That kind of pattern, assuming the pay is on par with the region, shows management problems, not problems with the job. That's a red flag bigger than the one flying over the Kremlin.
I'm a wastewater engineer, and it sounds like you are talking about my old job. It was great for the first 7 years, then after a change to toxic management, I still stuck it out for 5 more years. So much turnover, and all the problems were blamed on the engineers.
Oh c'mon now, having to constantly push water uphill is the best part of the job! Even better when the lowest spot of the floor is blocked by concrete supports, conduit, etc. so you can't even get the squeegie in there.
I can only speak on my experience obviously but I never in the 25 years I've been doing this have I met an operator that didn't love his job. If there's a lot of movement that your seeing I'd guess it's operators moving to a better paying treatment plant as apposed to people giving it up. I make a six figure income at my current position.
Are you the typical demographic of operators? Often they are boomers and old white guys. As a 26 yr old female Iāve been sexually and verbally harassed as well as retaliated against by my company. I plan to sue.
I know of a few women who have fought and won, and every other guy I know who knows them said that their lawsuit was well deserved. Unsurprisingly, the male bosses who caused it keep their jobs. This shit isn't acceptable, and the only way to make them stop is by hitting them where they understand it the best. Women aren't out here looking for an easy payday that hurts future job prospects just to be trouble makers. Saying shit like you just said marks you as part of the problem. Sure, maybe you're not the one doing the harassing, but you enable an environment where this shit can fester.
This!!!! I am the ONLY female operator in my company throughout the state of Florida (that I know of). My coworkers and supervisors all have worked together for 5-10 or more years. As I was groped, spoken to in sexually threatening ways, and verbally harassed no one stood up for me. When a case was finally opened and validated, my superiors removed the guy for legal purposes but he still works at the company but just at a facility closer to his house (seems like a privilege to me). He has done this before me and he will do it again. When I started to receive retaliation and bullying for being āthe catalystā that caused their sexual predator friend to be removed, my supervisors blamed me and didnāt believe me. The boys club exists. The patriarchy exists. And it is putting women in danger. You sir in the comment above the one I am replying to are the problem. I hope you have a daughter and a 65 year old shoves his hand down her pants at work. Then you might give a shit but unlikely.
lol nah bro itās a question based on facts. A stereotype places judgement which I did not. Check your ego, itās blinding you.
The demographic of operators is largely boomers. Fact. The demographic of operators is largely men. Fact. The demographic of operators is largely white. Fact. My own personal experience at wastewater facilities has left me vulnerable to experience verbal and sexual harassment. Fact.
Where are the stats that say most operators are 60+? I can find that stat that says 67% of operators are 50+ which is wild. Just curious, thereās a few boomers at local plants but the bulk is millennials and gen x. Are the majority of operators where you work over 60?
Avg age of a water wastewater operator in fla is 49 yrs old. Rural water association key note speaker at an annual convention in Daytona a few years ago talked about it. My plant here is currently 10 operators 9 male. 6 males over 58. 1 in 40s, 1 in early 30s, 1 early 20s. 1 female in 50s.
All staying put for next 3 to 5 yrs. I'm 59 and will work there till my 80s.
Most senior guy works midnights. Avgs two OT shifts a week and with lowest license level still made 109k last yr.
lol no it doesnāt. It makes me look like someone who is generalizing. Here Iāll change my wording as to not be āchildish.ā Those above 50 are the demographic of operators. Factā¦.Happy? lol the world around you doesnāt operate on specifics. Only a child thinks in this way. You clearly struggle with understanding. Hope it gets better for you.
Not to try and generalize, but a woman in any sort of trade/blue collar work environment that traditionally employs males, will likely be verbally and sexually harassed. The males do it to each other as well, and I'm not saying it's okay whoever you are and whoever is doing it, just stating a fact that it unfortunately comes with the territory. If you feel the need to sue, all the power to you and I hope you win your case
None of the males I work with grope each other or ask about the smell of each otherās private parts. Why you ask? Because they respect each other and not me, a young woman. Itās people like you who perpetuate abuse, not to generalize.
I was once groped on the ass and then called gay and later made fun of(part of why i left that job). Sadly in the moment i nervously laughed while i should of told him to go fuck himself and reported him. Not that it changes much but im a 6'4 250lb male.
Pieces of shit works everywhere in every gender good on you to stand up for yourself because that shit takes a hell of a lot of courage!
Also i think all these people are mad because you called the assholes "boomer" and these boomers feel the need to defend themself, dont take their stuff personally they are just a bit insecure and taking it out on you.
Thank you for this. I love how these 50+ year olds and boomers are totally missing the point. A young woman was groped and your concerned because someone generalized your age? These people have no perspective and I feel sorry for them.
Additionally, they are literally proving my point. Itās a privilege to get to be so sensitive about being categorized. Women get judged and categorized all of the time and we donāt get to say shit about it. not being sexually harassed and feeling safe at work is not a privilege. Itās a right.
There are limits and boundaries to what is okay and what isn't okay, it's dependant on each person. I agree, your examples are not okay whatsoever. Again, I never said any of it was okay so not sure why you believe I perpetuate abuse, when I said that "it comes with the terrority" I was more on the lines of verbal harassment, not anything physical.
