What Is a Water Superintendent?

A water superintendent is a vital part of the water treatment process. In this career, you
are in charge of the process by which water enters the municipality’s treatment plants.
Your responsibilities are to create and oversee the plans that provide water to a town or
city’s treatment centers from wells, lakes, and rivers. Additional job duties include
maintaining the sewage system for the municipality. Water superintendent is a
supervisory position, so you manage a staff proportional to the size of their area. Small
towns may have a team of only a couple people, while larger cities may have a sizable
staff. You may also handle public reports and press releases for the city’s water system.

How to Become a Water Superintendent

A college degree is not a universal requirement for a water superintendent. However, that
decision is up to the municipality, so it is possible that certain areas require some form of
higher education. States may dictate the minimum qualifications to become a water
superintendent. Additionally, larger cities often require a bachelor’s degree in civil
engineering, environmental science, or some form of managerial studies. However, your
skills are a more significant prerequisite for your consideration for the position. You must
have considerable experience working in wastewater management systems. You also
need intimate knowledge of the municipal, state, and federal regulations dictating the
management of water systems and how these systems operate within the city and
environment.

Public Utilities Director Job Description

A public utilities director works under the supervision of the city engineer or city manager
to manage a city’s water treatment and sewage systems. He is responsible for
maintaining equipment and budgeting for repair and replacement of equipment, as
needed. The utilities director must be familiar with state and federal regulations regarding
public water usage and sewage disposal, and must be able to direct staff to comply with
those regulations.

Training
Training requirements for public utilities director vary among the states. Often, a four-year
degree in public administration, urban planning or civil engineering is required. Many
cities also require up to six years experience working in the field of public utilities, with at
least half of those years in a supervisory position. The public utilities director must also
have the training necessary to obtain a water operator’s license and wastewater
operator’s license in his state. In addition, the public utilities director must have a valid
driver’s license.
Duties
A public utilities director oversees the day-to-day operation of the water plant and the
wastewater facilities. This includes supervising personnel and disciplining them, as
necessary, to ensure a safe water supply. The director follows federal and state
guidelines as he prepares his budget, which includes staffing requirements, new
equipment to replace damaged or worn items and the supplies necessary to operate the
utilities. He works closely with construction crews as they install new water and
wastewater lines. Working with other municipal officials, the director creates policies for
the safe use of the public utilities and works to implement those plans. The director is
responsible for preparing and presenting reports to the governing board of the
municipality regarding the operations of the utilities. He also collects and presents data
required by state and federal agencies. The public utilities director meets with
governmental supervisors from the Office of Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA,
and state supervisors regarding the safe operation of the water facilities.

Skills
Good communications skills are essential for this job, as the public utilities director works
closely with his supervisors, citizens of the municipality and staff. Organizational skills are
essential to operating his office efficiently. He needs a thorough understanding of the safe
water storage issues and of wastewater facilities operations. He also needs to understand
how the public right of way containing buried water lines also contain gas, cable,
telephone, Internet and electrical lines. While the director spends most of his day in an
office setting, he must have the physical abilities necessary to operate water and
wastewater equipment. He also needs to be familiar with office equipment, such as
computers and photocopiers, to perform his job properly.

Pay
The pay for public utilities directors varies according to a number of factors, including the
size of the municipality. For example, the public utilities director position in Suffolk,
Virginia paid $117,339 in 2011. The same position had a salary range of $59,155 to
$224,099 for fiscal year 2011 in San Diego. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that
the median pay for the nation's 110,700 water and wastewater treatment plant and system
operators was much lower, at 40,770 per year in 2010.