Industrial facilities that send their wastes to municipal treatment plants must meet certain minimum standards and insure that these wastes have been adequately pretreated so that they do not damage municipal treatment facilities. Municipal treatment plants must also meet discharge standards. In order to meet these requirements, operators will have to be able to operate more sophisticated systems. Working Conditions Water and sewage treatment plant operators work both indoors and outdoors and may be exposed to noise from machinery and unpleasant odors, although chlorine and other chemicals are used to minimize these. Persons with allergies might suffer due to dust and other substances in the air.
Operators have to stoop, reach, and climb and often get their clothes dirty.
Sometimes they are confronted with hazardous conditions, such as slippery walkways, dangerous gases, and malfunctioning equipment. Because plants operate around the clock, operators are required to work shifts and on weekends and holidays. During emergencies, overtime is common. Employment Water and sewage treatment plant operators held about 78,000 jobs in 1990. About 1,800 were employed by the Federal Government, mostly by the Armed Forces.