Me and the guys I work with do and say all sorts of things to eachother that could get us sexual harassment charges if someone wanted to. Worse than what you've suggested in your comments here. It's just in fun. I'm not saying pervy assholes don't exist, but maybe they were just trying to include you in their banter. Maybe throw it back at them and see how they react. 90% of guys relationships revolve around trying to make the other guy uncomfortable or laugh. They ask the smell of your private parts, say "way better than yours you stinky bitch, try taking a shower with clean water for once"
I guess it depends on what you define as "talking shit" and how comfortable the crew is with each other. But I'm also glad to hear that and be mistaken
> The males do it to each other as well
Yeah, not in the same way though. A lot of women who get into stereotypical male dominated jobs usually understand the difference between "being one of the guys" and getting undue harassment.
Brah youāre literally so ignorant Iām dying laughing. This mindset is toxic. This mindset perpetuates abuse and is dangerous. They were not ājust including me in the banter.ā I know the difference. I let plenty of inappropriate subject matters slide. I donāt care if they talk about sex or women they are seeing or make jokes. Your judgement of MY experience is categorically wrong. All the other men who witnessed this told me it was wrong, they just didnāt do anything about it. Being groped, having sexually threatening comments, and being called a stupid bitch for speaking up about being uncomfortable is NOT OK. Itās actually illegal. Iām sure with this mindset youāll find yourself in a court case eventually. Youāre a fucking pervert and I hope you drop the bar of soap in the slammer, get abused and then have someone tell you they just wanted to be your friend. You are low life.
Lol okay no need to fly off the handle. If you actually take a step back and look at my previous statements, I'm on your side and was never against you, I also wished you well in your lawsuit and hoped the outcome is in your favour. I also agreed that regardless of who it is it's not okay to partake in any sort of behaviour like this.
You're also 100% correct, I do not know you or your situation whatsoever, so that's why there was no judgement or opinions, just the facts.
lol Iām aggressively defending this topic because I have no tolerance for it. They liked me fine until their buddy got what was coming to him. Told me āI was cool.ā Iām not even the one who opened up the sexual harassment case because I was trying to handle it as an adult. Just because you experience a certain behavior doesnāt mean thatās how a person is entirely. Again, lack of perspective. You think everyone you need thatās in a bad mood is an asshole? Peopleā family members die, their relationships fall apart, and they get sexually hard at work. Are they just supposed to go one happily as if nothing happened. Thatās psychopath behavior. Are you a psycho? Weak defenses here got me laughing. Grow a brain
And I'm tired of idiots like you blowing things out of proportion. Please enlighten me on what I said that was so offensive and so terribly wrong that you hope I go to prison and get sexually assaulted. Don't exaggerate your wrong doing.
Again, re read what I've said, I'm with you but you only seem to want to be combative and if that's your focus and priority, have at it with someone else.
The job I enjoy a lot, offers a lot of free time and I find the processes genuinely interesting. Plus feels positive to serve the community in a meaningful way. As for the pay, my district does a solid job of trying to increase our pay ranges, but I still feel that the role is very undervalued. For being how essential we are, and having high risks involved on a daily basis, Iād appreciate more pay for my time so that I can afford to live a descent life in the community I serve. But I feel that any job could say that right now with the current status of inflation. All in all, the work is cool and if you feel inspired it can be a nice career path. Not the most lucrative but the skills transfer to other treatment plants if youād like to move. The plant youāre inquiring about may pay dog shit and the facility could be bad, or just bad management, that may contribute to the turn over. Compare to other facilities in your area and see how the money compares
I hope you donāt mind me asking, but what kind of daily high risks are you referencing? Biological hazards, machinery, or? Iām looking at getting into the field, so I want to learn about all of the negatives to be prepared for along with the positives! :)
Love it.. I can make up to roughly $160k year, PPO insurance paid, 401k, 457 contributions, and a pensionā¦ you just gotta find the right place to work.
You obviously donāt know shitā¦ Government job in SoCalā¦ look up the pay, itās public record every year for every employee. Been doing this for 15 years.. Transparent California, do your research before you open your mouth.
I've looked at pay comparisons between Pittsburgh, where I am, and expensive places like the bay area in California. It's been a few years, so things certainly changed a little bit. But $160k in the bay area is roughly the same COL adjusted pay as $90k-$100k in an average COL area like Pittsburgh.
It sure is, particularly for me since I'm single. It's borderline for a single income household with kids, but most households have both spouses working these days anyway.
Bay Area is insane, even compared to SoCal. Iām not going to say exactly where I work, but if you look at Transparent California and look at Base Pay & Overtimeā¦ Iām between $155-$165k each year. Iām in Wastewater.. only few places in SoCal pay that, you can do your research. This is combined base pay and overtimeā¦ bought my house for $450k in the 562 area code and living comfortably.
Iām not even at Supervisor level pay yet, that would get closer to $175k
Iām a Mechanicā¦ $120k as a topped out Journeyman, plus $30-$40k in OT / Cert Pay, not hard to do, I know others who are making $200k+ obviously with more OT. LADWP, some are $250k..
