How to become a pumping station operator
Official title: Pumping station operator
Also called: Pumphouse man, Pumpman (excluding petroleum refinery), Water pumpman, Pumphouse man
Pumping station operator operates and monitors pumping and siphoning equipment to transfer liquids, gases, semi-liquids and powdered substances from one location to another. He/she opens and sets valves, operates turbine-and motor-driven pumps, reads and interprets flow-meters and pressure and level gauges, regulates equipment according to needs or instructions and makes repairs and adjustments. He/she maintains logs concerning quantities pumped, utilisation of equipment and other matters. He/she may operate hydroelectric equipment to generate power for operating water-pumping equipment.
Main tasks
- Inspecting equipment and monitoring operating conditions, meters, filters, chlorinators and gauges in central control rooms to determine load requirements, to verify that flows, pressures and temperatures are within specification, and to detect malfunctions
- Performing security and safety checks in plant and on grounds
- Completing and maintaining plant logs and reports
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Related jobs
- Stationary engine operator
- Compressor operator
- Water treatment machine operator (waterworks)
- Refrigeration system operator
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Questions people ask
Will AI change the work of a pumping station operator?
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Sources
- International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
Updated 4 October 2026