WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT OPERATOR TRAINEE PROGRAM Limited-Term Appointment
Goal:
Background Information:
- Metro District: Includes Sand Island Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP).
- Leeward District: Comprises Honouliuli, Wahiawā, Wai‘anae, and Pa‘ala‘a Kai treatment plants.
- Windward District: Encompasses Kailua Regional, Waimānalo, Lā‘ie, and Kahuku treatment plants.
Additionally, there’s a Technical Services Branch handling the islandwide wastewater Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system (SCADA). However, for this program’s scope, these operators are not considered. Below is a breakdown of the operator count at each plant:
Branch District | Plant | Number of Operators |
|---|---|---|
Metro | Sand island WWTP | 33 |
| Windward | Kailua Regional WWTP | 29 |
| Waimānalo WWTP | 3 | |
| Lā‘ie WRF | 4 | |
| Kahuku WWTP | 3 | |
| Operator Pool | 3 | |
| Leeward | Honouliuli WWTP | 47 |
| Wahiawā WWTP | 4 | |
| Wai‘anae WWTP | 6 | |
| Pa‘ala‘a Kai WWTP | 2 | |
| Operator Pool | 11 | |
| Technical Services | SCADA | 5 |
| Total: 150 |
Proposal:
Here’s our plan: ENV knows that recruiting and training new people, as well as helping current employees, is the key to getting and keeping good Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators. So, we’ve come up with a program to help with this. It’s a pretty thorough program lasting from six months to a year. It gives people all the skills, education, and training necessary to become successful wastewater treatment plant operators.
Here’s how it works: People who are interested may join the program as Wastewater Treatment Plant Trainees, even if they don’t have any experience. They’ll go through a 15-week training program that’s a mix of classroom learning, fieldwork, and on-the-job training. This will get them ready to become Assistant Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators in about six months. Once they’ve successfully finished this part, they’ll receive a temporary certification from the BOC, which lasts for two years. After another six months of work – so, one year in total – they can take the Board Certified Operators exam to get their Grade 1 certification, which is a permanent license. Assistant operators have two years to pass this exam or they might lose their job.
For the operators who are already working and have Grade 1, 2, or 3 certifications, they also need to earn Continuing Education Points (CEUs) to move up to the next level. So, our program includes quarterly, day-long sessions to help them prepare for the certification exams. They can do this training during work hours with their supervisor’s approval as long as it doesn’t affect operations.