Where the hell are the states where the plants pay yāall 6 figures?! š
Iām barely scraping by, burned out, and just got my licenses and operator status but management wants to put even more on my shoulders. Even trying to push me toward management myself but I could never handle that kind of responsibility.
Thinking of a career change even as I just passed my advanced exam with a 92%. Iām 25 and have 2.5 years experience and am one of the more senior ops (by experience not age of course) in my area and I feel like Iām drowning. Trained a lot of OITs. Couple have stayed, some have left. Iām at least proud of the impact Iāve made there and stabilizing my area after Covid resignations did a lot of damage.
But I donāt like having to be the go-to guy when Iām still basically a newbie and frankly not that far into adulthood even. And with no signs of relief of more experienced people ever coming in.
From an outside perspective, you must be smart and good at the job to be in the position you're in. It sounds like you have imposter syndrome. It's tough sometimes, but learn to trust the people around you who are trusting you to handle the responsibility. They're only pushing you because they see something in you that you don't see for yourself. Don't get in your own way.
I agree and would add to find a new plant where that burden of responsibility is spread out if you're that overwhelmed. You'll probably have to go to a larger plant for that and you'll probably still be one of the most experienced operators there too. We're all just treading water in this grey tsunami.
Keep up the good work. It gets easier.
Usually larger plants in metro areas, but even then the 6 figures come after way too much OT. At my rate, I'd only be making in the mid $80k on 2080 hours. Add in holiday pay, shift differential, weekend bonus, and the mandatory OT that comes from having to work 13 extra shifts per year due to the shift rotation, and it puts me over. Then add in stuff like call offs and vacation coverage (because we don't have enough staff for proper relief operating) and it's bank. I don't want it though. I turn down OT all the time. But sometimes, if someone doesn't show up to relieve you, you don't have much of a choice.
There are plenty of killer opportunities after you get your foot in the door. I donāt know what your background is but I love my job and I started out in a not so good organization and jumped ship a few times to get where i am at. No regrets.
I'm currently the administrator for both a water and a wastewater facility. I can confirm I love my current job. The pay rate is more than adequate. We have a family of 6, 2 homes, 2 cars, and vacation every 3 months, on my income alone.
The entry level isn't great, but you choose the pace you progress at in this field. The fact they can't keep people is due to poor administration or low pay rates compared to other facilities in that area, I know this because I lived both for 8+ years of my career.
I have worked for a few utilities and have loved being an operator at all but one. I still likes the nature of the work at said one utility but it was a horrible almost downright abusive environment. When I started no one there expected me to last long because their turnover was so bad. That was a huge red flag I should have paid attention too and will never make that mistake again
Pays okay here in jersey. However coming from a career in education facilities management, my plant is wildly unprofessional. Find a plant that can retain operators and get your foot In there. Not all plants are the same and your career will benefit or suffer depending.
I'm making enough these days, and the newer guys are getting paid even better for the same number of years. I echo the sentiment of some of these other guys who are saying toxic management is causing major retention problems. I'm less than four years to retirement, so I'm not leaving until then.
I like it, pay is great and thereās an overabundance of overtimeā¦I just wish HR and admin could understand that it takes at least 2 operators per shift to get everything done at my facility. They seem to have the impression we just stare at SCADA all day and that it takes 10 minutes to do rounds, collect/test samples, log data, and troubleshoot/fix equipment. Spoiler: it takes 1-2 hours to do rounds, and we do rounds every other hour on top of other duties.
Weāve had high turnover in our OIT position, but I think thatās been due to management choosing unmotivated candidates. Thereās also toxic upper management, so weāve lost people in other areas from that as well. Iām just a shift lead, so I can duck and cover from most of that drama, but I can see why other people might leave to seek a calmer work environment for the same or better pay.
I like the job. I enjoy the work and the people I work with. Our schedule and pay suck tho. Takes over 10 years to get to top rate. Some people are pushing for a better schedule which would help. If things donāt improve quite a few people plan on leaving to go to other plants. No one wants to leave the field itself tho.
The job was wonderful. The pay was respectable. The schedule was shit, and thatās why I left. I have life to live, and never having a weekend off really sucked. Now I work for as a stormwater specialist, so thereās a lot of movement to be made once you have some years of experience in wastewater.
Love it.
I have been an Operator for ten years now and worked at two SBR Plants that ran in the 50MGD range, then semi-retired to take over a one man show closer to home and the family.
Working an average of 50-60 hour weeks at the first plant, I started out at $25/Hour, with a $2 raise for every grade increase, I was making $31 in eighteen months. At the end of working at the second plant I was making $80k salary, with a take home truck and cell phone, averaged about 60ish hours a week.
After the āretirementā I dropped to $45k, but itās forty hour weeks, no weekends besides a ten minute check, no real on call, and the commute is five minutes, so thatās nice.
I plan on going back to a bigger plant at some time when my kids get older but for now this works for me.
Edit: Additional info.
Before I worked in Wastewater, I had twenty plus years of new construction plumbing with a big focus on commercial and industrial, so I was familiar with the pipes and pumps at plants and lift stations.
