Senior Water Service Technician

Class Characteristics
Under general direction, leads and participates in the operation, construction, maintenance, and repair of water mains and related services; administers the District’s recycled water, cross-connection, and backflow programs; coordinates and maintains records of maintenance and repair activities; and performs related duties as assigned.

Essential Duties
Management reserves the right to add, modify, change, or rescind the work assignments of different positions, and to make reasonable accommodations so that qualified employees can perform the essential functions of the job.

Leads and performs semi-skilled and skilled duties related to the construction, installation, service, maintenance and repair of mains, service lines and related appurtenances used in the storage and transmission of potable water.

Provides lead direction to water utility operations staff; trains new employees; provides input into the evaluation of assigned personnel; and recommends disciplinary action as necessary.

Locates and marks existing District facilities including pipelines in the field using engineering drawings, visual identifiers, and specialized equipment; meets with contractors and/or affected homeowners and other agencies; reviews as-built drawings for all proposed excavation.

Receive USA Dig-Alert requests, prioritize the locate request tickets, read and interpret water facility district maps, meet with contractors and customers to locate and mark existing water facilities. Respond to emergency USA Dig-Alert requests.

Operates the water distribution system by monitoring and adjusting flows from reservoirs, tanks and suppliers.

Monitors automatic valves and pumping facilities; checks reservoir levels and makes necessary adjustments to maintain proper water levels.

Takes samples to measure system performance and to ensure compliance with water quality standards; delivers samples for further testing and analysis; maintains records; forwards water quality reports on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis to regulatory agencies.

Inspects vehicles and performs minor maintenance; coordinates the need for major repairs and service; fuels and lubricates vehicles and related equipment; assists District management with purchase of new equipment and vehicles and disposition of used equipment and vehicles.

Operates and maintains light, medium, and heavy-duty equipment such as backhoes, skip loaders, dump trucks, forklifts along with a variety of hand and power tools and equipment related to work assignment as instructed.

Monitors and completes reports related to inspections on Class A vehicles for State regulatory agencies; tracks employee medical reports required by California Department of Motor Vehicles.

Observes variations in operating conditions by interpreting meter, gauge, graph readings, and tests results to determine water pressure, chemical use, residuals, temperatures, and flow requirements to maintain proper operating conditions.

Exercises, operates and maintains valves including distribution, transmission, manual and automatic air vents and blow offs.

Leads and performs water meter maintenance, including the coordination of installing new meters, testing and repairing meters of various sizes, repairing leaks, and replacing meters as needed; installs service lines and accounts for the installation of new and replacement meters.

Takes and confirms accurate water meter registration/consumption readings; makes equipment adjustments, including routine re-settings; tests and makes repairs to large and meters.

Performs a variety of skilled duties in support of the Automated Meter Repair (AMI) team including: reading, building, programming, installing, activating, inspecting, diagnosing, replacing, and routing AMI meters.

Receives and responds to service calls and customer complaints regarding issues such as leaks, high or low pressure, consumption levels, and water quality; turns water service on and off; resolves or refers issues to supervisor.

Leads and performs the excavation of concrete, pavement, and dirt and sets up concrete forms as necessary, and backfills open trenches and complete surfaces “to-finish” as appropriate.

Administers the District’s recycled water program; conducts inspections, interacts with new recycled water use customers; oversees recycled water use construction, site conversions, and retrofits; performs annual or intermittent testing of recycled water systems investigation and troubleshooting issues; and tracks information and files reports with regulatory agencies.

Administers the District’s backflow and cross-connection control programs; coordinates work with developers, customers, and regulatory agencies; addresses permitting requirements with regulatory agencies; enforces compliance with applicable ordinances and regulations; ensures all backflow devices are properly installed and tested on annual basis; prepares and mails device test notices; tracks, logs and files test reports; performs routine cross-connection control surveys and site inspections.

Executes traffic control procedures; including the set-up of all signs, cones and barriers; provide traffic flagging as needed.

Responds to after-hours emergencies and assists other staff as needed in emergency or relief situations.

Performs on-call, stand by duty on a regular basis.
Performs related duties as assigned.

Qualifications
Knowledge of:

Principles of providing functional direction and training.
USA system operations and requirements.

Maintenance principles, practices, tools, and materials used in the construction and maintenance of potable water pipelines, fittings, services, fire hydrants, valves, vaults, pumps, motors, electrical wiring, reservoirs, and piping.

Masonry, concrete, steel reinforcement, excavation backfill, soils compaction, hydrostatic pressure testing, disinfection, and bacteriological sampling.

Types of backflow devices; principles of cross-connection.

Practices, methods, techniques, tools and equipment used in the reading, installation, testing, calibration, maintenance and repair of small, medium, and large water meters that utilize AMI components.

Methods and techniques of troubleshooting AMI operational issues.

Methods and techniques of inventory control and warranty tracking.

Operation and minor maintenance of a variety of hand and power tools, vehicles, and light to heavy power equipment.

Troubleshooting and repair estimation principles and practices.
Federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations in assigned areas of responsibility.

Safe work methods and safety practices pertaining to the work, including CAL OSHA rules and standards.

Traffic control procedures and traffic sign regulations.

Basic mathematical skills.

Record keeping principles and procedures.

Techniques for providing a high level of customer service by effectively dealing with the public, vendors, contractors, and District staff.

The structure and content of the English language, including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Modern equipment and communication tools used for business functions and program, project, and task coordination, including computers and software programs relevant to work performed.

Ability to:

Provide lead direction to staff in the construction, maintenance, and repair of water distribution systems.

Operate, control, maintain, and repair water production systems, related infrastructure, and facilities.

Troubleshoot maintenance problems and determine materials and supplies required for repair.

Read and interpret meters, gauges, recording charts, and other monitoring equipment reflecting plant and facility operations.

Diagnose and repair a wide variety of small, medium, and large water meters.
Use precision and diagnostic instruments to test and calibrate water meters.

Safety and effectively use and operate hand and power tools, mechanical equipment, and light to heavy equipment required for the work.

Locate underground utilities by use of blue prints and electronic locating equipment in accordance with Underground Service Alert (USA) regulations.

Read, interpret, and apply technical information from manuals, drawings, specifications, layouts, blueprints, and schematics.

Apply safe work practices including traffic control procedures, trench shoring, and confined space entry procedures.

Perform basic mathematical computations.

Understand and follow oral and written instructions.

Understand, interpret, and apply all pertinent laws, codes, regulations, policies and procedures, and standards relevant to work performed.

Independently organize work, set priorities, meet critical deadlines, and follow-up on assignments.

Use tact, initiative, prudence, and independent judgment within general policy, procedural, and legal guidelines.

Effectively use computer systems, software applications relevant to work performed, and modern business equipment to perform a variety of work tasks.

Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing, using appropriate English grammar and syntax.

Establish, maintain, and foster positive and effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Education and Experience
Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying.  A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:

Education:

Equivalent to completion of the twelfth (12th) grade, supplemented by completion of specialized courses in water technology.
Experience:

Two (2) years as a Water Service Technician II with the District or similar water utility agency and two (2) years of experience in the installation and maintenance of cross control and backflow equipment in a complex water distribution system.
Licenses and Certifications:

Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid California Class A driver’s license by time of appointment.

Possession of a Grade D3 Water Distribution Operator Certificate.

Possession of a Grade T2 Water Treatment Operator Certificate within twelve (12) months of appointment.

Possession of a Backflow Testing Certificate within twelve (12) months of appointment.

Possession of a Cross Connection Specialist Certificate within twelve (12) months of appointment.