Occupation
Wastewater treatment operator
Wastewater treatment operators run the screening, settling, biological, and disinfection stages that clean sewage and industrial effluent before it is discharged or reused. Much of the skill lies in reading how the biological process is behaving and adjusting aeration, return sludge, and chemical dosing before consent limits are threatened. Conditions can be wet, odorous, and physically demanding.
Also known as: Sewage treatment operator · Wastewater plant operator · Water pollution control operator
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Occupation content
Part of Utilities, energy, mining and resources
A visual day in the work
What the work involves
Monitor aeration, settling, and digester performance and adjust air, dosing, or sludge return rates.
Collect influent and effluent samples and run tests for solids, organic loading, and residuals.
Clear screens, grit channels, and pumps, and clean tanks and channels as scheduled.
Operate dewatering and sludge handling equipment and arrange biosolids removal.
Log process data and complete discharge compliance reports for the environmental regulator.
Troubleshoot process upsets such as bulking sludge, foaming, or loss of nitrification.
Entry-route stepper
How people commonly enter
A college certificate or diploma in environmental technology, wastewater treatment, or process operations.
An operator-in-training role with a municipality or private utility, progressing through certificate classes.
Transferring from a mechanical, electrical, or laboratory role and adding wastewater operator certification.
A short entry-level operator course paired with supervised plant experience.
Typical training: Certificate or college diploma
Licensing: Regulated in most jurisdictions. Confirm the current requirement with the regulator in your province, state, or country.
Work-context map
Typical work context
- Shift work
- Physically active
- Team based
- High responsibility
- Outdoors
Shift work · Physically active · Team based · High responsibility · Outdoors
Related interests
- Realistic (hands-on)
- Investigative (analytical)
- Conventional (organizing)
Realistic (hands-on) · Investigative (analytical) · Conventional (organizing)
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Utilities, energy, mining and resources: education pathways
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Canada Job Bank Career Planning · Canada · Current official profile; consult source for its release period
Utilities, energy, mining and resources: licensing
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