

The largest employers of water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators were as follows: Local government, excluding education and hospitals Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators held about 127,100 jobs in 2018. Used water, also known as wastewater, travels through sewer pipes to treatment plants where it is treated and either returned to streams, rivers, and oceans, or used for irrigation. Wastewater treatment plant and system operators remove pollutants from domestic and industrial waste. Water treatment plant and system operators run the equipment, control the processes, and monitor the plants that treat water to make it safe to drink. Fresh water is pumped from wells, rivers, streams, or reservoirs to water treatment plants, where it is treated and distributed to customers. Water treatment plant and system operators work in water treatment plants. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators must be able to manually operate the equipment if there is a plant malfunction due to power outages or electrical issues.

In large plants, multiple operators work the same shifts and are more specialized in their duties, often relying on computerized systems to help them monitor plant processes. In a small plant, one operator may be responsible for maintaining all of the systems. The specific duties of plant operators depend on the type and size of the plant. Similarly, it is a complicated process to convert the wastewater from drains and sewers into a form that is safe to release into the environment. It takes many steps to get water from natural sources-reservoirs, streams, and groundwater-into people’s houses. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations

Record meter and gauge readings and operational data.Collect and test water and sewage samples.Monitor operating conditions, meters, and gauges.Add chemicals, such as ammonia or chlorine, to disinfect water or other liquids.Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators typically do the following: Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators manage a system of machines, often through the use of control boards, to transfer or treat water or wastewater.
