How To Become A Water Treatment Specialist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a water treatment specialist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

In many places, water is still a dangerous thing. People need it to survive, but it can also hold undetected deadly bacteria. Once the bacteria has been detected, it's already too late. The water treatment specialist purifies water and makes sure that people have access to clean water. They are crucial in maintaining healthy communities and fighting disease.

The water treatment specialist needs to do many tasks to ensure that water is purified. They install and maintain water purification equipment and test the water to ensure that purification is working and that no contaminants are detected. The water treatment specialist also makes sure that clean water is stored properly so that people can access it when they need it.

Most of us take our access to clean water for granted, but that does not mean there isn't a demand for water treatment specialists. Water treatment specialists can work for private manufacturing companies or even the army.

ScoreWater Treatment SpecialistUS Average

Salary

4.1

Avg. Salary $52,749

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.6

Growth rate -7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 2.64%

Asian 1.84%

Black or African American 7.77%

Hispanic or Latino 12.62%

Unknown 4.58%

White 70.56%

Gender

female 24.56%

male 75.44%

Age - 47.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47.5

Stress level

8.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.2

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.8

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a water treatment specialist

Explore water treatment specialist education requirements

Most common water treatment specialist degrees

Bachelor's

33.7 %

High School Diploma

31.2 %

Associate

21.4 %

Start to develop specific water treatment specialist skills

Skills	Percentages
Environmental Health	29.64%
Waste Water	23.10%
Food Products	16.27%
Water Treatment Equipment	14.11%
Water Quality Analysis	8.96%

Complete relevant water treatment specialist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New water treatment specialists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a water treatment specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real water treatment specialist resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming a licensed water treatment specialist usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed water treatment specialist in most of states. 34 states require water treatment specialists to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

State	Education	Exam	License url
Alabama	-	-	Certified Water Treatment Operator
Arkansas	Specific course required	State exam required	Water Treatment Operator
California	-	State exam required	Water Treatment Operator
Colorado	-	State exam required	Plant Operators Certification
Connecticut	-	State exam required	Water Treatment Plant Operator - Class II

Gain additional water treatment specialist certifications

Water treatment specialist certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific water treatment specialist certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for water treatment specialists include Water Treatment Operator Class I and EPA Amusement Operators Safety Certification (EPA).

More About Certifications

Research water treatment specialist duties and responsibilities

Repair and manage pumps, meters, hose, filters, plumbing part, chemical distribution systems and relate equipment.
Inspect and clean A/C ducts and air ventilation systems.
Draft NPDES permits and testify at public meetings and hearings.
Provide chemical safety and professional water treatment training for HVAC staff.

Prepare your water treatment specialist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your water treatment specialist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a water treatment specialist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable water treatment specialist resume templates

Build a professional water treatment specialist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your water treatment specialist resume.