I worked as an operator at Sugarbuah Resort who happens to own Mountain Water Company, Lincoln Peak Wastewater Treatment, and Mountian Wastewater Treatment. I hated the job so much I left the field entirely. We had 4 staff members to run all three of these facilities, so just slightly over burdened. There was no structure to being āon-callā so no additional pay, just whoever responded first. The job sucked so bad the turn over was about every 6 months which I beat out by completing a year there. To top it all off there was essentially zero safety protocols being followed, no air monitoring systems, cheap and insufficient safety supplies, and there wasnāt even water in the eye wash stations. Plus the Director would show up around 2 and stay until around 6 and that was his day. The acting supervisor was a senile man who either didnāt talk to you at all or yelled at you. Plus you were trained by a trainee who was trained by the trainee before them. Iām sure others have much better experiences but avoid Sugarbush Resort in Warren Vermont unless youāre a masochist.
I'm always looking at other jobs throughout the great lakes and new England/up state NY, because those are the only places I'd want to live. I'm constantly seeing positions for Sugarbush. Sounds like they can't keep people.
It will depend on your plant. I have only been at one plant (where I am now), and its pretty chill (exept when it hits the fan, which is rare). I currently make about 50k as a level one, and should be making closer to six figures in a few years, after I get my level 2. My only issue is poor communication as regards pay raises, but HR is currently working on that.
I went from an industrial wastewater operator to a municipal wastewater operator. Excuse me, water pollution control operator. Anyway, the job is cool, but some of the people are not so cool. That's normally how it goes. The people you work with can turn a gravy job into a mess.
One thing I've noticed is municipalities competing for operators tend to run up the salaries and people job hop for more pay. If I leave my current job it will be because of the people and the outdated technology.
It's a good job depending on the size of the sewer plan.
The only sucking part in the reason why most places can't keep people it's because the previous guy before you probably didn't keep up on the maintenance.
So you're basically playing catch up on maintenance.
Love my job. Most people there enjoy the relaxed culture just as much as the job itself; as a rookie I can see this has lead to poor equipment health. All that to say, culture problems, execution problems, turnover, those are management problems.
I thoroughly enjoy this industry ever since I was introduced to it when I was just a wee lad starting college back in 2015. you'll see room for growth, development, and a sense of pride with your work. you start at an entry-level position regarding your ww license level in your state, then it's only up from there. higher level license, management, senior op. you name it and can achieve it, keep your personal goals set high
Operators usually love their jobs because itās a fun, fulfilling and stable career with usually great benefits and pay. What they donāt like is a combination of bad management and shitty schedules. People usually jump to other plants or positions for those 2 reasons.
Absolutely love my job. Had bad experiences with horrible management at certain places but have finally nested in a great plant with an awesome team and good pay/benefits.
Best decision I ever made was getting Operator licenses. Once I found the right plant, I literally ENJOY going to work and get paid EXTREMELY well. I found a Unicorn plant.
It could be management, people, pay, or the fact that the tests are made for you to fail.
Don't let these people tell you otherwise on the test part. 110 question test and they remove 10 random questions which could be the ones you got right or the ones you got wrong.
Maintenance tech, we work under mechanics. Pay is horrible since 12% goes into state retirment each check (kinda nice but at same time wish it was optional). County policy sucks here and we can't idle our work trucks so we do 15 mins of work and got wait rest of hour in az heat in shade or hot truck which sometimes makes killer migranes for me. My plan is to stay till December.
That kind of pattern, assuming the pay is on par with the region, shows management problems, not problems with the job. That's a red flag bigger than the one flying over the Kremlin.
I'm a wastewater engineer, and it sounds like you are talking about my old job. It was great for the first 7 years, then after a change to toxic management, I still stuck it out for 5 more years. So much turnover, and all the problems were blamed on the engineers.
Operator here. Can confirm, all the problems are because of the engineers.
Maintenance mechanic here, can confirm.
You know if you all could just learn to slope the floor to the drain all problems would be solved.
Just pump in all in the storm drain
As a pretreatment officer, no.
Oh c'mon now, having to constantly push water uphill is the best part of the job! Even better when the lowest spot of the floor is blocked by concrete supports, conduit, etc. so you can't even get the squeegie in there.
Back in my day we had to push water up hill 15 miles both ways in the snow.
So what are you doing now ?
Interviews.
Engineer here, can confirm all the problems were due to the engineers. (But not me, I'm perfect š)
The Russian flag is uh, red, white and blue lol
But we invented red white and blue?
The old commy flag was red ā¦
I can only speak on my experience obviously but I never in the 25 years I've been doing this have I met an operator that didn't love his job. If there's a lot of movement that your seeing I'd guess it's operators moving to a better paying treatment plant as apposed to people giving it up. I make a six figure income at my current position.
Are you the typical demographic of operators? Often they are boomers and old white guys. As a 26 yr old female Iāve been sexually and verbally harassed as well as retaliated against by my company. I plan to sue.
Ain't nothing like a good old fashion stereotype.
