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Environmental Careers |
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Water and Wastewater Operators |
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Work with your hands, your head, and your heart. |
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A Challenging and Rewarding Job Working in the water/wastewater industry can be extremely rewarding, as you will be providing a critical community service. Everyone needs water, so supplying clean water is one of the most important jobs in the world. It takes knowledgeable, conscientious professionals to deliver clean, potable water and to ensure that wastewater is treated and returned as clean water to the environment. This job calls for special people—people who like to work with their hands, head, and heart. Those who are interested in biology, chemistry, and mathematics are well suited to these jobs. Operators wear many hats an operator may be repairing a water line leak and a pump one day, and the next day be monitoring processes from a computer terminal and performing laboratory testing. A college degree is of value, but is not required. This career does require a great deal of training and experience. Most utilities provide training in-house, at local tech schools, or through association seminars and schools. If you like a challenge and the responsibility of protecting the public health and the environment, this could be the job for you! |
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Environmental Careers Requirements Water and wastewater operators are certified by the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation Board of Environmental Certification. Requirements are:
*See LLR website for examples: |
Preparation For water and wastewater operators it is
especially helpful to have science, math, and
computer The Rewards Depending on the size of the utility, salaries
can begin in the upper-$20,000s and reach over $50,000 One of the greatest rewards for water and wastewater operators is knowing that they are protecting public health and the environment and providing a much-needed and valuable service to their community. Operator Certification There are a number of colleges and training
providers that offer courses for operator certification.
Central Carolina Technical College and other local technical
schools have approved lists of online courses available for
operator certification. Contact Central Carolina directly at
(803) 778-6656 for more A list of upcoming water and wastewater
certification courses can be found on the Central
Carolina Experience Try visiting your local water or wastewater utility. You might be able to gain some experience through a summer job or internship. It would give you the chance to see if this is the career for you. |
Opportunity “Within the next decade, the job market for water supply operators holds the promise of becoming a buyers’ market. Because qualified operators are expected to be in short supply, those with ambition may see more opportunities for advancement, a choice of locations and utility size, work schedule flexibility, employer-supported training, and negotiable wages and benefits.” The American Water Works Association For more information:
It’s been estimated that almost 50% of today’s water and wastewater operators will retire within the next five to seven years. |
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