Pay Range listed not including 2024 General Wage Increase of 4%.

Why It’s a Great Opportunity: 
As an experienced Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator with your Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator III Certification, you will have the opportunity to directly impact the community in which you live. You will also have the chance to work with some of the most advanced treatment processes in the industry including Anammox Sidestream Treatment, Class A Dryer operation/fertilizer production, highly treated reclaimed water, and biological nutrient removal.

This highly skilled work supports the Chambers Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant (CCRWWTP), the Cascadia Wastewater Treatment Plant, and over 100 pump stations throughout the Pierce County Sewer Service Area.  We pride ourselves on visionary leadership with a highly motivated and intelligent workforce who are here to serve our citizens.
 
This is a great opportunity to work with equipment, systems and facilities that are relatively new and state of the art. We have a 95% new facility with many unique processes you can’t find anywhere else in the Northwest. We are working together to prepare for the future – to streamline our operations and to develop a training program that will ensure smooth succession to the next generation.
 
Tour of the WWTP
https://youtu.be/uXvDxaieS90
 
Tour the New Expansion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ83_KNfII8 
 
Drone Footage of the Plant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1FbDOmENGY
 
Why It’s a Great Department: 
PPW is a diverse and fast-moving department filled with motivated professionals working to ensure Pierce County is positioned to handle growth while building, operating, and maintaining reliable infrastructure to support livable communities. PPW is responsible for a broad and complex portfolio of services that provides unique opportunities to collaborate, innovate, and inspire. We are responsible for the County road and levee systems, sewer systems, airports, ferries, building permits, environmental review, sustainability, community planning, and code enforcement – just to name a few!
   
Learn more about Planning and Public Works at www.piercecountywa.org/ppw
 
Learn more about the Pierce County Sewer System here.
 
How to be Successful in the Role: 
We are looking for people who are flexible, self-aware, comfortable with the unknown, and interested in a career in wastewater treatment. It is important that you care about the quality of the work you do, like to learn and grow your skills, love a challenge, and have great attention to detail in everything you do.  
 
Your Future in this Role:
Pierce County cares about your career and personal development.  Your time with this department will introduce you to the core work and core values that keeps our communities vibrant and safe. You will quickly see this is a place with multiple career opportunities and skill paths that you can pursue to build a career as a Wastewater Treatment Operator!
 
Core Daily Responsibilities:

• Perform tests such as centrifuge spins, dissolved air readings, pH, Settleometer, and suspended solids, calculate solids inventory, and determine the condition of solids in the activated sludge process.
• Conduct laboratory analysis tests for required NPDES compliance, such as biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), suspended solids, fecal coliform, volatile acids, alkalinity, ammonia, and nitrate. Determine whether the results of such tests are normal for the respective treatment processes in use and adjust where necessary.
• Monitor SCADA computers and respond to alarms.
• Perform routine inspections of all treatment plant equipment for proper operation. Note and report any irregularities.
• Operate and monitor the dewatering centrifuges and related equipment, making any needed adjustments to polymer feed or sludge feed to ensure highest level of solids removal.
• Operate the Fertilizer Manufacturing Facility (FMF) and its related equipment under the direction of the Operations supervisor. Use recommended parameters set by the Operations supervisor to maintain proper product quality. Monitor the process and respond to alarms and take corrective action. Maintain a process logbook and process run sheets.
• Operate rotary drum thickeners used in thickening of waste activated sludge and raw sludge before pumping to digesters to reduce heat requirements and increase detention time for proper stabilization of sludge. Involves start-up, monitoring and shut down of thickening equipment.
• Help train and provide oversight to OITs, Operator 1’s and 2’s to ensure that all duties and assigned tasks are completed in a safe and timely manner.

• First half (Sunday through Wednesday or Tuesday)        
• Second half: (Wednesday or Thursday through Saturday).

Minimum Qualifications:

• High school graduation and a minimum of two (2) years of continuing education at a trade school or community college in wastewater treatment processes is required.
• At least four (4) years of work experience with demonstrated progressive knowledge of treatment plant operations is required.
• A valid Washington State driver’s license may be required when travel is required of the position.
• As a condition of employment, the applicant will need to authorize and complete a background check. Information received from the background check is reviewed case-by-case and will not necessarily remove an applicant from consideration.
• Satisfactory physical condition, as evidenced by a county approved physical examination, may be required prior to appointment to the position. 

• Must possess a valid Group III Operator’s Certification as required by the State of Washington. 
• Must have the capability to enter and exit confined spaces with a diameter of twenty-four (24) inches. 
• Work may include potentially hazardous conditions, such as slippery floors, working from heights or depths of up to 30 feet, in confined spaces, or on difficult terrain, and may include exposure to chemicals, gases and fumes. Walking, sitting, climbing, and descending ladders, bending/stooping, working in and entering tight, confined space with entrance diameter of twenty-four (24″) inches, pushing/pulling and unassisted lifting associated with the job duties is required.

To be considered for this opportunity please:

• Complete and submit a detailed online Pierce County Employment Application by selecting “APPLY” above or go to:   www.piercecountywa.org/jobs. 
• If you have a question about this opportunity, please email the Recruitment Team at PCHRRecruit@piercecountywa.gov and specify the Job Number and Title. 
• If you do not have internet access, you may visit your local public library or any WorkSource location and use their computers.
• Individuals needing accommodation in the application, testing process or need this job announcement in an alternative format may call Human Resources at (253) 798-7480, at least two days prior to the need.