Water Treatment Technician
Before you take a sip of water from the faucet, a water treatment technician or operator has ensured that it is safe for you to drink. Freshwater is pumped from wells, rivers, streams, or reservoirs to water treatment plants, where it is treated and distributed to customers. Water treatment technicians and system operators run the equipment, control the processes, and monitor the plants that treat water to make it safe to drink.
A Day in the Job
A water treatment technician typically works for a city government at a water treatment facility. Depending on the size of the city, the facility could be large or small. In a typical day, a water treatment technician may record meter and gauge readings, add chemicals to disinfect and deodorize water and other liquids, clean and maintain equipment and work areas, collect and test water samples, or operate and adjust controls on equipment to purify and clarify water. Because water treatment occurs 24-hours-a-day, water treatment technicians may work weekends or shift work. Most water treatment technicians work full-time.
Work Takes Place
Skills
Career Categories
Protecting the Natural World Investigating the Environment
Potential Employers
Local governments (cities and counties)
