There’s a shortage of water plant operators nationwide, and that’s expected to grow as more workers retire.
Caleb Taylor, executive director for the New River Valley Regional Water Authority, said water operators have good job security. Though automation can assist workers, he doesn’t think these jobs will ever be entirely replaced with artificial intelligence.
“It’s something that it does require human interaction and an ability to notice when there is a problem and step in and take care of getting it resolved,” Taylor said. “So it’s something that AI can’t do.”
Operators use a scientific approach to treating water, and Taylor explained workers also have to visually inspect the water and make sure the chemicals are doing their job.
Taylor’s plant is fully staffed, with 19 workers. They begin pay for operators in training at $20 an hour. He said they recruit employees through word of mouth from current workers. Until they find their way to the job, people often don’t know this career exists.
Most utilities across the Commonwealth need more workers. “The need is very high,” Taylor said. “There are many utilities that if you go out there they have at least a couple of vacancies, if not numerous vacancies that they’re trying to get filled.
“We’re all in the same boat of there’s not enough of us that to go around, that can fix it faster than it’s falling apart,” said Josh Hodge, chief water operator at Pulaski’s treatment plant. He came to this job in 2012 and said the town has paid for all his training.
He said most people tend to stay, not because the pay is high, but because there is a public service aspect to the work. "Anyone who wants a career in something, that it doesn’t feel like a dead end job," Hodge said. "Where it’s something that you can actually build a career on and have some fulfillment in your work day to day."
Virginia Tech has a week-long water operator training each June and a wastewater operator training in August. Taylor is one of the instructors. “The people that are in this field, love what they do, and they take a lot of pride in it,” Taylor said. “They don’t seek a lot of recognition for it, but they are really proud of what they do for their communities.”
The university also hosts continuing education courses across Virginia throughout the year.