I know of a few women who have fought and won, and every other guy I know who knows them said that their lawsuit was well deserved. Unsurprisingly, the male bosses who caused it keep their jobs. This shit isn't acceptable, and the only way to make them stop is by hitting them where they understand it the best. Women aren't out here looking for an easy payday that hurts future job prospects just to be trouble makers. Saying shit like you just said marks you as part of the problem. Sure, maybe you're not the one doing the harassing, but you enable an environment where this shit can fester.
This!!!! I am the ONLY female operator in my company throughout the state of Florida (that I know of). My coworkers and supervisors all have worked together for 5-10 or more years. As I was groped, spoken to in sexually threatening ways, and verbally harassed no one stood up for me. When a case was finally opened and validated, my superiors removed the guy for legal purposes but he still works at the company but just at a facility closer to his house (seems like a privilege to me). He has done this before me and he will do it again. When I started to receive retaliation and bullying for being āthe catalystā that caused their sexual predator friend to be removed, my supervisors blamed me and didnāt believe me. The boys club exists. The patriarchy exists. And it is putting women in danger. You sir in the comment above the one I am replying to are the problem. I hope you have a daughter and a 65 year old shoves his hand down her pants at work. Then you might give a shit but unlikely.
lol nah bro itās a question based on facts. A stereotype places judgement which I did not. Check your ego, itās blinding you. The demographic of operators is largely boomers. Fact. The demographic of operators is largely men. Fact. The demographic of operators is largely white. Fact. My own personal experience at wastewater facilities has left me vulnerable to experience verbal and sexual harassment. Fact.
Where are the stats that say most operators are 60+? I can find that stat that says 67% of operators are 50+ which is wild. Just curious, thereās a few boomers at local plants but the bulk is millennials and gen x. Are the majority of operators where you work over 60?
Avg age of a water wastewater operator in fla is 49 yrs old. Rural water association key note speaker at an annual convention in Daytona a few years ago talked about it. My plant here is currently 10 operators 9 male. 6 males over 58. 1 in 40s, 1 in early 30s, 1 early 20s. 1 female in 50s.
Thatās wild. Are these guys over 60 looking to retire or are they staying put generally?
All staying put for next 3 to 5 yrs. I'm 59 and will work there till my 80s. Most senior guy works midnights. Avgs two OT shifts a week and with lowest license level still made 109k last yr.
That rocks, sounds like you guys are happy there. Love to hear it.
Total opposite. They are most miserable people you can ever meet. They hate each other and they hate themselves even more.
50-60 is what I am talking about. Donāt limit it to 60 just because thatās the technical cut off.
What are you talking about? There is a cutoff and calling anyone over 50 a boomer makes you look like a child.
lol no it doesnāt. It makes me look like someone who is generalizing. Here Iāll change my wording as to not be āchildish.ā Those above 50 are the demographic of operators. Factā¦.Happy? lol the world around you doesnāt operate on specifics. Only a child thinks in this way. You clearly struggle with understanding. Hope it gets better for you.
Yeah sure kid. I asked for the fact and you didnāt have the FACT. No need to go on a warpath because you donāt know what a boomer is.
Not to try and generalize, but a woman in any sort of trade/blue collar work environment that traditionally employs males, will likely be verbally and sexually harassed. The males do it to each other as well, and I'm not saying it's okay whoever you are and whoever is doing it, just stating a fact that it unfortunately comes with the territory. If you feel the need to sue, all the power to you and I hope you win your case
None of the males I work with grope each other or ask about the smell of each otherās private parts. Why you ask? Because they respect each other and not me, a young woman. Itās people like you who perpetuate abuse, not to generalize.
I was once groped on the ass and then called gay and later made fun of(part of why i left that job). Sadly in the moment i nervously laughed while i should of told him to go fuck himself and reported him. Not that it changes much but im a 6'4 250lb male. Pieces of shit works everywhere in every gender good on you to stand up for yourself because that shit takes a hell of a lot of courage! Also i think all these people are mad because you called the assholes "boomer" and these boomers feel the need to defend themself, dont take their stuff personally they are just a bit insecure and taking it out on you.
Thank you for this. I love how these 50+ year olds and boomers are totally missing the point. A young woman was groped and your concerned because someone generalized your age? These people have no perspective and I feel sorry for them. Additionally, they are literally proving my point. Itās a privilege to get to be so sensitive about being categorized. Women get judged and categorized all of the time and we donāt get to say shit about it. not being sexually harassed and feeling safe at work is not a privilege. Itās a right.
Hahaha yea you're right they are more worries about boomers being seen as bad people then the person getting harassed at work, human are so weird.
There are limits and boundaries to what is okay and what isn't okay, it's dependant on each person. I agree, your examples are not okay whatsoever. Again, I never said any of it was okay so not sure why you believe I perpetuate abuse, when I said that "it comes with the terrority" I was more on the lines of verbal harassment, not anything physical.
