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Water Resource Recovery Operator

NYC Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP)
York, NY Full Time
POSTED ON 4/14/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 5/10/2026
The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) enriches the environment and protects public health for all New Yorkers by providing 1.1 billion gallons of high quality drinking water, managing wastewater and stormwater, and reducing air, noise, and hazardous materials pollution. DEP is the largest combined municipal water and wastewater utility in the country, with nearly 6,000 employees. DEP's water supply system is comprised of 19 reservoirs and 3 controlled lakes throughout the system’s 2,000 square mile watershed that extends 125 miles north and west of the City.

Duties

The Bureau of Water Supply seeks to hire a Watershed Maintainer within the Water Resource Recovery Operations Division, Drinking Water Operations Directorate, for a position at the Pine Hill Water Resource Recovery Facility, located in Pine Hill, New York. Under supervision, of the Assistant Chief Operator, the Watershed Maintainer will serve as Watershed Maintainer Wastewater Plant Operator and will be responsible for performing daily operations to maintain NYSDEC State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) compliance at the Water Resource Recovery Facility. Specific duties include:

  • Conducting wastewater facility operations
  • Conducting equipment maintenance projects, housekeeping and ground maintenance
  • Performing laboratory analysis
  • Conducting wastewater analysis in a laboratory setting by user friendly instrumentation for process and SPDES reporting.
  • Acquiring and maintaining Wastewater Certification

License Requirement

Candidates will be required obtain and maintain a New York State Grade 2 Wastewater Operators Certification within two (2) years.

(This is a brief description of what a Watershed Maintainer might do in this position and does not include all the duties of this position)

Some of the physical activities performed by Watershed Maintainers and environmental conditions experienced are: lifting objects up to waist height, fingering, grasping, squeezing and/or turning objects such as tools and equipment, pushing and pulling objects such as tools and levers using one or two hands, reaching at a distance up to arm’s length, coordinating the movements of hands and feet, and balancing body on foot stools or ladders from 3 to 30 feet in height while standing and working with hands overhead. In order to perform the essential tasks of this position, Watershed Maintainers may be required to: wear protective equipment such as gloves, boots, goggles, earplugs, noise attenuators, face shields, and/or respirators, work in temperatures ranging from 0 F and 105 F in wetness and varying atmospheric conditions such as high and low humidity, work in the presence of toxic and/or corrosive chemicals and moving parts of machinery and equipment, and work in restricted spaces for up to 1 hour at a time and on surfaces made of metal gratings, macadam and/or cement.

Special Working Conditions: Watershed Maintainers may be required to work shifts including nights, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

Preferred Skills

  • New York State Grade 2 Wastewater Operator Certificate
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a New York State Grade 2 Wastewater Operator Certification.
  • Experience within a wastewater treatment plant
  • Ability to perform physically taxing work
  • Ability to follow instructions

Hours And Shift

40 hours per week. May be required to work shifts including nights, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

Work Location:

8811 State Route 28

Pine Hill, NY 12465

Pine Hill is a hamlet in the Town of Shandaken in Ulster County, New York approximately 140 miles northwest of New York City.

WATERSHED MAINTAINER - 91011

Minimum Qualifications

A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent and one of the following:

  • One year of full-time satisfactory experience in the operation and maintenance of equipment used in the controlling or purification of water at facilities in watershed areas, reservoirs, or aqueduct systems, or performing duties involving the upkeep, inspection, maintenance or operation of watershed areas and related facilities; or

A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent and one of the following:

  • Two years of full-time satisfactory experience as: a mechanic, journeyman or helper in the electrical trades or mechanical trades; or a technician in a chemical processing facility or chemical laboratory.

Driver License Requirement: By the time you are appointed to this position, you must have a motor vehicle driver license valid in the State of New York. This license must be maintained for the duration of your employment.

55a Program

This position is also open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate at the top of your resume and cover letter that you would like to be considered for the position through the 55-a Program.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.

Residency Requirement

New York City residency is not required for this position.

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.

, $47,684.00 – $69,745.00

Salary : $47,684 - $69,745

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