Utility Technician

Aqua, an Essential Utilities company, employs people in a variety of roles within our eight-state footprint, ranging from field workers and customer service representatives who are on the front lines working with customers, to scientists and engineers who help ensure we’re delivering reliable water and wastewater services to our communities.  If you’re looking for a rewarding career helping improve our environment and protect our natural resources, we encourage you to join our team!

About Essential Utilities

Essential Utilities, Inc. delivers safe, clean, reliable services that improve quality of life for individuals, families, and entire communities.

Operating as the Aqua (water and wastewater services) and the Peoples and Delta (natural gas) brands, Essential serves approximately 5.5 million people across 10 states. We are committed to sustainable growth, operational excellence, a superior customer experience, and premier employer status - including a competitive and comprehensive benefits package as well as a commitment to career growth opportunities.

We are advocates for the communities we serve and are dedicated stewards of natural lands, protecting more than 7,600 acres of forests and other habitats throughout our footprint.

Our company is one of the most significant publicly traded water, wastewater service and natural gas providers in the U.S. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Tasks of the incumbent include, but are not limited to:

• Understands the operation of equipment such as backhoe; vacuum/jetter truck; sewer TV inspection equipment; back-up pumps; compressors; welder; generators and such other equipment as the Company may have or acquire.

• Installation, maintenance and repair of wastewater collection pipes, manholes, pumps, service lines and related valves, fittings and appurtenances.

• Meets with customers and resolves inquiries regarding sewer utility service.

• Understand proper use of tools and instruments associated with the work.

• Make measurements, surveys and perform infrastructure locates.

• Read, understand, interpret and apply information from plans, system drawings, schematics and operations manuals to the performance of the work.

• Perform and record construction inspections and tests of distribution and collection system pipes, hydrants, valves, manholes, meters, computer controls, pumps and appurtenances.

• Wear and maintain required personal protective equipment and company provided uniforms.

• Perform the duties in a safe manner following OSHA, 10HSA, USDOT, Company and any other applicable safety related rules and regulations.

• Understand safety inspection requirements and maintenance of vehicles.

• Be reasonably available for overtime work, on-call duty and for emergency call-out duty, as necessary to provide service to the public.

• Perform other duties as assigned to provide service to customers and/or forward the goals and objectives of the organization.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must possess a high school diploma or GED.

• No previous experience is required although mechanical and/or electrical experience is preferred.

• Valid U.S. driver's license

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Must have the ability to operate computers and related software to retrieve and recorded data and information related to the work.

• Be trustworthy, conscientious, and have the proper regard for the use of time and equipment, and an awareness of the responsibility to safeguard the water supply and prevent pollution of area surface water.

• Have the technical, academic and physical ability to perform the duties of this classification. Have a personality that allows cooperation with, communication with, and assistance to other employees and the public.

• Be able to readily read, understand and accurately follow operating instructions as given by supervisors.

• Be neat, reliable, and resourceful, have a retentive memory, and be able to think and act promptly. Be able to discern between the relative importance of assigned duties.

• Be able to send and receive instructions by radio, computer and/or telephone.

• Have a good foundation in understanding the operations and maintenance of a sanitary sewer collection system, including the operation of pumps, valves; ARVs, lift station control panels, SCADATA equipment, compressors, chemical equipment, and other appurtenances.

• Demonstrate good working knowledge on how to use and maintain cleaning equipment, televising equipment, bypass equipment, stand alone or portable generator equipment, small utility crane truck vehicle, locating equipment; GPS equipment, and such other equipment as the Company may have or acquire

• Have a working ability to safely install pipe, manholes, pumps, ARVs, floats/transducers, related valves, fittings, and other appurtenances.

• Maintain grounds over pipe, services, and all other Company owned property. Housekeeping of Company properties, garages, and equipment/materials in the yards. Keeping track of inventory as it comes in and out of the yards.

• Must be able to conduct inspections of development/capital projects such as having the ability to read and follow construction plans, witnessing of pipe installation, upholding of Company standards and specification, taking measurements, documentation through photos and written work, recording through documentation of required testing after installation, submitting all witnessed work to the engineering department. Communicating with the engineering department on all projects as needed.

• Locating of the Company's owned assets such as pipe, manholes, cleanouts, valves, and other appurtenances while using the provided GIS maps and AutoCAD maps to assist you in properly locating assets within the sanitary sewer collection system; as to prevent damage from various contractors, homeowners or other utilities.

• Load and unload various items that are delivered to the office, WWTP, or onsite with Company provided equipment.

• All Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) must be followed in order to perform jobs successfully, without injury, and with quick responses to non-emergency and emergency issues within the collection system.

• To be reasonably available for overtime work, on call duty, and emergency call-out duty as scheduled or unscheduled when necessary to provide service to the public.

• Maintaining a professional appearance and professional demeanor when dealing with the Company's customers and with the public is a must. The Company's core values are Integrity, Respect, and Excellence and therefore those values should show when our employees are engaging with customers, vendors or the public.

• Communication skills (verbal or written) are equally important to help others to understand the collection system when resolving customer complaints, when helping other departments to understand what is out in the system, to help their supervisor and co-workers understand what needs to be addressed out in the field.

• Holding a collection certification, wastewater license, or a PACP, MACP, LACP license is not required however, having a desire to acquire one is supported by the Company.

• This person must have integrity which demonstrates honesty in the work that they perform; respect which demonstrates their ability to work among diverse groups within the Company, and then to have excellence which demonstrates a quality in an individual wanting to be outstanding or extremely good at their job.

WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• May be subject to extreme temperatures, noise, wet and/or humid conditions, mechanical, electrical, gas exposure hazards, fumes, dusts, mists, gases and/or poor ventilation atmospheric conditions.
• Must be able to lift and carry up to 50 lbs.  
• Working conditions may include travel to work sites of Essential Utilities and/or other constituents.
• May be required to be “on-call” per the site schedule

The physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Aqua, an Essential Utilities company is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. Equal employment opportunity is provided to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to the following legally protected characteristics: race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions, including medical conditions related to lactation), physical or mental disability, covered-veteran status, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or any other characteristic protected by applicable local, state or federal law.
Aqua is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities.  If you have a condition that may prevent you from applying for a job online or need to request an accommodation during the interview process, please call (1-877-271-9012).  
To maintain the integrity of the recruitment process and to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest due to employment and/or assignment of family members and personal referrals, specific guidelines apply to the hiring and assignment of these individuals including, but not limited to:

• Family members cannot result in a supervisor/subordinate reporting relationship
• Family members cannot work in the same department.