Demo

Lead Wastewater Treatment Operator

American Water
Washington, PA Full Time
POSTED ON 8/28/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 10/4/2026

Pennsylvania American Water is seeking a motivated and ambitious Lead Plant Operator to join our team in Claysville, PA! This critical role will be responsible for day-to-day operations at the wastewater treatment facility, including process monitoring, making control adjustments, compliance and regulatory reporting, and light maintenance on equipment.


The Lead Wastewater Treatment Operator operates and maintains wastewater purification systems to optimize operations and ensure regulatory compliance of plant. In this role, you will perform maintenance of equipment, quality control/testing and related day to day activities. This individual Is fully qualified to perform the most complex functions and lead the work of others.


Key Accountabilities

  • Monitor treatment plant functions by reading gauges, graphs, meters, and control panels. Establish, maintain, and control flow through the treatment process and within the distribution/collection system. Assist with pressure flow studies, collect recorder
  • Operate, maintain, control, and perform routine repair of plant equipment including preventative maintenance duties. Order/obtain needed parts and supplies for operations
  • Assist and guide personnel in operations and maintenance of facilities and equipment
  • Perform water quality sampling, testing and analysis to determine compliance with federal, state and company regulations
  • Implement security measures at sites. Inspect buildings, grounds, and equipment for conformance to safety standards and security requirements


Knowledge/Skills

  • Knowledge of lab duties for water/wastewater facilities including: OBD's, phosphates, total solids, total suspended solids, pH, ammonia, nitrates, chlorine residual, fluoride, fecal coliform, bacti's, and temperature
  • Knowledge of pumps and control panels
  • Thorough knowledge of the layout, location and equipment characteristics of water/wastewaters systems and of the treatment plants
  • Knowledge of the regulatory and legal environment of modern water and wastewater systems and water and wastewater treatment, including environmental law and contract law as applicable
  • Must have broad knowledge of MS Office products, including MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint
  • Must understand the working principle behind a computerized maintenance management program


Experience/Education

  • High school diploma or equivalent
  • College course work in biology, chemistry, environmental science, or engineering preferred
  • 5 years’ experience and progressive responsibility in the field of water treatment and distribution


Certifications & Licenses

  • Valid driver license
  • DEP Wastewater License- Class A, E-Subclass 2,3 and 4 required
  • Candidate must possess required licenses or have the ability to obtain within designated timeframe.


Work Schedule

  • Full-time
  • On-site
  • Monday-Friday, 7am-4pm
  • Overtime/on call responsibility for emergencies


Work Environment

  • Work indoors and outdoors in all weather conditions.
  • May be required to work in buildings, in pits, on scaffoldings or in confined spaces.
  • May be exposed to possible operations hazards including fumes and caustic chemicals, heavy machinery, high pressure, slippery surfaces, water/wastewater hazards and electrical equipment.
  • Must be able to perform essential functions and meet the physical requirements for the position including:
  • Able to stand, walk, climb stairs, or sit for long periods of time
  • Able to wear SCBA and perform job functions in a hazardous environment
  • Must be capable of traveling within service area.

Salary.com Estimation for Lead Wastewater Treatment Operator in Washington, PA
$59,506 to $79,954
If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution. Compensation Planning
Enhance your organization's compensation strategy with salary data sets that HR and team managers can use to pay your staff right. Surveys & Data Sets

What is the career path for a Lead Wastewater Treatment Operator?

Sign up to receive alerts about other jobs on the Lead Wastewater Treatment Operator career path by checking the boxes next to the positions that interest you.
Income Estimation: 
$54,660 - $73,879
Income Estimation: 
$89,517 - $109,269
Income Estimation: 
$54,660 - $73,879
Income Estimation: 
$89,517 - $109,269
Employees: Get a Salary Increase
View Core, Job Family, and Industry Job Skills and Competency Data for more than 15,000 Job Titles Skills Library

Job openings at American Water

  • American Water Davenport, IA
  • Job Description Job Title: Operator Posting Start Date: 8/17/26 Job Description: Hours/Shift Swing shift: Wednesday and Thursday 11a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and ... more
  • 11 Days Ago

  • American Water Scranton, PA
  • Job Title: Equipment Operator B Posting Start Date: 8/12/26 Job Information Join a great company with an exciting Equipment Operator B opportunity in Scran... more
  • 11 Days Ago

  • American Water Bethel, PA
  • Job Description Job Title: $32.38/hour Field Service Representative U01211P Posting Start Date: 9/8/26 Job Description: Job Information Join a great compan... more
  • 11 Days Ago

  • American Water Houston, TX
  • Buscamos personas organizadas, responsables y con excelente atención al cliente para unirse a nuestro equipo de forma 100% remota. Descripción del puesto: ... more
  • 12 Days Ago


Not the job you're looking for? Here are some other Lead Wastewater Treatment Operator jobs in the Washington, PA area that may be a better fit.

  • GFT Pittsburgh, PA
  • What You Will Do GFT is seeking a Wastewater Treatment Process Engineer to join our Water team! This role follows a hybrid work model, requiring regular at... more
  • 30 Days Ago

  • Aquatech International LLC Canonsburg, PA
  • Summary: Aquatech is a global leader in water purification systems technology for both industrial and infrastructure markets located in the United States a... more
  • 11 Days Ago

AI Assistant is available now!

Feel free to start your new journey!