Meet Daniel Parker, Wastewater Plant Operator III, who tells us all about his role with the City of Oceanside Water Utilities Department. Reservoirs are maintained at levels to prevent any interruption of service to the public, and waterline repairs are made at all hours of the day or night. To be a wastewater plant operator, one must be detail-oriented and curious. The role requires the competencies of Checking, Examining, and Recording. This means that you are interested in entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/digital format, including adaptive devices and software. Daniel was able to start this job right out of high school. Learn more with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Water and Wastewater Competency Model.

Meet Marselino Sanchez, a Water System Operator II at Vista Irrigation District, a public agency that provides water service. A role that is in charge of maintaining water distribution systems and analyzing the water quality.

Common Skills Needed: Mathematics, Science, Communication, and Analytic Thinking.

This video was made in collaboration with the San Diego & Imperial Counties Community Colleges Center of Excellence.

You enjoy working with tools, equipment, and physical environments

You like figuring out how things work and analyzing situations to find solutions

You enjoy structure and following systems or procedures