Wastewater Plant Lead Operator

Wastewater Plant Lead Operator

Salary

$56,795.02 - $90,859.18 Annually

Location

East Burlington Wastewater Treatment Plant, 225 Stone Quarry Rd., Haw River, NC

Job Type

Full-time

Job Number

2026-00125

Department

Water Resources

Division

East Burlington WW Treatment Plant

Opening Date

06/25/2026

Closing Date

7/9/2026 11:59 PM Eastern

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Job Description

About us:

The East Burlington Wastewater Treatment Plant (EBWWTP) is located on Stone Quarry Road in Burlington and was originally constructed in 1961 as 6.0 MGD trickling filter plant. In 1993, the plant was upgraded to an activated sludge with a treatment capacity of 12.0 million gallons per day (MGD) before undergoing further upgrade to include a 3-stage biological nutrient removal (BNR) process in 2014. The plant treats wastewater originates from areas within Burlington's city limits and extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ), the Town of Green Level, the Town of Haw River, and portions of the Town of Gibsonville and the Town of Elon.

What you will do:

This position involves the operation and maintenance of the Citys wastewater treatment plant. Key responsibilities include conducting hourly rounds, maintaining accurate records, performing tests, documenting, and/or repairing any noted malfunctions, troubleshooting mechanical and electrical issues, sampling, and performing related wastewater treatment plant tasks. This employee is expected to make decisions in response to operational problems, and report more difficult problems to the Wastewater Plant Superintendent.

Examples of Duties

Regular Plant Monitoring and Equipment Maintenance:

• Conducts regular plant tours, ensuring the proper operation of bar screens, grit collectors, engines, generators, pumps, aerators, settling tanks, filters, clarifiers, and other equipment
• Records and monitors readings from meters and instruments
• Adjusts and regulates motors, pumps, blowers, valves, and equipment to adapt to changing operating conditions

Sample Collection and Testing:

• Collects effluent samples for laboratory analysis and performs routine tests
• Applies chemicals and monitors their effect on plant operations

Cleaning and Maintenance:

• Skims floatables from settling tanks, cleans bar screens, and disposes of waste like sand and trash
• Washes basins and cleans clarifiers to maintain optimal operation

Plant Grounds and Facility Upkeep:

• Ensures the upkeep of plant building and surrounding grounds
• Performs minor and emergency repairs, assisting plant maintenance staff as needed

Preventive Maintenance and Customer Service:

• Carries out preventive maintenance tasks assigned by the plants card system
• Provides assistance to customers, answers phones, and responds to inquiries as necessary

Additional Duties:

• Performs other related duties as required

Qualifications

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Wastewater Treatment Plant Operations: Possesses a solid understanding of the operating characteristics and maintenance needs of a wastewater treatment plant

Regulatory Knowledge: Familiar with State and Federal wastewater treatment regulations, ensuring compliance with all applicable standards

Safety Awareness: Understands the occupational hazards inherent in wastewater treatment work and consistently follows safety protocols

Testing and Reporting: Skilled in conducting routine wastewater tests, accurately reading meters and charts, and recording results with precision

Minimum Qualifications:

• High School Diploma or GED equivalency supplemented with additional vocational training in wastewater, environmental sciences, biology, chemistry, mechanics or electronics.
• Minimum Five (5) years experience in wastewater treatment, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Valid North Carolina Drivers License.
• North Carolina Grade III Wastewater Certificate; Grade IV preferred.
• First Aid and CPR.

Supplemental Information

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions:

• Work in this class is described as strenuous.
• Work typically involves the ability to physically perform the basic life operational functions of balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, reaching, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting, grasping, feeling, talking, hearing and repetitive motions.
• Work necessitates visual acuity to determine the accuracy, neatness, and thoroughness of work assigned in preparing and analyzing figures, accounting, transcription, computer terminal viewing and extensive reading, conduct visual inspection of small defects or parts, operate a machine, use measurement devices, and to assemble parts at distances close to the eyes.
• Employee is subject to hazards including a variety of physical conditions, such as proximity to moving mechanical parts, electrical current, noise, vibration, oils, and atmospheric conditions.
• Employee is required to be a change team member and be able to wear a SAR mask (supplied air respirator) when necessary.
• Employee may frequently work in close quarters, crawl space, shafts, manholes, small, enclosed rooms, small sewage and water lines, and other areas which could cause claustrophobia.
• Employee is required to function in narrow aisles, passageways, and catwalks. Working conditions include both inside and outside environmental conditions.

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Inclement Weather Classification: Essential

This job description in no way implies that the duties listed are the only ones the employee may be required to perform. The employee is expected to perform other tasks, duties, and training as requested by the Wastewater Plant Superintendent.

Benefits for full-time employees of the City of Burlington (with the exception of full-time sworn police officers) are as follows:

• Paid vacation and sick leave
• Ability to transfer North Carolina local government earned sick leave.
• Paid holidays for New Years Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Good Friday, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas
• Enrollment in the Local Government branch of the North Carolina State Retirement System
• Enrollment in Empower 401k
• Health and dental insurance coverage for employee and children; spouses may be added to the policy if they are not offered coverage at their own place of employment
• Voluntary enrollment in a Flexible Spending Plan
• Life insurance
• Long-term care insurance
• Other voluntary insurances and deferred compensation plans

01

Do you possess a current Commercial Driver License (CDL)?

• Yes
• No

02

What certifications do you possess related to this position? (Examples: AWWA Lab Analyst I/II Certification, NC Bacteriological Certification, Grade I Wastewater Operator)

Required Question

Employer City of Burlington NC

Address PO Box 1358

Burlington, North Carolina, 27216-1358

Phone 336-222-5105

Website http://www.burlingtonnc.gov