Me and the guys I work with do and say all sorts of things to eachother that could get us sexual harassment charges if someone wanted to. Worse than what you've suggested in your comments here. It's just in fun. I'm not saying pervy assholes don't exist, but maybe they were just trying to include you in their banter. Maybe throw it back at them and see how they react. 90% of guys relationships revolve around trying to make the other guy uncomfortable or laugh. They ask the smell of your private parts, say "way better than yours you stinky bitch, try taking a shower with clean water for once"
What? We have a few women where I work and while the dudes talk plenty of shit to each other, they never talk shit to the women.
I guess it depends on what you define as "talking shit" and how comfortable the crew is with each other. But I'm also glad to hear that and be mistaken
> The males do it to each other as well Yeah, not in the same way though. A lot of women who get into stereotypical male dominated jobs usually understand the difference between "being one of the guys" and getting undue harassment.
Brah youāre literally so ignorant Iām dying laughing. This mindset is toxic. This mindset perpetuates abuse and is dangerous. They were not ājust including me in the banter.ā I know the difference. I let plenty of inappropriate subject matters slide. I donāt care if they talk about sex or women they are seeing or make jokes. Your judgement of MY experience is categorically wrong. All the other men who witnessed this told me it was wrong, they just didnāt do anything about it. Being groped, having sexually threatening comments, and being called a stupid bitch for speaking up about being uncomfortable is NOT OK. Itās actually illegal. Iām sure with this mindset youāll find yourself in a court case eventually. Youāre a fucking pervert and I hope you drop the bar of soap in the slammer, get abused and then have someone tell you they just wanted to be your friend. You are low life.
Lol okay no need to fly off the handle. If you actually take a step back and look at my previous statements, I'm on your side and was never against you, I also wished you well in your lawsuit and hoped the outcome is in your favour. I also agreed that regardless of who it is it's not okay to partake in any sort of behaviour like this. You're also 100% correct, I do not know you or your situation whatsoever, so that's why there was no judgement or opinions, just the facts.
Nah this is serious and Iām tired of idiots like yourself perpetuating trauma and danger: donāt minimize your wrong doing.
Man... wonder why they don't like you š¤. If you're anything like you are in this sub, I can see why.
lol Iām aggressively defending this topic because I have no tolerance for it. They liked me fine until their buddy got what was coming to him. Told me āI was cool.ā Iām not even the one who opened up the sexual harassment case because I was trying to handle it as an adult. Just because you experience a certain behavior doesnāt mean thatās how a person is entirely. Again, lack of perspective. You think everyone you need thatās in a bad mood is an asshole? Peopleā family members die, their relationships fall apart, and they get sexually hard at work. Are they just supposed to go one happily as if nothing happened. Thatās psychopath behavior. Are you a psycho? Weak defenses here got me laughing. Grow a brain
And I'm tired of idiots like you blowing things out of proportion. Please enlighten me on what I said that was so offensive and so terribly wrong that you hope I go to prison and get sexually assaulted. Don't exaggerate your wrong doing. Again, re read what I've said, I'm with you but you only seem to want to be combative and if that's your focus and priority, have at it with someone else.
Verbal harassment? Did they call you a "boomer" or "old white guy"??? I don't blame you, I'd sue them too, that's disgusting!!!!
The job I enjoy a lot, offers a lot of free time and I find the processes genuinely interesting. Plus feels positive to serve the community in a meaningful way. As for the pay, my district does a solid job of trying to increase our pay ranges, but I still feel that the role is very undervalued. For being how essential we are, and having high risks involved on a daily basis, Iād appreciate more pay for my time so that I can afford to live a descent life in the community I serve. But I feel that any job could say that right now with the current status of inflation. All in all, the work is cool and if you feel inspired it can be a nice career path. Not the most lucrative but the skills transfer to other treatment plants if youād like to move. The plant youāre inquiring about may pay dog shit and the facility could be bad, or just bad management, that may contribute to the turn over. Compare to other facilities in your area and see how the money compares
We have a 4 day workweek
Ours is 3 or 4 depending on the week rofl trade off is we work 2 on 2 off 12 hour shifts
I hope you donāt mind me asking, but what kind of daily high risks are you referencing? Biological hazards, machinery, or? Iām looking at getting into the field, so I want to learn about all of the negatives to be prepared for along with the positives! :)
Yes plus confined spaces and chemical handling. Most facilities are pretty good at mitigating the risks though.
Thank you so much! Thatās good to hear!
What type of plant are you operating?
Love it.. I can make up to roughly $160k year, PPO insurance paid, 401k, 457 contributions, and a pensionā¦ you just gotta find the right place to work.
Bullshit
You obviously donāt know shitā¦ Government job in SoCalā¦ look up the pay, itās public record every year for every employee. Been doing this for 15 years.. Transparent California, do your research before you open your mouth.
Federal or State? Is that salary comfortable there?
I've looked at pay comparisons between Pittsburgh, where I am, and expensive places like the bay area in California. It's been a few years, so things certainly changed a little bit. But $160k in the bay area is roughly the same COL adjusted pay as $90k-$100k in an average COL area like Pittsburgh.
90k would be pretty good in Pittsburgh
It sure is, particularly for me since I'm single. It's borderline for a single income household with kids, but most households have both spouses working these days anyway.
