Transmission & Treatment Operator

BASIC PURPOSE:

Acts as responsible transmission and treatment operator during an assigned shift involving the operation and maintenance of MWRA's disinfection, corrosion control, hydroelectric and throttling valve facilities.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED:

Works under the general supervision of the Senior Transmission and Treatment Operator.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED:

None.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Performs operator duties at critical transmission and treatment facilities.
• Travels to critical transmission and treatment facilities, as needed, to make operational changes as directed or to investigate alarms.
• Operates turbines, synchronizes and stops generators, opens and tags circuit breakers and disconnects switches associated with power feeders and makes necessary power shifts.
• Performs preventative maintenance tasks, including inspection and oiling and greasing of generator and turbine bearings.
• Assists in the repair of generators, turbines, transformers, circuit breakers, exciters, water and electric meters, relays, motorized valves, sluice gates, and other related electrical and mechanized equipment, including general housekeeping of same.
• Adjusts chemical feed equipment and calibrates chemical pump under the direction of the Senior Transmission and Treatment Operator.
• Assists in monitoring bulk chemical inventory status and may assist Senior Operator in inspecting bulk chemical deliveries using established Standing Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Measures pH, temperature alkalinity, fluoride, and chlorine residual of raw and treated water using established SOPs.
• Calibrates critical treatment process control temperature, pH, chlorine, alkalinity continuous analyzers using established SOPs.
• Assists Senior Transmission & Treatment operator with daily preventative maintenance tasks on chemical feed equipment, such as purging sodium hypochlorite feed lines of gas, rotation of chemical feed pumps, daily analysis for chlorine decay rates, testing of emergency showers and eye wash station, receiving chemical deliveries.
• Monitors SCADA screens for Transmission & Treatment system operation, acknowledges alarms, records hourly readings for chemical feed rates, logging values on log sheets and inputting information onto database.

SECONDARY DUTIES:

Performs related duties as required.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Education and Experience:

• Basic reading, writing, mathematical and oral communication skills as normally attained through a high school education or equivalent; and
• Minimum of three (3) years experience at a water treatment, hydroelectric or power generation facility; or
• Any equivalent combination of education and experience.

Necessary Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of the operation, maintenance, and repair of treatment of power systems, such as hydroelectric generators, turbines and associated equipment.
• Knowledge of electrical circuits, testing procedures, preventative maintenance procedures, including personnel and equipment protective devices.
• Ability to read blueprints and schematic diagrams.
• Ability to identify operating problems and any defect in equipment so that proper precautionary measures can be taken to prevent breakdowns.
• Ability to maintain logs and prepare operational and maintenance reports.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• A valid Massachusetts Class D Driver's License.
• A valid Massachusetts Grade II Treatment-Operator-in-training or Distribution Operator-in-training license.

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT USED:

Hand tools, mobile radio, telephone, beeper, personal computer (including SCADA, word processing, spreadsheet and other software), copy and fax machine.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

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 duties.

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 occasionally required to sit, stand and walk. The employee is frequently required to climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl, taste or smell. The employee is occasionally required to drive an MWRA vehicle to remote sites to inspect facility operation and investigate SCADA alarms.

The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move more than 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close, distance, color, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to focus.