Job Information
City of Tacoma WA Water Treatment Plant Operator in Ravensdale, Washington
Water Treatment Plant Operator
Salary
$50.24 Hourly
Location
Ravensdale, WA
Job Type
Classified
Job Number
5112-25
Department
Water
Opening Date
01/13/2025
Closing Date
2/3/2025 5:00 PM Pacific
Description
Benefits
Questions
Position Description
Tacoma Water is recruiting to establish an eligible list for the Water Treatment Plant Operator classification, which will be used to fill vacancies as they occur for one year unless the eligible list is extended or abolished.
Tacoma Water provides direct service to more than 300,000 people in the City of Tacoma, Pierce and King counties and several other municipal water suppliers. We operate a 150 MGD conventional/direct filtration plant commissioned in 2015. Positions are located at the Green River Filtration Facility near Ravensdale, WA.
Working in rotating 12 hour shifts, Water Treatment Plant Operators perform skilled work in the operation and maintenance of the water treatment plant; maintain operating conditions by interpreting meters, gauges, chemical analysis and observation of the treatment processes; perform laboratory analysis of water treatment processes; maintain equipment and facilities in a safe, effective and orderly condition; responsible for operating, maintaining and controlling various water treatment system components of a 150 MGD water treatment facility; actively involved in developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), provide active input to water treatment facility improvements and plant optimization to ensure continuous and reliable water treatment and supply.
Hourly wage depends on Water Treatment Plant Operator certification level:
Level 3 certification: $50.24 hourly
Level 4 certification: $52.75 hourly
Qualifications
Three years of experience working in the field of water treatment or water quality with a private or public water utility.
LICENSES, CERTIFICATES AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS
Possession of a valid Water Treatment Plant Operator Level III certificate (or higher) with the Washington State Department of Health or other state agencies granted reciprocity by WADOH. (The Green River Water Treatment Facility has a Level IV rating established by the Washington State Department of Health.)
Possession of a valid Washington State driver's license
First Aid Certificate
CPR card
Completion of Tacoma Water's Hazardous Chemical Training Class within six months of appointment.
Selection Process & Supplemental Information
City of Tacoma Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
Tacoma's diversity is its greatest asset. Tacoma embraces its multi-cultural and multi-ethnic character. Communities of color and immigrant communities are fundamental to Tacoma's entrepreneurial spirit, workforce, and long-term success. In Tacoma, equity and empowerment are top priorities, meaning that all Tacoma residents must have equitable opportunities to reach their full potential and share in the benefits of community progress. One of our goals is for the City of Tacoma workforce to reflect the community it serves. We actively work to eliminate racial and other disparities and welcome candidates with diverse backgrounds and/or multicultural skill sets and experiences. Our goal is for Tacoma to be an inclusive and equitable place to live, work, and play.
The City of Tacoma is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values diversity in its workplace. Applicants are considered for positions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, marital or veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, and local laws.
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Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will have their responses to the supplemental questions scored. Applicants will be scored based on the information provided in their responses only. It is the responsibility of the applicant to list all pertinent experience and training in their response to each supplemental question.
Applicants must pass the evaluation of supplemental questions to be placed on the eligible list for interview and hiring consideration. Appointment is subject to passing a background check and a pre-employment medical exam. This position is covered by a Labor Agreement between the City of Tacoma and IBEW Local 483. New employees must successfully complete a nine-month probationary period prior to obtaining permanent status in this classification.
Communication from the City of Tacoma:
We primarily communicate via e-mail during the application process. E-mails from cityoftacoma.org and/or governmentjobs.com must be placed on your safe domain list to ensure that you receive notifications in a timely manner. As a precaution, you may also want to check your junk e-mail folders.
Questions regarding this announcement may be directed to the Human Resources Department at 253.591.5400 before 4pm on the closing date.
The City of Tacoma provides excellent medical, dental and vision plans for the whole family; paid holidays and paid leave; participation in the Tacoma Employees' Retirement System (alternate plan for Police/Fire); continuing education and advancement opportunities and a growing variety of City-sponsored health and wellness opportunities and incentives.
Medical Coverage: For eligible employees and their families, including domestic partners and dependent children age 26 or younger.
Dental Coverage: For eligible employees and their families, including domestic partners and dependent children age 26 or younger.
Vision Coverage: For eligible employees and their eligible dependents.
Paid Leave: City employees are entitled to received paid holidays, sick/vacation leave or personal time off (PTO), depending upon union affiliation and appointment type.
