Salary: $85,633.60 - $105,185.60 Annually
Location : County of San Diego, CA
Job Type: Regular - Full time
Job Number:
Department: Wastewater Management
Division: Operations & Maintenance
Opening Date: 09/25/2026
Closing Date: Continuous

Job Summary

Wastewater Plant Operator III

WPO III's use equipment and machinery such as: pumps, valves, electric motors, motor control centers, screening devices, flow meters, trickling filters, activated sludge process, aerobic digesters, sludge drying beds, effluent percolation beds, and spray irrigation systems to recognize unusual, inefficient, or dangerous operating conditions and take appropriate action.
Employees in the Wastewater Plant Operator III job class provide technical guidance, training and leadership to lower class wastewater operators, and may supervise in the absence of the supervisor. Incumbents must possess a Grade III Waste Treatment Plant Operator certificate and may be assigned responsibility for a geographical district.

Please read the job description for more information.
Hiring Process and Timeline:

The timeline for this recruitment is outlined below.

i. Job Offer and Background Process begins: Shortly after the interviews. Note: Current County employees may be excluded from additional background screening.
ii. Pre-employment Medical Screening: Approximately 3 days following successful background investigation results.
iii. Anticipated Start Date: Start date will be based upon successful completion of medical screening or other mutually agreed upon date.

If you are not selected for this interview process, you may have the opportunity to compete for future vacancies.
Minimum Qualifications

Possession of a current Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Grade III certificate, AND, two (2) years of experience at the level equivalent to a Wastewater Plant Operator II with the County of San Diego or another equivalent agency.

Blind Applicant Screening
The Department of Human Resources removes personally identifiable information from all new recruitments. This practice, called Blind Applicant Screening, will hide a candidate's personal information that could influence or bias a hiring decision. Personal information includes name, phone number, address, gender, age and race. This process will help contribute to a fair and equitable selection process leading to a more diverse and inclusive workforce.

The most highly qualified candidates, based on the evaluation results, will be referred for an interview. Be sure to include your experience in meeting the minimum requirements in both the Work Experience section and the Supplemental Questionnaire section of the Application.
Conditions of Employment

Evaluation
The names of qualified applicants will be placed on a six (6) month employment list based upon scores received during the evaluation of information contained in their employment application and supplemental questionnaire.

Accommodation
Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions of the job, on a case-by-case basis.

01

Please be sure to answer the following questions in a thorough, complete and truthful manner, as your responses may be used to determine your overall score. Please do NOT indicate "See Resume," or "See Application," as these are not valid answers. If you are invited to a selection interview(s) by the hiring department, your responses to the following questions may be subject to verification. Please review the minimum qualifications for this position before completing your application. Do you understand this information?

• Yes
• No

02

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONDo you have a current Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Grade III Certificate?Note: You MUST submit a copy of your certificate during Step 1 of the on-line application submittal process.

• Yes
• No

03

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONDo you have two (2) years of experience at the level equivalent to a Wastewater Plant Operator II with the County of San Diego or another equivalent agency?

• Yes
• No

04

Which of the following secondary treatment processes have you operated?

• Activated Sludge
• Trickling Filter
• Aerated Lagoons
• None of the above

05

Do you have experience performing the following duties within a pumping station? Select all that apply.

• Operational Checks
• Maintenance
• Repairs
• Recordkeeping
• Reports
• None of the above

06

What responsibilities have you had as an Operator working at a wastewater treatment plant?

• Operating Treatment Facilities
• Maintaining Treatment Facilities
• Filling out and completing Operation Reports
• Performing Operational Process Control
• Responding to the Results of Process Lab
• None of the above

07

What treatment processes have you worked on?

• Primary level
• Secondary level
• Tertiary level
• None of the above

08

What types of sampling have you done?

• Set up and Programmed Auto-Samplers
• Collected and transported Composite or Grab Samples
• Filled Out a Chain of Custody Form
• None of the above

09

Where did you first hear about this job opportunity?

• California Rural Water Association (CRWA)
• BC Water Jobs
• WaterdistrictJobs.com
• San Diego Voice & Viewpoint
• County Social Media
• LinkedIn/Indeed
• College/University Career Site
• County Employee
• San Diego County website
• Governmentjobs.com
• Family, Neighbors, Friends
• Other
• Job Fair/Career Event

Required Question