, graders, backhoes, and loaders.
• Makes necessary road repairs, mows lawns, road edges and dams, and operates necessary equipment in connection therewith.
• Maintains and keeps marginal areas clean around reservoirs, facilities, and locations throughout the Watershed.
• Personnel will be required to work some weekend rotations for shift coverage as well as possible nights, holidays, and round the clock various shifts to meet operational needs and ensure continuous facility coverage.

(This is a brief description of what a watershed maintainer employee 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. Should be able to work in varying degrees of outside temperature.

Will be required at times to work in confined spaces under approved safe work plans and areas requiring use of an appropriately filtered and fitted respirator.

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

License Requirement

A Motor Vehicle Driver’s License valid in the State of New York. This license must be maintained for the duration of employment.

Candidate will be required to obtain and maintain a NYSDOH Grade IIB water treatment operator certificate.

Candidate will be required to obtain and maintain a NYSDOH Grade C water treatment operator certificate.

Additional Information: DEP is an equal opportunity employer with a strong commitment to the diversity of our organization and workforce. Your voluntary response to the NYCAPS on-line application section for referral information will assist us tremendously in our ability to track the success or our outreach and recruitment efforts. Please be sure to indicate your source of referral to this job.

Preferred Skills:

• NY State water treatment certificate Grade C and IIB or higher
• Water treatment plant experience
• Experience with plumbing tools, chainsaw, landscape equipment, hand and power tools, chainsaw, mowers and string trimmers
• Heavy equipment and motorized vehicles
• Facilities maintenance
• Basic familiarity of Microsoft Windows Operating System
• The ability to learn how to use a computerized maintenance management system and a computer tablet to receive work orders and input data
• The ability to navigate Citytime, a timekeeping program
• The ability to perform outside duties in inclement weather

Hours/Shift: 40 hours per week. May be required to work shifts including nights, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

Work Location:

2389 Route 28A
Shokan, NY 12461

Shokan is a hamlet in the town of Olive, in Ulster County, NY, approx. 105 miles north of New York City.

WATERSHED MAINTAINER - 91011

Minimum Qualifications

1. A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent and one of the following: One year of full-time satisfactory experience in the operation and maintenance of equipment used in the controlling or purification of water at facilities in watershed areas, reservoirs, or aqueduct systems, or performing duties involving the upkeep, inspection, maintenance or operation of watershed areas and related facilities.
2. A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent and one of the following: Two years of full-time satisfactory experience as: a mechanic, journeyman or helper in the electrical trades or mechanical trades; or a technician in a chemical processing facility or chemical laboratory.

Driver License Requirement: By the time you are appointed to this position, you must have a motor vehicle driver license valid in the State of New York. This license must be maintained for the duration of your employment.

55a Program

This position is also open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate at the top of your resume and cover letter that you would like to be considered for the position through the 55-a Program.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.

Residency Requirement

New York City residency is not required for this position.

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.