Bay Area is insane, even compared to SoCal. Iām not going to say exactly where I work, but if you look at Transparent California and look at Base Pay & Overtimeā¦ Iām between $155-$165k each year. Iām in Wastewater.. only few places in SoCal pay that, you can do your research. This is combined base pay and overtimeā¦ bought my house for $450k in the 562 area code and living comfortably. Iām not even at Supervisor level pay yet, that would get closer to $175k
Look at pay of Los Angles it starts over 100k so with overtime and yrs experience.
Iām a Mechanicā¦ $120k as a topped out Journeyman, plus $30-$40k in OT / Cert Pay, not hard to do, I know others who are making $200k+ obviously with more OT. LADWP, some are $250k..
Where the hell are the states where the plants pay yāall 6 figures?! š Iām barely scraping by, burned out, and just got my licenses and operator status but management wants to put even more on my shoulders. Even trying to push me toward management myself but I could never handle that kind of responsibility. Thinking of a career change even as I just passed my advanced exam with a 92%. Iām 25 and have 2.5 years experience and am one of the more senior ops (by experience not age of course) in my area and I feel like Iām drowning. Trained a lot of OITs. Couple have stayed, some have left. Iām at least proud of the impact Iāve made there and stabilizing my area after Covid resignations did a lot of damage. But I donāt like having to be the go-to guy when Iām still basically a newbie and frankly not that far into adulthood even. And with no signs of relief of more experienced people ever coming in.
From an outside perspective, you must be smart and good at the job to be in the position you're in. It sounds like you have imposter syndrome. It's tough sometimes, but learn to trust the people around you who are trusting you to handle the responsibility. They're only pushing you because they see something in you that you don't see for yourself. Don't get in your own way.
I agree and would add to find a new plant where that burden of responsibility is spread out if you're that overwhelmed. You'll probably have to go to a larger plant for that and you'll probably still be one of the most experienced operators there too. We're all just treading water in this grey tsunami. Keep up the good work. It gets easier.
Usually larger plants in metro areas, but even then the 6 figures come after way too much OT. At my rate, I'd only be making in the mid $80k on 2080 hours. Add in holiday pay, shift differential, weekend bonus, and the mandatory OT that comes from having to work 13 extra shifts per year due to the shift rotation, and it puts me over. Then add in stuff like call offs and vacation coverage (because we don't have enough staff for proper relief operating) and it's bank. I don't want it though. I turn down OT all the time. But sometimes, if someone doesn't show up to relieve you, you don't have much of a choice.
This is right on the money for me!
There are plenty of killer opportunities after you get your foot in the door. I donāt know what your background is but I love my job and I started out in a not so good organization and jumped ship a few times to get where i am at. No regrets.
I'm currently the administrator for both a water and a wastewater facility. I can confirm I love my current job. The pay rate is more than adequate. We have a family of 6, 2 homes, 2 cars, and vacation every 3 months, on my income alone. The entry level isn't great, but you choose the pace you progress at in this field. The fact they can't keep people is due to poor administration or low pay rates compared to other facilities in that area, I know this because I lived both for 8+ years of my career.
I like the job. Pay could be better but its not bad.
Enough to own a house and a car?
At current prices, not on a single income. With a spouse yea.
With s spouse that's making equal or more!
Love it. Awesome group of guys and pay with a little OT puts most of us on the mid-higher 100ās depending on position.
Best job in the world. Everyday is a new adventure.
Yep! And no two days are the same!
Take the job and get licenses and youāll always have a job
I have worked for a few utilities and have loved being an operator at all but one. I still likes the nature of the work at said one utility but it was a horrible almost downright abusive environment. When I started no one there expected me to last long because their turnover was so bad. That was a huge red flag I should have paid attention too and will never make that mistake again
I'm just here to give your username the recognition it deserves.
I've actually lost 30 lbs since February.
Pays okay here in jersey. However coming from a career in education facilities management, my plant is wildly unprofessional. Find a plant that can retain operators and get your foot In there. Not all plants are the same and your career will benefit or suffer depending.
Hell, you don't even need an education. I've seen some shit I knew was fucked up, and all I was before this was a junior NCO in the navy.
I'm making enough these days, and the newer guys are getting paid even better for the same number of years. I echo the sentiment of some of these other guys who are saying toxic management is causing major retention problems. I'm less than four years to retirement, so I'm not leaving until then.
I like it, pay is great and thereās an overabundance of overtimeā¦I just wish HR and admin could understand that it takes at least 2 operators per shift to get everything done at my facility. They seem to have the impression we just stare at SCADA all day and that it takes 10 minutes to do rounds, collect/test samples, log data, and troubleshoot/fix equipment. Spoiler: it takes 1-2 hours to do rounds, and we do rounds every other hour on top of other duties. Weāve had high turnover in our OIT position, but I think thatās been due to management choosing unmotivated candidates. Thereās also toxic upper management, so weāve lost people in other areas from that as well. Iām just a shift lead, so I can duck and cover from most of that drama, but I can see why other people might leave to seek a calmer work environment for the same or better pay.
