Maintenance Worker (Sewer)

Job Summary

The Maintenance Worker I - Utilities position involves routine tasks involved in the maintenance and repair of the infrastructure of the City's water, and sewer systems. The work requires regular contacts with Public Works employees and with other City employees and periodic contacts with contractors and the general public. The physical demands are considerable requiring working with heavyweight materials, equipment and machinery. The working conditions are disagreeable due to continuous exposure to elements such as dust, heat, fumes, cold, noise, vibration and moisture or working in confined spaces or climbing, such as water towers. Incumbent's work is directed and is subject to general supervisory review. Incumbents are required to work various shifts, standby duty and overtime as needed.

Essential Job Functions

• Performs required labor involved in construction and maintenance projects as part of a crew, including pavement cutting, ditch digging, manhole and line cleaning, main and pipe repair, laying pipe, making repairs using a variety of parts and backfilling.
• Ensures proper maintenance of equipment and tools by cleaning and checking equipment and tools after use.
• Drives trucks of various sizes and weights in the loading, hauling, and unloading of various equipment and materials.
• Inspects and/or repairs lift/pumping stations, reservoir, meters, drainage systems and sewer system at frequent intervals to ensure that all aspects of the systems are functioning properly.
• Inspects and maintains water storage tanks, fences and cleans the yard when necessary.
• Assists in determining the locations of gas, telephone, power, television, water and sewer lines from the appropriate sources prior to excavation.
• Responds to complaints regarding water leaks, pressure loss or no water; evaluates situations and explains findings to supervisor.
• May contact residents and business owners in the area where services will be affected by work of utility crew.
• Cuts, fits, lays, repairs, taps, cleans and flushes water mains, pipes, various valves and fittings on repair of mains and services and installation of mains/services.
• Replaces defective meters.
• Assists in the set-up of sediment control devices.
• Follows and enforces recommended safety practices and uses appropriate traffic safety devices such as cones, arrow boards, flagging signs, atmosphere tests, and other confined space entry equipment.
• May train to operate and assists in the maintenance of vehicles and equipment such as backhoe, front-end loader, vacuum/flusher truck, camera truck, rodder, bobcat with various attachments, and dump truck.
• Operates and maintains equipment such as jackhammer, chipper, chain saw, and other hand tools, etc.
• Assists with the installation of trench shoring devices.
• Assists with rodding, cleaning, flushing and televising sewer mains.
• Cleans properties where there has been a sewer back-up.
• Operates power and hand tools as needed to accomplish the work.
• Performs emergency inspections and repairs such as snow/ice removal, storm clean-up, street repair, pipe repair, etc.
• Assists and fills in for other utilities workers when necessary.
• May perform snow removal.
• Performs other duties as required.
  
  

Qualifications

In order to qualify for this position applicants must demonstrate possession of all the training, experience and required licenses, as a well as demonstrate a practical knowledge, skills and abilities that would allow the applicant to perform this job in a successful manner. This will be determinedthrough review of the formal application, rating of education and experience, and where appropriate, the interview, reference and background checks, and may include job related skills assessment. Graduation from high school or any combination of training and experience substantially equivalent to a high school diploma. Some experience in labor involved in construction and maintenance projects as part of a crew, including pavement cutting, ditch digging, manhole and line cleaning, main and pipe repair, laying pipe and backfilling preferred.Must possess a valid state commercial driver's license (CDL) with required endorsements. (Maintenance Workers and Traffic Maintenance Works (regardless of level) are required to have a CDL Class A License with the Tanker (N) endorsement).

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Knowledge of general labor, tools, equipment operation and practices required in the maintenance of utilities including pavement cutting, ditch digging, manhole and line cleaning, sewer/main and pipe repair, laying pipe and backfilling.
• Some knowledge of occupational hazards and safety precautions for the proper execution and usage of a variety of equipment and power tools.
• Ability to follow oral and written instructions.
• Ability to handle and operate light and heavy hand and power equipment.
• Ability to independently perform laborer duties.
• Ability to determine electrical, mechanical and plumbing malfunctions and to make minor repairs on such equipment.
• Learn and demonstrate an understanding of City, department, division and team goals.
• Serve and meet the needs of customers during routine or emergency situations.
• Ability and willingness to work as part of a team, to demonstrate team skills and to perform a fair share of team responsibilities.
• Ability to assess his/her work performance or the work performance of the team.
• Plan and organize his/her work, time and resources, and if applicable that of subordinates.
• Contribute to the development of others and/or the working unit or overall organization.
• Produce desired work outcomes including quality, quantity and timeliness.
• Communicate effectively with peers, supervisors, subordinates and people to whom service is provided.
• Understand and value differences in employees and value input from others.
• Consistently report to work and work assignments prepared and on schedule.
• Consistently display a positive behavior with regard to work, willingly accept constructive criticism and be respectful of others.
  
  

Physical Demands

• The work is very heavy work, which requires exerting in excess of 100 pounds of force occasionally and/or in excess of 50 pounds of force frequently, and/or in excess of 20 pounds of force constantly to move objects. Additionally, the following physical abilities are required:
• Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling while walking, standing, or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces. The amount of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium.
• Climbing: Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles, and the like, using feet and legs and/or hands and arms. Body agility is emphasized.
• Crawling: Moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet.
• Crouching: Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.
• Feeling: Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature, or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.
• Fingering: Picking, pinching, typing, or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.
• Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm
• Handling: Picking, holding, or otherwise working, primarily with the whole hand
• Hearing 1: Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discrimination in sound.
• Hearing 2: Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discrimination in sound.
• Kneeling: Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees.
• Lifting: Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires substantial use of upper extremities and back muscles.
• Pulling: Using upper extremities to exert force in order to draw, haul, or tug objects in a sustained motion.
• Pushing: Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward, downward or outward.
• Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
• Repetitive Motion: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.
• Speaking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including the ability to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately and concisely.
• Standing: Particularly for sustained periods of time.
• Stooping: Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires full motion of the lower extremities and back muscles.
• Talking 1: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Talking 2: Shouting in order to be heard above ambient noise level.
• Visual Acuity 2: Including color, depth perception, and field vision.
• Visual Acuity 3: Visual Acuity to determine the accuracy, neatness, and thoroughness of the work assigned or to make general observations of facilities or structures.
• Visual Acuity 4: Have visual acuity to operate motor vehicles and/or heavy equipment.
• Visual Acuity 5: Have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as visual inspection involving small defects, small parts, and operation of machines; use measurement devices; and/or assemble or fabricate parts at distances close to the eyes.
• Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.
  
  

Work Environment

This job is performed in an environment with heavy equipment and machinery that could result in bodily harm to co-workers or others.