CITY OF KALISPELL
JOB DESCRIPTION
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
Class Title: Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator
Department: Public Works Department
Division: Wastewater Treatment Plant
Union: AFSCME (American Federation of State, County, & Municipal Employees)
Salary: $25.67 hour starting
Benefits: 100% paid health insurance for employee & reduced rates for dependents. State retirement plan, 3-weeks’ vacation, paid sick leave, 10 State and Federal holidays. This position may be participating in a *VEBA program.
FSLA: Non-Exempt
Date: March 26, 2024
A. GENERAL PURPOSE:
Performs a variety of semi-skilled and skilled technical work in the operation, maintenance and repair of the Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant grounds and treatment process.
B. SUPERVISION RECEIVED:
Works under the general supervision of the AWWTP O&M Supervisor, AWWTP Manager or another Supervisor as designated by the AWWTP Manager.
C. SUPERVISION EXERCISED:
None generally. May serve as lead worker over areas of responsibility or personnel as assigned.
D. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: (100%)
Note: It is expected that every employee should be on time, fully prepared, every day that they are scheduled to work. We expect employees to strive for perfect attendance.
Work assignments are made both orally and in writing. Work is performed with considerable independence in judgment and decision making within established policies, procedures, rules, regulations, and guidelines. Work is reviewed through observation, conferences, periodic reports and by the results obtained.
The following duties are typical for this classification. These are not to be construed as exclusive or all-inclusive. Other duties may be required and assigned.
a. Performs routine maintenance and janitorial work for the AWWTP facility, such as cleaning buildings, storage tanks and plant piping; removes snow and washes sludge trucks and pickups.
b. Operates and maintains sludge dewatering equipment; operates trucks to transport biosolids to landfill or compost facilities.
c. Maintains and overhauls pumps and motors; keeps records of repairs. Maintains and repairs small movable self-powered machinery such as snow blowers, lawn mowers, weed eaters and portable trash pumps.
d. Operates and maintains all associated equipment at the AWWTP facility.
e. Performs daily morning and afternoon rounds to inspect and record information on delegated areas of the facility to enter data into a spreadsheet for review and process changes.
f. Performs routine work order maintenance on assigned equipment.
g. Maintains plant grounds, such as lawn mowing, weed control and irrigation.
h. Maintains, troubleshoots, and repairs instrumentation, display equipment, recording instruments and communication systems.
i. Performs routine sampling and laboratory tests as required and assists lab in operations, telemetry, and maintenance as assigned by management.
j. Knowledge of the Montana Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (MPDES) permit parameters, taking necessary action to meet these legal requirements, such as sampling, monitoring, reporting, and responding to system inspections and malfunctions.
k. Performs other related work as required and assigned.
l. Follow the guidelines in the City’s Safety and Health Manual Revised 2019 edition.
m. Assists management in obtaining cost bids for capital improvement projects and performs research and cost bids to acquire maintenance parts for equipment at the AWWTP.
n. Other duties as assigned.
E. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
a. Education and Experience:
i. Graduation from high school or hold a GED certificate.
ii. Valid Montana Commercial Driver’s License, Class B with air brakes
or ability to obtain within 6 months of hire.
iii. Must have demonstrated a satisfactory driving record.
iv. Any equivalent combination of education and experience.
b. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
i. Knowledge of equipment, facilities, materials, methods, and procedures used in wastewater maintenance and operation activities.
ii. Skill in the operation of the listed “Tools and Equipment Used.”
iii. Knowledge of wastewater treatment methods and practices.
iv. Ability to perform maintenance and repairs on all equipment at AWWTP.
v. Ability to perform process control calculations; ability to work safely; ability
to communicate effectively verbally and in writing; ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, other departments, and the public; ability to understand and carry out written and oral instructions.
vi. Ability to read schematics and perform troubleshooting on equipment and the ability to troubleshoot and calibrate instrumentation loops is preferred but not required.
vii. Ability to evaluate motor control circuits and motor controllers for failure or needed repairs is preferred but not required.
viii. Ability to operate relevant computer programs including, but not limited to: Word, Excel and has some understanding of S.C.A.D.A operations.
F. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
a. Current certification as a Montana Class 1C Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator or shows proof that out-of-state certification is equivalent and transferable to the Montana 1C certification preferred or ability to achieve within 1 year of start date.
b. Two years of experience (minimum) working in a Wastewater Treatment Facility preferred.
c. Work rotating weekend shifts. Operators are required to work every 4th weekend, predetermined holidays and carry On-Call cell phone as part of your on-call duty. When on-call, must be able to respond to all-hour emergency and non-emergency call outs. The On-Call Schedule is set up a minimum of a year in advance. This is an inflexible schedule so that vacation and doctor appointments can be scheduled around your On-Call Schedule. Weekend duty schedule during on-call week is Monday thru Thursday with Friday off, then work Saturday thru Thursday with Friday, Saturday, & Sunday off.
d. Regular work hours are 7am – 3:30pm. Hours may be changed based on the needs of the city.
e. On-Call Weekends and Holiday work hours are 6:30am – 3:00pm. This is to accommodate NPDES Permit required Lab duties. Hours may be changed based on the needs of the city.
f. Current Hep A, Hep B and Tetanus immunization are recommended but not mandatory.
G. TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT USED:
Motorized vehicles and equipment, including but not limited to: dump trucks, pickup trucks, snowplow, gantry cranes, moving cranes, lawn mowers, weed sprayer, tractors, loader, forklift, backhoe, mobile radio, compressors, generators, common hand and power tools, shovels, wrenches, hoists, gauges, detection devices, phones, calculators and any other tool or equipment used to complete the task at hand.
H. PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
a. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
b. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, feel, or operate objects, tools, or controls and reach with hands and arms. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, talk, smell, and hear. The employee is frequently required to sit, climb, or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
c. The employee must routinely lift and/or move 50 to 100 pounds. Is often required to pull loaded buckets from tanks with rope by hand or carry loaded buckets for some distance. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
d. As stated, operates motorized vehicles, dump trucks with manual or automatic transmissions, pickups, snowplows, loader and forklift. Is responsible to operate large overhead valve chain wheels, valve nuts, and generally exercises large valves.
I. WORK ENVIRONMENT:
a. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
b. While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works in outside weather conditions. The employee frequently works near moving mechanical parts and is frequently exposed to wet and/or humid conditions. The employee often works in high, precarious places and is occasionally exposed to fumes or airborne particles, risk of electrical shock, and vibration. The employee is frequently exposed to wastewater and toxic and caustic chemicals.
c. Employee enters 2’ diameter man hatches, on top and bottom of tanks, and climbs down ladders into tanks that are 17’ deep and classified as confined space and, in some cases, require safety harnesses.
d. Works in an environment directly associated with domestic wastewater. Handles, tests, collects liquids, sludge and bio-solids associated with domestic wastewater. Direct exposer to domestic wastewater daily.
e. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderately loud.
J. SELECTION GUIDELINES:
a. Formal application analyzed, rating of education and experience; oral interview and reference check; other job-related tests may be required.
b. The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the position.
c. Kalispell is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the American with Disabilities Act, the city will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.
d. The job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer and requirements of the job change.
*VEBA (Voluntary Employee Benefit Association) is a tax-exempt health reimbursement account used by employees and their eligible dependent to pay for eligible medical expenses. The plan is funded by an employee’s sick and/or vacation banked hours upon leaving City employment.
**As of January 6, 2020, employers of CDL drivers must query the Clearinghouse to verify that a current or prospective driver is not prohibited from operating CMVs or performing other safety sensitive functions. CDL Drivers must now be registered with the FMCSA Clearinghouse. For more information, please visit the website at https://clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov.
Posting Date: March 26, 2024
Closing Date: Open until filled
NOTICE:
Only Candidates Selected for Interviews Will be Contacted.
When applying for open positions with the city, a completed City of Kalispell application must be submitted and signed.
A City Application Can Be Obtained From:
• The Human Resources Department with the City of Kalispell, 201 1st Ave East, Kalispell, MT, Phone: (406)758-7757 or 758-7774 or
• The Kalispell Job Service, 427 1st Ave East, Kalispell, MT, Phone (406) 758-6200 or
• Online at the City of Kalispell’s website at: www.kalispell.com
