Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

To support the optimal operation of complex and advanced Class 4 Water and Wastewater Treatment facilities with a combined capacity exceeding 2500 MLD design daily flow. Working on a rotating schedule, this position ensures the safe and efficient operation of all systems required to operate water and wastewater facilities, pumping stations, collection and distribution systems in order to protect the health of residents and for protection of the environment.

Duties / Responsibilities :

1. Operational Activities required to work throughout the Facilities of advanced Class 4 water and wastewater facilities and/or Class 4 distribution and collection system which includes the following:
• Inspects and operates, maintains and monitors subsystems including:
• Headwork's systems including fine screens, washer compactors, conveying systems, grit vortex removal; system, grit classifying system and offsite disposal;
• Phosphorus removal systems including injection systems, chemical deliveries, process control testing;
• Primary treatment systems including, travelling bridges, and chain/flight collection systems, sludge level monitoring, and automated sludge pumping system;
• Digestion process including level/temperature monitoring, feed rates and mixing, sludge testing and gas production;
• Secondary treatment including complex Blower DO control aeration systems, final clarifiers, WAS/RAS systems and testing for MLSS, TSS, SP, DO, MLVSS, microscopic examination;
• Chlorination/De-chlorination process including simulator, ORP, sample and dosing pumps, testing for chlorine and sulphate residuals, Chemical tanks and levels and receiving chemical deliveries;
• Solids handling/receiving facilities including Thickening/Dewatering Centrifuges, polymer systems and deliveries, sludge pumping, blended sludge, cake and centrate testing;
• All incineration auxiliary equipment including, scrubber systems, blowers, pumps, fuel systems including furnace oil and natural gas burner control and injection to incinerator beds, gases for emission monitoring systems, sand systems and instrument/process air;
• Conventional filtration; Ozonation, Biological Active Carbon Contactors, Ultrafiltraion Membranes, Ultra Violet reactors, Advanced oxidation and Chlorination
• Maintaining and operating over 200 pumps in operational condition varying from 40 to 4000 horsepower in operation;
• Transmission of water Re-Chlorination in Transmission; Chloramination in Transmission;
• Maintains Standby power generation and maintenance and operation of residuals waste treatment;
• Actively participate in mitigating taste and odour related events.
• Performing all sampling and lab testing required by conducting standard tests but not limited to (Chlorine); chlorination and re-chlorination UV Transmittance; Ozone [Quenching of O3, (SBS)]; Turbidity; Fluoride; pH; Alum Residual; Chloramines; Jar Testing in order to make process control adjustments, conducting daily in house verifications and/or forwarding to a laboratory for analysis to ensure facility is in compliance with the legislative standards stipulated in the Certificate of Approval;
• Preparing lab sampling for third party compliance laboratory pick up on required days;
• Loads and unloads water and wastewater treatment process chemicals;
• Troubleshoots operational issues and also provides input for operational efficiencies and optimization;
• All plant HVAC, ground/sanitary and process sumps and pits as well as monitoring the Facility Fire suppression systems; and
• Utilizes various tools to perform operational duties including but not limited Microsoft Data Bases, Excel Spreadsheets, SCADA systems and Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS).

2. Quality Assurance and Due Diligence Activities:
• Works in accordance with health and safety standards required by the Occupational Health and Safety Act and all other applicable regulations and legislations;
• Participates in Health and Safety training to maintain safety standards and practices, as required;
• Meets client expectations for effluent quality (more stringent than regulatory limits);
• Noting, recording and filing all readings of data, flows, chemicals used, actions performed, hydro consumption, etc., to assist in creating an operating history of the facility, and to be used in planning and costing the operations; maintains records and documentation of all process and/or work area activities using either manual or computerized systems including but not limited to plant logbooks, computerized databases, etc.;
• Operates facility security systems. Admit visitors to plant; oversee sign in, PPE and safety of visitors while in the facility. Knowledge and application of all health and safety policies for visitors;
• Ensures proper protocols are followed and the correct individuals are contacted to deal with operational issues and emergencies;
• Perform safety reviews of work areas. Maintain safe, compliant work space. Ensure LOTO/Confined space entry and other H&S regulations met;
• Organizing confined space entries for work efforts;
• Assist in the annual internal Audits relating to DWQMS, and improvement of compliance initiatives;
• Testing confined spaces for toxic fumes; and
• Participation in daily safety meetings, tail gate meetings, coordination meetings with contractors.