Insurance Plans: Employees are covered by a long-term disability plan. Short-term and expanded long-term disability insurance plans are also available to employees. The State Industrial Insurance Act also covers employees.
Deferred Compensation: Income can be set aside on a pretax basis and invested for supplementation of normal retirement income.
Retirement: All employees of the City, except members of the Police and Fire services, Tacoma Rail and certain project employees, are included in the Tacoma Employees' Retirement System. Information on the Tacoma Employees' Retirement System can be found at www.cityoftacoma.org or by calling (253) 502-8200.
Other Employment Information
Direct Deposit: Employees are paid on a bi-weekly schedule by direct deposit.
Salary Increases: Based on satisfactory job performance, the City provides for a regular progression of salary increases for most classifications according to the salary schedule.
Union Affiliation: Many job classifications are covered by union security provisions which require union membership, dues, or payment of equivalent service fees.
Note: The provisions of this job announcement do not constitute an expressed or implied contract. Any provision contained herein may be modified and/or revoked without notice.
01
Responses to supplemental questions must be original content created by the applicant using their own words. The use of online tools or resources to create responses, such as Artificial Intelligence (ChatGPT, etc.), Google, Bing, etc., or plagiarism in any form, is considered cheating and falsification of the application. I understand that any form of cheating or falsification will disqualify my application for further consideration.
Yes
No
02
Do you meet the minimum qualifications for this position as stated in the job announcement?
Yes, I have at least three years of experience in the field of water treatment or water quality and the ability to possess a valid Washington State Water Treatment Plant Operator Certificate Level 3 or higher, at the time of appointment
No
03
If you are an out of state applicant, have you verified your eligibility for reciprocity with the Washington State Department of Health?
Yes
No
Not applicable
04
How many years of experience do you have working in the field of water treatment or water quality with a public or private utility?
0-2 years
3-5 years
5-10 years
10+ years
05
Please indicate your valid Water Treatment Plant Operator certificate level.
N/A
2
3
4
06
INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING TEST:
Questions #7-15 are the experience and training test that will be used to establish the eligibility list. These questions will be scored by subject matter experts who will not have access to any of your application materials, and will provide scores based solely upon your answers to the questions. Your answers must stand on their own merit. DO NOT RESPOND WITH "SEE RESUME" in lieu of answering this question, as raters will not have access to your resume or application and this will result in a score of 0 points and you will fail the test. Your score on the experience and training test will ONLY reflect your response to the questions asked.
Please indicate "Yes" that you have read and understand the instructions for questions #7-15.
Yes
No
07
Why is turbidity a critical parameter for Water Treatment Plant Operator to monitor, and what could high turbidity indicate in terms of water quality?
08
While the Department of Health (DOH) does not regulate particle counts, why is it important to track rising counts, and what potential issues could they signal?
09
Identify three key criteria that would prompt you to initiate a backwash for a filter.
10
How do you define "terminal headloss" in a filter? Explain how you have applied this knowledge in your current or past roles. Additionally, if headloss indication is lost on a filter, how would you detect it?
11
When conducting a routine inspection of a chlorine residual analyzer, what specific elements or readings do you check to ensure proper function?
12
What are three factors that can influence the pH of water in a treatment system? How does each factor affect pH levels?
13
When a chemical delivery driver arrives on site, what is the most important safety check before allowing them to connect to a tank? Name at least two additional checks you would perform before authorizing offloading.
14
Describe the treatment process at your current or most recent Water Treatment Plant. What are the key steps involved in the treatment process? How does each step contribute to ensuring safe and clean water?
15
What does filter plant optimization mean to you as an operator, and how do you contribute to achieving it in daily operations?
16
One of the City's Principles that guides us is Equity. Describe what equity means to you and describe any experience you have working with diverse groups of people.
17
Please tell us how you learned about this job opening.
Job Interest Card notification
Professional organization
Military organization
City of Tacoma employee
Online job board posting
Word of mouth
LinkedIn
Tacoma Training & Education Program (TTEP)
Indeed
Facebook
Instagram
Careers in Government
Government Jobs
Outreach Event
National Diversity Network
African American Job Network
Disability Job Network
Asian Job Network
Latino Job Network
Retirement Job Network
LGBT Job Network
Veteran Job Network
Other
18
Please provide specific information regarding how you learned about this job opening. Thank you, your feedback will be used to evaluate our success reaching the public and refine our methods for future job postings.
Required Question
Agency
City of Tacoma
Address
Human Resources Department 747 Market Street Tacoma, Washington, 98402-3764
Phone
253-591-5400
Website
http://www.cityoftacoma.org
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