Wastewater or Water Plant Operator
What the work is
Operates plant to store, distribute and treat water, including purifying water for human consumption and removing wastes from sewage.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Monitors and operates wastewater or water treatment processes and equipment
- Adjusts chemical dosages and treatment processes to maintain water quality
- Monitors and controls water storage and distribution systems
- Inspects and maintains wastewater or water treatment equipment and machinery
- Responds to emergencies at a wastewater treatment facility, and takes appropriate action
- Collects samples of water or wastewater for testing
- Collects and analyses data on water quality and treatment processes
- Prepares reports on plant operations and water quality
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a water treatment plant and a sewage treatment plant that serve a fictional river town. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A storm passes and the plant handles it, with the readings steady all night
- A resident rings to say how good the water tastes, which almost never happens
- A quiet round of the plant where every pump, tank and gauge is where it should be
Hard days
- An alarm at 3am during a storm, and a plant that is being asked to do far more than normal
- Smells and wet weather that follow you home on your clothes
- A resident who is sure the water is unsafe and will not take no for an answer
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 732431, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.