3. Maintenance Activities:
• Completing, assigning and tracking work orders using the facility Computerized Management Maintenance System (CMMS);
• Participation in Reliability Centred Maintenance sessions to develop improved maintenance plans and procedures;
• Participation in Root Cause Analysis sessions for development of improved maintenance procedures and operational procedures;
• Implementing and maintaining a fibre repair program by maintaining the LRV above 4.0 and to schedule repair campaigns at 10% stack isolation;
• Investigating and troubleshooting alarm conditions and faulty equipment;
• Making appropriate equipment adjustments;
• Adjusting pump speed and valves to regulate flow rates, temperatures and pressures;
• Back flushing lines, scraping chutes and conveyors, hosing equipment, and applying compressed air to clean and clear obstructions to equipment, valves or fittings;
• Lubricating pumps and machinery; testing emergency and back-up systems;
• Carrying out minor repairs;
• Reporting processing conditions deviating from established standards and procedures;
• Performing cleaning procedures (ex. Hosing of equipment, weirs and Tanks);
• Diverting flows and isolating equipment for repair or maintenance; and
• Preparing work orders and project request forms for equipment repair or maintenance.

4. Liaison, Communication and Customer Service Activities:
• Ensures that services provided to internal and external customers meet good customer service standards;
• Works well within the team, provides support where needed and acts in accordance with OCWA values;
• Responds to inquiries, complaints and concerns in a timely and professional manner; and
• Provides direction, guidance and mentoring to Operators-in-Training, co-op students and operators undergoing certification, as required.

5. Performs other related duties and projects such as:
• Supporting and coordinating capital expansion for the Region of Peel in excess of 700 million dollars including request for shutdowns, isolations, development of standard maintenance documents and standard operating procedures, participate in job safety analysis;
• Participates in root cause analyses (RCA) and Reliability Centred Maintenance Analyses (RCM) for development of improved operations and maintenance planning;
• Participating in Energy Management training and how best practices can be applied to facilities;
• Meet energy usage targets by compiling data, reviewing operation of energy control devices, participating in development of maintenance plans specifically designed to improve energy optimization practices.
• Participating in workshops for the development of energy usage targets;
• Supporting process and energy optimization initiatives including Ozone Process Reliability Improvements, Membrane Capacity and Cleaning Study, Filter to Waste studies, re-chlorination optimization;
• Developing an OCWA Commissioning support strategy in support of the Owner/Engineer Commissioning Plan Assist with the commissioning of new equipment and processes;
• Assisting with other projects in the vicinity, as required;
• Coordinating the effort of specialized contractors to perform work in confined spaces requiring extensive knowledge of the dangers associated with then list all the contractors, High Voltage work as well;
• Preparing the process for capital projects tie-ins through isolations, shut downs, lockouts and other activities to ensure process integrity and worker safety;
• Respond, coordinate, and execute request for shutdowns from internal and external stakeholders;
• Loads and unloads Water treatment process chemicals;
• Assisting other operators as required;
• Providing back up as required;
• Maintaining and updating contingency plans; and
• Performing other duties as assigned by the Manager or Supervisor.

Staffing and Licensing :

The incumbent will be required to have or be actively pursuing their Water and/or Wastewater Certification level 4 (minimum OIT) as evidenced by their on-going enrolment and/or completion of CEU combined with the educational requirement of Ontario Secondary School grade 12, or its equivalent. Must have a Grade 12 diploma, or equivalent as recognized by the Ministry of Environment (MOE).
Must obtain through examination by an agency recognized by the MOE, a valid Class 1 Operators License/Certificate in the appropriate discipline as per the applicable legislation within 90 days from their employment start date. Should the incumbent be employed without holding a class 1 Operator Certification/License, he/she will be required to write and pass the Level 1 certification exam in the appropriate discipline within 90 days from their respective start date in this position. Valid Class G Drivers licence. Ability to work on a rotating shift schedule and be available to work on an on-call basis.

