Water Operations Specialist

Rivers need water, and we need YOU! We are looking for a Water Operations Specialist to join our team! This specialized position plays a crucial role in ensuring safe, clean drinking water for our community by managing and maintaining water treatment and distribution systems. The ideal candidate possesses a combination of technical expertise, problem-solving skills, and a commitment to public health and environmental stewardship.

Why work for us? The work you do as a Water Operations Specialist will have an immediate and lasting impact on public health and the environment, ensuring safe and high-quality drinking water for our community.

THE DAY-TO-DAY

This role goes beyond a traditional operator role, providing the opportunity to shape the operation and reliability of our water system. You will work closely with the water department leadership team to make critical decisions, analyze treatment facility performance, recommend and implement process improvements, and manage regulatory programs. Key responsibilities include leading optimization initiatives, managing regulatory and industry partnership programs, and supporting/leading capital projects. If you’re looking to leverage your technical expertise, make a lasting impact, and help shape the future of water operations at a modern utility, this is your opportunity to grow and innovate in the industry.

• OPERATIONS: Operate and maintain a variety of water treatment and distribution system equipment, including pumps, motors, filtration systems, chemical feed systems, and water quality analyzers. Utilize SCADA to monitor system performance and make/recommend process adjustments as needed. Serve as backup treatment Operator in Responsible Charge (ORC) as needed.
• TECHNICAL EXPERTISE: Serve as a technical resource for water treatment facility operations, including process optimization at the membrane filtration and conventional treatment facilities. Design and conduct pilot studies and jar tests to improve system performance. Continuously monitor, troubleshoot, and evaluate technical performance of equipment and processes pertaining to water treatment and the distribution system.
• REGULATORY COMPLIANCE: Oversee monitoring and regulatory compliance programs; Ensure compliance with the federal Safe Drinking Water Act and all rules within Colorado Regulation 11. Maintain accurate records and reports to support compliance and process optimization efforts.
• PROJECT MANAGEMENT: Advises on design, construction, and startup of capital improvement projects pertaining to water treatment and the distribution system; plan, schedule, coordinate, and manage associated projects. Collects and reports data to inform data-driven decisions in the project design phase.
• DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM MANAGEMENT: Support the operation of the water distribution system, including implementation of flow control strategies, and coordination with operational teams for repairs and maintenance.
• PROGRAM MANAGEMENT: Lead the Partnership for Safe Water program, ensuring best practices in reporting, optimization, and treatment performance.
• MAINTENANCE: Perform preventative and corrective maintenance on treatment and distribution equipment. Coordinate with supervisors and engineering teams on equipment replacements and capital improvement projects.

• Two (2) years of technical work experience in water treatment or a related industry.
• State of Colorado Certified Water Professional Water A and Water Distribution III licensure required within the first one (1) year of employment.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills including creating spreadsheets, inputting data, utilizing formulas, building charts and graphs, and building/utilizing historian reporting queries.
• Proven technical writing experience and ability to produce technical
  memorandums, equipment and process evaluations, and regulatory reports.
  Must be capable of communicating complex information both orally and in writing.
• Knowledge of policies, procedures, rules, and regulations pertaining to water treatment and distribution system operation (e.g., Federal Safe Drinking Water Act, Colorado Regulation 100, and all Rules within Colorado Regulation 11).
• Knowledge of advanced water treatment facility and distribution system design and operation including knowledge of water hydraulic modeling. Ability to advise on process or program improvements, recommend capital improvement projects, and lead optimization studies.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license and be insurable under the organization's standards.

SCHEDULE

This role will be scheduled to work 8 hours per day, Monday through Friday. Must be willing to work overtime, holidays, and weekends as necessary. Must be willing to work on-call shifts in a seven-day rotation.

COMPENSATION

The range for this position is $93,038.40 - $130,291.20. Starting range depends on qualifications but generally falls within the minimum and midpoint of the pay range.

BENEFITS

At ERWSD, we value life-work balance and are leaders in the industry with our holistic benefits package, which includes but is not limited to:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Employee housing or $479 monthly housing stipend
• Wellness program
• Retirement savings plans (414h and 457)
• 13.5 paid holidays
• Paid time off program
• Relocation assistance (if applicable)
• $700 annual recreation benefit
• Tuition reimbursement
• Loan programs (ski pass, computer, EVs)

All District employees must submit to a pre-employment drug screen and extensive background check.

For a full classification specification, email erwsdjobs@erwsd.org.

All applicants must apply online by April 23, 2025 in order to be considered.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer.

We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, genetic information or any other status protected by law or regulation. It is our intention that all qualified applicants be given equal opportunity and that selection decisions are based on job-related factors.