How to hire water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

Job description template

Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.

[Job title] at [Company name]
[City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range]

About the role
[Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.]

What you will do
• Add chemicals, such as ammonia, chlorine, or lime, to disinfect and deodorize water and other liquids.
• Clean and maintain tanks, filter beds, and other work areas, using hand tools and power tools.
• Collect and test water and sewage samples, using test equipment and color analysis standards.
• Direct and coordinate plant workers engaged in routine operations and maintenance activities.
• Inspect equipment or monitor operating conditions, meters, and gauges to determine load requirements and detect malfunctions.
• Maintain, repair, and lubricate equipment, using hand tools and power tools.
• Operate and adjust controls on equipment to purify and clarify water, process or dispose of sewage, and generate power.
• Record operational data, personnel attendance, or meter and gauge readings on specified forms.

What you bring
• [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any]
• [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: High school diploma or equivalent]
• Strong monitoring, active listening, speaking, critical thinking and reading comprehension skills
• Working knowledge of public safety and security, mechanical and English Language
• [Anything else you would really turn someone away for]

Pay and benefits
[Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $28.86 an hour ($60,020 a year).
[Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.]

How to apply
[Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]

Copy the template Check your finished job post

Interview questions for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.

1. Tell me about a time you had to add chemicals, such as ammonia, chlorine, or lime, to disinfect and deodorize water and other liquids. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
2. Tell me about a time you had to clean and maintain tanks, filter beds, and other work areas, using hand tools and power tools. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
3. Tell me about a time you had to collect and test water and sewage samples, using test equipment and color analysis standards. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
4. Tell me about a time you had to direct and coordinate plant workers engaged in routine operations and maintenance activities. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
5. How do you keep track of your own work quality during a busy shift or week? Give an example of catching a problem early.
6. Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
7. Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
8. Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?

Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.

What water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators do

• Add chemicals, such as ammonia, chlorine, or lime, to disinfect and deodorize water and other liquids.
• Clean and maintain tanks, filter beds, and other work areas, using hand tools and power tools.
• Collect and test water and sewage samples, using test equipment and color analysis standards.
• Direct and coordinate plant workers engaged in routine operations and maintenance activities.
• Inspect equipment or monitor operating conditions, meters, and gauges to determine load requirements and detect malfunctions.
• Maintain, repair, and lubricate equipment, using hand tools and power tools.
• Operate and adjust controls on equipment to purify and clarify water, process or dispose of sewage, and generate power.
• Record operational data, personnel attendance, or meter and gauge readings on specified forms.

Skills that matter most

MonitoringActive ListeningSpeakingCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionPublic Safety and SecurityMechanicalEnglish Language

Education, experience and outlook for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

• Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
• Related work experience most have: 6 months to 1 year (O*NET)
• Training on the job: Long-term on-the-job training (BLS)
• Job outlook: -5.7% over ten years, declining · about 10,000 openings a year (BLS)

What to pay water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:

See water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators pay in every state

Related hiring guides

• Chemical Plant and System Operators
• Power Plant Operators
• Gas Plant Operators
• Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders
• Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers
• Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators
• Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators
• Civil Engineers
• Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners

Job duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.