There is a crisis confronting small water systems today—it's not a deterioration in the quality of their water—but rather an increasing expectation in the quality and duties of water system operators and the resulting impact it has on small water systems.
The days when operators were hired cheap and allowed to learn the ropes through a bit of "on the job training" and when the meaning of water treatment was so broad that it often included "pouring a Dixie cup full of Clorox" into the local spring "as needed" are thankfully behind us.
While the changes have clearly helped ensure the safety of the drinking water pouring out of our nation's taps, it hasn't always been easy or affordable, especially for the nation’s small water systems.
Since the implementation of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) amendments back in 1996 which set minimum standards for states to follow when creating operator certification programs for all community and noncommunity public water systems, many systems have found it increasingly difficult to hire and maintain certified staff.
Remember, community water systems (CWS) are public water systems that serve at least 15 connections used by year-round residents, and noncommunity water systems are public water systems such as schools, factories, resorts, and churches that are served by their own supply of water (usually a well).
In this issue of the Safe Drinking Water Trust eBulletin we'll look at ways that small water systems can benefit from a little sharing and point out a few resources that could help your system find its next certified operator.
Additional Resources
www.newwa.org/training/operator_duties_pws.pdf [1]
You Can't Always Get What You Want…
The days when system operators were "a dime a dozen" and could be hired for just about the same price, are over.
These days, a little strategic planning (or maybe a lot) is necessary before hiring employees to make sure that your system gets not only what it needs, but at a price it can afford.
According to a recent salary survey conducted by the American Water Works Association (AWWA), entry-level, water treatment plant operators are currently commanding an average wage of $33,775 a year around the country and senior operators can cost a system a healthy $45,000 a year.
If you find yourself thinking…"That’s almost as much as I paid for my house"…then join the growing number of rural systems that are being forced to consider alternative solutions to their own operator dilemmas.
Once you add in the growing cost of benefits such as sick leave, vacation time and health and retirement coverage (as much as 27.4 percent of the annual salary according to the U.S. Department of Labor), many communities are finding that they just can't afford to hire a certified operator of their own—unless they are willing to consider a rate increase and we all know how popular those can be with your customers.
When you couple a worker's desire for good working conditions with increasing operator certification demands, pretty soon a water utility can find itself facing an employment crunch. Today's treatment workers must not only fix leaky water mains, they must also take courses, pass tests, and spend time on the job learning treatment methods so that they may obtain proper certification. The days when you could just hire your out-of-work brother-in-law as your system operator just won’t work under today's federally mandated certification requirements.
But, why is hiring a certified operator so important? Let's be honest, first off, it's the law…and secondly is anyone really willing to risk the health and safety of their family and their community with anything less?
Additional Resources
www.epa.gov/safewater/smallsys/pdfs/guide_smallsystems_stratplan.pdf [2]
No Cost too Great
Operators are the first line of defense ensuring that the drinking water reaching the consumer's tap is safe to drink. Communities can literally spend millions of dollars to have the latest and greatest technologies at their treatment facility, but all that money won't amount to a hill of beans if a competent operator isn't there to keep things running smoothly.
While each state regulates the licensing and certification of its water and wastewater operators according to the stringent guidelines established in the SDWA, it is important to remember that the operator's job is probably one of the most diverse positions in the water industry.
A system's operator is key to delivering safe water to customers. In many small systems, the operator is also the one who gets the call at 3 a.m. to repair a water leak in the dead of winter or is called on in the middle of the night so the local fire department has the capacity to fight a fire. Not to mention that they are also the ones who often end up chasing stray animals away from the city well and painting over the six-foot tall declaration of love that keeps appearing on the water tower.
While each state has established "grades" or levels of certified operators, a minimum of a high-school diploma is generally required to become certified (that pretty much rules out hiring your out-of-work brother-in-law now doesn't it).
Once a high-school diploma or its equivalent has been earned, an operator "wannabe" must generally head off to the local community college where entry-level chemistry and math classes along with more job-specific training can often be completed.
Then it is off to take (and pass) the state's operator certification test which generally consists of a minimum of 100 multiple choice questions. Most states require that you get at least 70 percent of the questions right to receive your certification.
But the journey doesn't end there…operators must also complete ongoing training courses each year to maintain their certification.
Additional Resources
http://water.montana.edu/training/ob2005/default.htm [3]
…Sometimes You Get What You Need
For years now, many systems have taken advantage of the financial benefits that can be had by sharing water treatment operators with other systems. Known throughout the industry as hiring "contract operators" the process doesn't have to be difficult or involve any great degree of uncertainty.
However, it is very important that systems make certain that the duties and responsibilities of the contract operator are clearly spelled out in the employment contract before an operator is hired.
Duties should include:
•Proper operation of the water treatment plant.
•Sample collection following all state and federal requirements.
•Preparation and submittal of monthly operational reports.
•Analyses of operational controls such as chlorine residual, turbidity, hardness, jar testing and the maintenance of all required operational records.
•Maintenance of pumps and pump stations.
•Maintenance of distribution system.
•Maintenance of spare parts inventories.
•Maintenance and, if necessary, implementation of an emergency operating plan.
•Performance of preventative maintenance on equipment.
•Prompt reporting of any deficiencies to owner and any state and federal entities.
•Ability to work during an emergency.
•Clearly defined number of visits to the system over the duration of the contract.
Many problems can be avoided through a well-written, employment contract and by keeping the lines of communications open. Once you've made the decision to contract an operator and found a candidate that seems to be a good fit for your system, you're ready to address additional details such as the contract duration, compensation, operator time and operator and owner responsibilities. Your state primacy agency is usually a good place to start when compiling your contract operator wish list.
Tip: Check out the "Resource Links" section of the Safe Drinking Water Trust eBulletin for a complete list of state primacy agencies.
And remember, it is always a good idea to run the contract past your legal counsel before signing on the dotted line.
Additional Resources
http://www.state.sd.us/denr/DES/Drinking/contract.htm [4]
Knowing Where to Turn
Finding a potential contract operator can be difficult, especially when you take into account that many studies are showing what we all know to be true—the Baby Boom generation is approaching retirement age.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employment opportunities for municipal operators are expected to grow by 10 to 20 percent by 2012; for privately owned facilities, employment growth projections are showing a 21 to 35 percent growth over the same period. In a nutshell, there are expected to be more jobs for operators to choose from in the coming years.
If you take into account a recent AWWA Research Foundation study predicting that 35 percent of all water and wastewater operators will be eligible for retirement in the next 10 years and another 22 percent will be eligible in just five years, you can begin to see that the coming years will possibly be good for the operators who will be able to be more selective in their employment searches—and more costly to hire!
Fortunately, nearly ever state has created and maintains a listing of contract operators.
Tip: Be sure to check this month’s "Success" section of the Safe Drinking Water Trust eBulletin for a complete listing of state-level contacts.
Another good source of potential water operators is the systems around you. While we don’t recommend hiring operators away from your neighbors—remember that many systems are facing the exact same dilemma—your neighbors may just be willing to share an operator with you.