THE CITY OF PORTALES, NEW MEXICO
POSITION POSTING #2026-39
POSITION: WASTEWATER OPERATOR IV
DEPARTMENT: UTILITIES – WASTEWATER TREATMENT
STATUS: NON-EXEMPT
REPORTS TO: UTILITIES DIRECTOR OR DESIGNEE
SHIFT: FT REGULAR – 40 HOURS PER WEEK / ON-CALL ROTATION
SALARY: $29.50–$38.51 HOURLY / $61,360–$80,101 ANNUALLY
**This is a safety-sensitive position, subject to drug and alcohol testing under City policy and applicable law.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Serves as the City’s Level 4 Wastewater Operator, performing and directing advanced technical work at the Portales Wastewater Treatment Plant and associated reuse systems. Makes process-control decisions, oversees regulatory compliance, maintains operating records, trains lower-level operators, and responds to emergencies.
TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Typical duties follow. Additional duties requiring comparable or lesser skills, knowledge, or dexterity may be assigned.
1. Operate, monitor, adjust, and troubleshoot the Aero-Mod activated-sludge and biological nutrient removal process, clarifiers, disinfection systems, tertiary disc filters, residuals handling, and associated blowers, pumps, chemical feed, reuse, storage, and disposal systems.
2. Serve as the facility’s appropriately certified operator and provide operational supervision consistent with 20.7.4 NMAC, City policy, other applicable requirements, and written NMED direction.
3. Evaluate flow and loading, dissolved oxygen, mixed liquor, solids inventories, return and waste activated sludge rates, clarification, nutrient removal, disinfection, and filtration. Document process adjustments and evaluate results.
4. Review laboratory and field data for abnormal trends or potential permit exceedances; initiate corrective action and promptly report actual or anticipated noncompliance through the required chain of command.
5. Collect or oversee representative samples; ensure proper locations, methods, preservation, chain of custody, laboratory coordination, quality control, and reporting schedules.
6. Prepare, review, certify, or assist with operating logs, monitoring and compliance reports, incident reports, and corrective-action records within assigned authority.
7. Implement approved operating and corrective action plans, contingency procedures, reclaimed-water requirements, standard operating procedures, and emergency-response protocols.
8. Inspect facilities and equipment; prioritize maintenance based on operational, safety, security, and compliance risks. Perform or assist with preventive and corrective maintenance within assigned training and authorization.
9. Respond to treatment upsets, power or equipment failures, alarms, spills, unauthorized discharges, reuse-system problems, and severe weather.
10. Provide technical direction, hands-on instruction, and documented training to lower-level operators. Support certification development and assign work consistent with each employee’s certification, training, and demonstrated competence.
11. Maintain chemical, spare-parts, safety, sampling, and equipment inventories; recommend purchases and prepare documentation. Develop operating, sampling, compliance, maintenance, and on-call schedules as assigned.
12. Coordinate with NMED, laboratories, engineers, manufacturers, contractors, and City departments as directed. Provide operational input for planning, design reviews, construction, start-up, testing, and acceptance of improvements.
13. Follow confined-space, lockout/tagout, respiratory protection, chemical handling, bloodborne-pathogen, fall-protection, and other applicable safety procedures. Keep facilities, vehicles, tools, work areas, and grounds safe, secure, orderly, and serviceable.
KNOWLEDGE EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS
1. High school diploma or equivalent; at least 18 years of age.
2. Active, unrestricted New Mexico Level 4 Wastewater certification…