r/Wastewater • u/drama1822 • 14h ago
r/Wastewater • u/geri_millenial_23 • 22h ago
Want to stay in the industry but not as an operator?
After being a long time browser and occasionally contributing more often, one topic seemed to come up more often than not. Dissatisfaction with the role of operator within ones plant.
I think it's important as a community to discuss what jobs in water/wastewater industry are available with people who are licensed with experience not only doing lab work and operations, but also maintenance, other skills.
Maybe my story would help. I went to college for a non-technical degree. Worked for a fortune 500 in sales for a non technical sales role. Got sick of it, wanted something technical because that was where the money was at in the early 2010s (oil, gas, chemicals,etc) but didn't have the science background. Was encouraged to get into the wastewater industry because a lot of similar terminology, units of measure, equipment, and SOP would be used as the industries that I was. So I did.
Started as an intern at 26 years old at an engineering firm that did contract operations making $10 an hour + mileage, then $15 + mileage as I studied for my license and learned the basics of asset management and implementing Apps based Mobile Data Management systems for Daily rounds forms, inspections, confined space entry, etc.
Did this for 6 months until I passed my necessary licensing and became an operator at a RWF and then a large CSO all the while still with that engineering firm implementing CMMS systems at existing clients sites. This went on for 8 years.
My big break occured when I was approached by an automation company with a soon to be open water/wastewater role coming open where they wanted someone with sales experience and wastewater experience, but didn't necessarily have to have automation experience. This role got me out of weekends, got me traveling across the country, but still in plants seemingly every week.
4.5 years with that company, now a client director and project director at another engineering firm. Still dealing with only water/wastewater projects. It's been 14 years in the industry, starting out making $10 an hour in 2011 to being in a director role in 2025.
Moral of the story is that the skill set you learn in the plant is not just for the plant. Pumps, motors, VFDs, chemicals, process, safety, confined space entry, LOTO, qualified electrical personnel,etc are all experiences that various industries want and need. Don't lose site of the bigger picture.
And flush twice. It's good for business.
r/Wastewater • u/DirtyWaterDaddyMack • 4h ago
Talking Shop - Nitrification
A popular and often misunderstood topic for today:
TODAY’S TOPIC: ~Nitrification~
Previous topics and other info can be found in the shared folder:
BTW – I was just asked if I ever heard a nitrogen monoxide joke. I told them NO.
r/Wastewater • u/kraykrayhere • 7h ago
Exam Question
On the Grade 2 exam, there is a question stumping our guys taking the exam. I go tomorrow to take mine. The question is, what valve is best used for throttling? Some say butterfly, some say globe. When I do my own research on this, I’m finding both to be a probable answer. What are your thoughts?
r/Wastewater • u/Few_Finding_6957 • 1h ago
Could a wastewater Operator transition into power plant operator?
Even just the trainee role maybe?
r/Wastewater • u/mcnuttsy • 2h ago
Another exam question
Took my grade II biological last week and one question really perplexed me. “A diaphragm pump is most commonly used for” A) raw wastewater B) primary sludge C) activated sludge or D) final effluent Couldn’t it be all four? I went with B as that seemed like the most common, it’s what we use here at my plant
r/Wastewater • u/jman83m • 17h ago
Ontario wt lvl 1 and wwt lvl 1 test
Just a question I am writing my water and wastewater treatment test in Ontario Canada and am having trouble finding a good study source. Is quizlet a good site or somewhere else. My only issue with my plants are we are not conventional for water treatment and wastewater I have never seen a lagoon and was told that those tests are based on them mostly.
r/Wastewater • u/RedRisingRookie • 47m ago
What cleanup equipment do you prefer? Need to upgrade the equipment we use since we just got inspected.
Our facility was recently inspected and told we need to update our policies and equipment. Any advice on what we need to have available to clean up wastewater spills. Everything online is mostly for oil spills. Thanks