How to become a water treatment machine operator

Official title: Water treatment machine operator (waterworks)

Also called: Water works film operator, Water works purifying plant operator, Water works treatment plant operator, Ÿ Water works purifying plant operator

Water treatment machine operator (waterworks) operates and monitor treatment plant equipment to purify water for human consumption and industrial use. He/she controls the flow of raw water into plant by starting and regulating operation of electric motors, pumps and valves, adds specified amounts of chemicals to disinfect, deodorise and clarify water, or adjusts automatic devices which admit chemicals in controlled dosages. He/she starts agitators to mix ingredients and filters water through filtering material. He/she pumps purified water into water mains, monitors control panel meters and gauges to determine rate of flow and other factors.

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
• Collecting and testing water and sewage samples for chemical and bacterial content, using test equipment and colour analysis standards
• Analysing test results to make adjustments to plant equipment and systems to disinfect and deodorise water and other liquids
• 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
• Pumping station operator
• Refrigeration system operator

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Questions people ask

Will AI change the work of a water treatment machine 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