Knowledge :

Knowledge of the principles and practices necessary in the operation and maintenance of advanced wastewater treatment plants including thermal conditioning, cogeneration, biosolids handling and incineration (dewatering and thickening of centrifuges), dissolved oxygen control system, headworks and vortex grit removal and grit and screening handling system. Applied knowledge of the operation and maintenance of advanced water treatment plants, with conventional treatment, ozone oxidation, biological activated carbon contactors use of liquid oxygen, oxygen, ozone, membrane treatment, Ultraviolet disinfection, ultrafiltration membranes, advanced oxidation, Granular Active Carbon and Biological Active Carbon Contractors; re-chlorination (Trans); Chloramination (Trans); Capital (2032) - Commissioning and process changes for Capital ; and transmission systems and facilities. Experience working with standby power operations/generators e.g., (Gen Set).Must be familiar with environmental regulations applicable to the operation of water and wastewater treatment facilities. General knowledge of industrial processes and maintenance and repair of a variety of equipment and structures such as hydraulic, electric and mechanical plant equipment such as gauges, pumps, valves, fittings, piping, tanks, heating boilers, incinerators, hydraulic ram pumps, centrifuges, air blowers, screens and conveyors and sufficient to operate, inspect, clean, and maintain them by conducting scheduled readings and recordings; monitoring local process conditions and equipment operations (flow rates, temperatures and pressures). Familiarity with the requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its regulations for the safe performance of his/her duties. Knowledge of occupational hazards and standard safety precautions including storage of chemicals, confined space entry, equipment lockout/tagging and personal protective equipment. Knowledge of basic mathematics in order to make calculations regarding chemicals and operating processes. Familiarity/competency with computerized monitoring systems such as SCADA, CMMS and overall computer literacy to record data from inspections and monitoring activities to complete work orders, project forms to initiate repairs for maintenance. Working knowledge of basic chemistry, biology, thermodynamics and hydrology and be able to apply these principles to operational activities and process adjustments.

Skills :

Job requires analytical and evaluative skills to identify and correct operating discrepancies; to trace abnormal conditions or noise; to report major deviations or conditions that don't respond to normal corrective actions; and to determine from several choices the method to restore normal operating conditions. Good oral communication and interpersonal skills to liaise with clients and mentor/train new staff. Good problem solving skills to report equipment problems or malfunctions in order to ensure urgency of the problem is conveyed and understood, and to receive direction for corrective response. Good written communication skills to write reports and maintain neat and accurate records. Ability to work well in a team, and to take initiative when required. Physical dexterity and ability to work in all weather conditions, in confined spaces, dirty and/or noisy environments. Ability to read and interpret blueprints engineering drawings and follow process drawings to aid in troubleshooting equipment problems. Ability to use and understand operating and maintenance manuals, and other technical specifications. A demonstrated interest in continuous learning.

Freedom of Action :

Job requires working in accordance with the Acts and Regulations as it relates to Class 4 water and wastewater treatment facilities', specifications, standards, Agency policies, guidelines, and established practices and procedures. Job requires making decisions on: problems encountered by others (e.g. contractors) that would affect OCWA facilities; the determination of programs and strategies for identifying and correcting non-compliance issues by inspecting and ensuring that all work complies with applicable codes and safety regulations; maintaining accurate and current records, drawings and specifications. Job requires judgement and accountability in: dealing with external service providers and assessing the need and timing of operational activities; when dealing with emergency situations and/or responding to alarms to ensure corrective actions are appropriate; troubleshooting operational issues/processes that have public health and/or environmental consequences; adjusting process variables to ensure state of the art equipment and processes. Incorrect or delayed decisions may have a serious impact on public safety and the environment. Commitments are made in the allocation of own time and in providing accurate technical/operational information to more senior staff, contract administrators and contractors within established procedures and time frames. Has latitude within designated level of authority to make decisions related to delivery of work in accordance with legislations and policies. Work is accepted by supervisor as technically accurate through periodic review for accuracy and adherence to established time lines and legislative/Agency standards and procedures. Job requires referring unusual matters beyond established practices with recommendations to supervisor. May be required to act as Operator in Charge and/or Overall Responsible Operator at the direction of the manager.