Do you want a career with a product that will never vanish or be replaced? A career with a company that has multiple career type possibilities and room to grow? Do you want a career with an employer that usually provides great health benefits, retirement, vacation, and tuition reimbursement? Do you want to go to work in a place where every day is spent helping your community? Then working for a water utility may be the best spot for you. Due to water utilities having a variety of career options, this means that there are multiple paths for all education and experience levels. Finding a job at a water utility can be as simple as visiting a city website. Let us take a deeper look into a career in the wonderful world of water.
What Positions are Available
When it comes to employment at a water utility there are two main positions come to mind. A Water Distribution Operator and a Water Treatment Operator. A Water Distribution operator is the person who is in the field. When a water main breaks, a fire hydrant is hit, or someone has a broken pipe in their homes, these are the people that respond 24hrs a day to determine the correct response to these issues. A Water Treatment Operator either works in a water treatment plant treating surface water from rivers, lakes, or reservoirs or treats water pumped from the ground at designated ground water well sites. Just about every water utility is required to have certified Water Distribution and Water Treatment operators on staff. Other positions could be
- Water Meter Reader
- Cross-Connection Specialist
- Water Quality Technician
- Water Conservation Technician
- Mechanical & Electrical Technician
- Heavy Equipment Operator
- Lab Technician
- And More!
Along with these specialized positions there are many water utilities that need employees to fill positions in Engineering, Human Resources, Accounting, Customer Service, Legal, Grant Writing, and many other positions that are found in most companies. Due to the various positions available at most water utilities, this means that just about anyone can get in at with varying experience and education.
What Education Will I Need
Whether you recently graduated high school or just received a Master’s degree there is a spot for you at a water utility. The most common first step to get a job with a water utility is becoming a State certified Water Distribution or Water Treatment Operator. Every State has various levels and requirements for operators, but usually this involves taking an online or in person course. After passing the course you can apply to take a multiple choice State certification test. Certification levels vary from State to State. Click the links below for some examples of these State websites.
California State Water Resources Control Board
Idaho Department of Environmental Quality
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Depending on what you want to do in the water industry will determine the level of certification will be required. For those who want to work for a water utility but are not sure what position will fit them there are sometimes intern positions available so people can their feet wet before deciding. As a side note, if someone is applying for a position at a water utility such as Accounting, Human Resources, Customer Service, Etc. a State certification will most likely not be required. Finding what your State requires as certification is easy. It is even easier searching for a job at a water utility.
How Do I Find a Job
Finding a job opening in your city or a city you want to live is the easiest part since every city has a drinking water system. All you need to do is search your local City website or search for your water utility’s website. Let’s say you want to work for the WaterNuggets Water Company. Simply go to the website. Then search the, “Human Resources” or “Employment” section and you will see a list of available jobs. If you do not know what job you want or what certification is needed, look for the job descriptions page and read the various descriptions and look at the different departments. The job requirements will list what certification is required. Most States allow you to take the test to be certified as a level 1 operator with no experience and minimal education. Some positions will actually give you a year or so to become certified. Also, the utility usually pays for the education and certification process.
Now that you have decided that you want a steady job with great benefits and provides a great service to your community, go find the water utility job that is perfect for you!
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