I was noodling around the Internet looking for inspiration when I found an interesting site compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics that included a section on career opportunities in various fields, including water and wastewater treatment plant operations.
The information was broken down into various categories including the nature of the work, working conditions, employment, job outlook and earnings potential. The water treatment industry information was last updated in early 1998, so it?s a little stale, but I thought it was an interesting look at the job market for the industry?s rank and file.
According to the BLS, educational requirements are increasing as treatment plants become more complex to meet new water pollution control regulations. The Bureau noted the Safe Drinking Water Act amendments of 1996 mandated the development of minimum national standards for drinking water operator certification, which could increase requirements in many states. Forty-nine states have operator certification exams, but requirements vary dramatically.
Water and wastewater treatment plant operators held about 98,000 jobs in 1996. The vast majority worked for local governments, although a growing proportion work for private utilities, operations firms and industrial facilities. About half worked at water treatment plants and half worked in wastewater plants.
The BLS predicted water and wastewater treatment plant operators should have good job opportunities through the year 2006. Despite job growth that is expected to be faster than average, the number of applicants in the field is normally low, making for good job prospects for qualified applicants. The increasing population and growth of the economy are expected to increase demand for water and wastewater treatment services. As new plants are constructed to meet this demand, employment of plant operators should increase.
Although local government is the largest employer of plant operators, increased reliance on private firms specializing in the operation and management of water and wastewater treatment facilities should shift some employment demand to these companies. Increased pre-treatment activity by manufacturing firms also should create new job opportunities.
I haven?t seen a recent survey on salaries in the water and wastewater treatment industries, but the BLS statistics struck me as outdated. According to the BLS, treatment plant operators had median weekly earnings of $551 in 1996; the lowest paid 10 percent of the occupation earned about $313 a week, the middle 50 percent of the occupation earned between $392 and $703 a week, and the top 10 percent earned about $808 a week.
According to information from union surveys, wages for water and wastewater treatment plant operators ranged from $335 to $1,034 weekly, averaging $668 in 1995. Salaries depend, among other things, on the size and location of the plant, the complexity of the operator?s job, and the operator?s level of certification, the BLS said.
The BLS (www.bls.gov) also provides a description of the work involved in a treatment plant, including reading meters and gauges, making minor repairs on valves and pumps, and using computers to monitor, store and process information.
One part of the description made me laugh, although I know it is perfectly accurate:
?Water and wastewater treatment plant operators work both indoors and outdoors and may be exposed to noise from machinery and some unpleasant odors,? the BLS said. ?Operators have to stoop, reach, and climb and sometimes get their clothes dirty.?
Sound familiar?
