What does a water plant operator do?
Water Plant Operators are responsible for managing and monitoring the processes of a water treatment plant. Their duties include operating treatment plants and apparatus, cleaning screens and filters, adding chemicals, monitoring gas and water levels, taking reading as well as inspecting wastewater and water samples. They are responsible for interpreting sample analysis results, resolving technical faults from gathered data as well as organizing general maintenance and repair work. Water Plant Operators also assess chemical stock levels, hazardous conditions, and risks during their day to day work.
Water plant operator responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real water plant operator resumes:
- Maintain buildings HVAC / lighting automation systems and make adjustments as needed for tenant's comfort and to manage energy consumption.
- Prepare asphalt mixtures per customer requirements, load and unload tankers and monitor tanks and assist with paperwork
- Operate small rotating biological contractor plant that utilize activated sludge with sand filters and UV disinfection to process wastewater.
Water plant operator skills and personality traits
We calculated that 10% of Water Plant Operators are proficient in Water Treatment Plant, Plant Equipment, and Water Samples. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Detail oriented, and Math skills.
We break down the percentage of Water Plant Operators that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Water Treatment Plant, 10%
Performed routine operational and general maintenance tasks associated with the operation of water treatment plant equipment and facilities.
- Plant Equipment, 6%
Performed and maintained preventative maintenance on all plant equipment.
- Water Samples, 6%
Monitored and regulated controls for local water plant operations, including testing water samples and monitoring water distribution.
- Lab Tests, 6%
Recorded information observed and obtained from computers, lab tests, meters, gauges and other instruments.
- SCADA, 6%
Keep records and prepare reports as needed within SCADA, Delta V and Microsoft Office Systems
- Water Quality, 5%
Record water quality and plant operating information on standard reports, capturing significant water quality information for the decision-making process.
"water treatment plant," "plant equipment," and "water samples" are among the most common skills that water plant operators use at work. You can find even more water plant operator responsibilities below, including:
Analytical skills. One of the key soft skills for a water plant operator to have is analytical skills. You can see how this relates to what water plant operators do because "water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators must conduct tests and inspections on water or wastewater and evaluate the results." Additionally, a water plant operator resume shows how water plant operators use analytical skills: "combined off-site analysis of water quality parameters with on-site conductivity sampling and operations at an advanced reverse osmosis treatment plant. "
Detail oriented. Many water plant operator duties rely on detail oriented. "water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators must monitor machinery, gauges, dials, and controls to ensure everything is operating properly," so a water plant operator will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways water plant operator responsibilities rely on detail oriented: "created psm modules as per client requirements with detailed p&id; field review process. "
Math skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of water plant operators is math skills. This skill is critical to many everyday water plant operator duties, as "water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators must have the ability to apply data to formulas that determine treatment requirements, flow levels, and concentration levels." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "advanced mathematic courses for flow rates, volumes, detention times,distances and rates. "
Mechanical skills. A big part of what water plant operators do relies on "mechanical skills." You can see how essential it is to water plant operator responsibilities because "water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators must know how to work with machines and use tools." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical water plant operator tasks: "operate and maintain activated sludge plant including forced air blowers, lift pumps, motors, chlorinators and electrical/mechanical control system. "
The three companies that hire the most water plant operators are:
- ENGIE North America5 water plant operators jobs
- The City of Margate3 water plant operators jobs
- American Water2 water plant operators jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable water plant operator resume templates
Build a professional water plant operator resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your water plant operator resume.
Compare different water plant operators
Water plant operator vs. Water technician
Typically working at water treatment facilities, a water technician specializes in installing and repairing equipment to ensure the good quality of water and consumers' safety. It is their duty to operate tools and equipment, gather and analyze samples to detect any contaminants, participate in adjusting chemical levels, and perform regular maintenance checks on machines to ensure efficiency. They must also keep records of all operations, producing progress reports as needed. Furthermore, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with co-workers for a smooth workflow.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between water plant operators and water technician. For instance, water plant operator responsibilities require skills such as "water treatment plant," "plant equipment," "lab tests," and "water quality." Whereas a water technician is skilled in "customer service," "work ethic," "strong work ethic," and "hand tools." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Water technicians really shine in the government industry with an average salary of $39,983. Comparatively, water plant operators tend to make the most money in the energy industry with an average salary of $50,345.On average, water technicians reach similar levels of education than water plant operators. Water technicians are 2.7% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Water plant operator vs. Distribution system operator
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that water plant operator responsibilities requires skills like "water treatment plant," "plant equipment," "water samples," and "lab tests." But a distribution system operator might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "safety procedures," "gauges," "preventive maintenance," and "api."
In general, distribution system operators achieve similar levels of education than water plant operators. They're 0.3% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Water plant operator vs. Transmission system operator
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a water plant operator is likely to be skilled in "water treatment plant," "plant equipment," "water samples," and "lab tests," while a typical transmission system operator is skilled in "transmitters," "radio equipment," "transmission vehicles," and "power generators."
Transmission system operators typically earn similar educational levels compared to water plant operators. Specifically, they're 1.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Water plant operator vs. Information systems operator
Even though a few skill sets overlap between water plant operators and information systems operators, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a water plant operator might have more use for skills like "water treatment plant," "plant equipment," "water samples," and "lab tests." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of information systems operators require skills like "troubleshoot," "switches," "computer programs," and "peripheral equipment. "
The average resume of information systems operators showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to water plant operators. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 0.3% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.4%.Types of water plant operator
Updated January 8, 2025