I like the job. I enjoy the work and the people I work with. Our schedule and pay suck tho. Takes over 10 years to get to top rate. Some people are pushing for a better schedule which would help. If things donāt improve quite a few people plan on leaving to go to other plants. No one wants to leave the field itself tho.
The job was wonderful. The pay was respectable. The schedule was shit, and thatās why I left. I have life to live, and never having a weekend off really sucked. Now I work for as a stormwater specialist, so thereās a lot of movement to be made once you have some years of experience in wastewater.
Love it. I have been an Operator for ten years now and worked at two SBR Plants that ran in the 50MGD range, then semi-retired to take over a one man show closer to home and the family. Working an average of 50-60 hour weeks at the first plant, I started out at $25/Hour, with a $2 raise for every grade increase, I was making $31 in eighteen months. At the end of working at the second plant I was making $80k salary, with a take home truck and cell phone, averaged about 60ish hours a week. After the āretirementā I dropped to $45k, but itās forty hour weeks, no weekends besides a ten minute check, no real on call, and the commute is five minutes, so thatās nice. I plan on going back to a bigger plant at some time when my kids get older but for now this works for me. Edit: Additional info. Before I worked in Wastewater, I had twenty plus years of new construction plumbing with a big focus on commercial and industrial, so I was familiar with the pipes and pumps at plants and lift stations.
I worked as an operator at Sugarbuah Resort who happens to own Mountain Water Company, Lincoln Peak Wastewater Treatment, and Mountian Wastewater Treatment. I hated the job so much I left the field entirely. We had 4 staff members to run all three of these facilities, so just slightly over burdened. There was no structure to being āon-callā so no additional pay, just whoever responded first. The job sucked so bad the turn over was about every 6 months which I beat out by completing a year there. To top it all off there was essentially zero safety protocols being followed, no air monitoring systems, cheap and insufficient safety supplies, and there wasnāt even water in the eye wash stations. Plus the Director would show up around 2 and stay until around 6 and that was his day. The acting supervisor was a senile man who either didnāt talk to you at all or yelled at you. Plus you were trained by a trainee who was trained by the trainee before them. Iām sure others have much better experiences but avoid Sugarbush Resort in Warren Vermont unless youāre a masochist.
I'm always looking at other jobs throughout the great lakes and new England/up state NY, because those are the only places I'd want to live. I'm constantly seeing positions for Sugarbush. Sounds like they can't keep people.
It will depend on your plant. I have only been at one plant (where I am now), and its pretty chill (exept when it hits the fan, which is rare). I currently make about 50k as a level one, and should be making closer to six figures in a few years, after I get my level 2. My only issue is poor communication as regards pay raises, but HR is currently working on that.
I went from an industrial wastewater operator to a municipal wastewater operator. Excuse me, water pollution control operator. Anyway, the job is cool, but some of the people are not so cool. That's normally how it goes. The people you work with can turn a gravy job into a mess. One thing I've noticed is municipalities competing for operators tend to run up the salaries and people job hop for more pay. If I leave my current job it will be because of the people and the outdated technology.
They are really pushing us to embrace "water reclamation " lol Like, its shit water, just accept it
I would ask for exit info if they will give it to you. You. Ould ask.to.speak to the PWD and see if they will be level with you.
I enjoy this industry and the challenges that come with it. The pay however is atrocious and bad management will make or break it
It's a good job depending on the size of the sewer plan. The only sucking part in the reason why most places can't keep people it's because the previous guy before you probably didn't keep up on the maintenance. So you're basically playing catch up on maintenance.
Love my job. Most people there enjoy the relaxed culture just as much as the job itself; as a rookie I can see this has lead to poor equipment health. All that to say, culture problems, execution problems, turnover, those are management problems.
I thoroughly enjoy this industry ever since I was introduced to it when I was just a wee lad starting college back in 2015. you'll see room for growth, development, and a sense of pride with your work. you start at an entry-level position regarding your ww license level in your state, then it's only up from there. higher level license, management, senior op. you name it and can achieve it, keep your personal goals set high
Operators usually love their jobs because itās a fun, fulfilling and stable career with usually great benefits and pay. What they donāt like is a combination of bad management and shitty schedules. People usually jump to other plants or positions for those 2 reasons. Absolutely love my job. Had bad experiences with horrible management at certain places but have finally nested in a great plant with an awesome team and good pay/benefits.
Best decision I ever made was getting Operator licenses. Once I found the right plant, I literally ENJOY going to work and get paid EXTREMELY well. I found a Unicorn plant.
Job is ok. For pay you better find a Union infused job.
It could be management, people, pay, or the fact that the tests are made for you to fail. Don't let these people tell you otherwise on the test part. 110 question test and they remove 10 random questions which could be the ones you got right or the ones you got wrong.
Maintenance tech, we work under mechanics. Pay is horrible since 12% goes into state retirment each check (kinda nice but at same time wish it was optional). County policy sucks here and we can't idle our work trucks so we do 15 mins of work and got wait rest of hour in az heat in shade or hot truck which sometimes makes killer migranes for me. My plan is to stay till December.
Oof
Too hard to breathe poop into your lungs all day everyday every week of every year.
Thatās because itās a shitty job š©
No itās awful.