Summary

This position is located in the Facilities Maintenance Operations Section of the Engineering Service at VA Central California Healthcare System - Fresno VA Medical Center in Fresno, CA. The Water Treatment Plant Operator is responsible for managing and controlling all identified risks within the domestic and industrial water system.

Duties

Help

The Water Treatment Plant Operator is the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the prevention and control of Legionella, aerobic bacteria and other waterborne pathogens or agents commonly found in both potable and non-potable water systems and equipment.

• Monitoring equipment, instruments, meters, gauges, motors, pumps, feeders, recording and control devices according to a prescribed schedule and perform routine operator maintenance
• Making adjustments to valves, controllers, programs and pumps to control, monitor and treat domestic water systems in the Boiler Plant and the medical center
• Staying informed on the quality of water supplied by the local utility provider and by the facility well system(s) and respond appropriately to variations
• Operating, maintaining and performing minor repairs on supplemental disinfection injection systems (chlorine dioxide, monochloramine, copper/silver, etc.) and maintaining any meters and related equipment installed as part of the domestic or industrial water treatment systems
• Performing water treatment tests and measurements that require a working knowledge of various microbiological organisms
• Treating the incoming water and applying knowledge of how to perform basic microbiological tests such as inoculation and incubation of outgoing water samples to verify the elimination of the treated microorganisms
• Operating settling tanks, filter beds, surge pumps, hydro-chlorinators, phosphate feeders, soda ash and dry lime feeders, lime solution tanks, and similar types of equipment
• Providing technical and administrative assistance to comply with legislative and accrediting requirements as related to the domestic water systems and equipment
• Maintaining records and assists in implementing policies and procedures to comply with these frequently conflicting requirements while minimizing adverse impact to patient care
• Maintaining any permits and certifications necessary to operate supplemental disinfection systems and as required for operation of the wells
• Generating and maintaining all documentation as required by governing jurisdictions, VHA directives, and local policy/procedures
• Participating in various committees such as the Environment of Care Committee, Water Safety Committee, etc.
• Developing, managing, and maintaining an Infection Prevention & Control Plan that includes a written description of the activities, including surveillance, to minimize, reduce or eliminate the risk of infection
• Evaluating and conducting surveillance on the effectiveness of the Infection Prevention & Control Plan to minimize, reduce, or eliminate the risk of infection
• Managing and maintaining the VACCHCS Water Safety Management Tool (WSMT) on a periodic basis
• Serving as Contracting Officer Representative for any service contract relating to water quality, sampling, testing, or treatment
• Continuing responsibility for projects, questions, or problems that arise within the recurring maintenance and water testing program
• Identifying and studying factors or conditions and determining their interrelationships as appropriate to the recurring maintenance program
• Taking or recommending actions that are consistent with the objectives and requirements of the program
• Conduct building surveys to identify at-risk systems and arrangements with respect to their components, installation, configuration, use and condition
• Utilizing and updating, by means of field investigation(s) and site surveying, facility water piping plans and schematics to identify domestic hot and cold-water system "dead legs" where stagnant water could breed Legionella and other pathogens
• Identifying and monitoring of low flow outlets conducting risk assessments and adjusting flushing routines to achieve desired oxidant levels
• Ensuring adequate system flushing when restoring inactive systems to functionality and if necessary, other means such as high temperature thermal eradication or chemical treatment methods
• Managing terminal device cleanliness for devices such as sink laminar flow devices, showerheads, misters, and nozzles
• Performing routine measurement of water temperatures at distal points and adjust to ensure scald prevention devices are appropriate and adjusted properly
• Practicing effective water treatment for cooling towers, evaporative coolers, fountains, spas, whirlpools, and pools
• Identifying risks for acquiring and transmitting infections based on the geographic location, community, and population served.

Work Schedule: Monday to Friday; 08:00 a.m. to 04:30 p.m. (Tour of duty subject to change to meet the needs of the Agency)

Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Pre-employment physical required
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

Qualifications

PHYSICAL EFFORT AND WORK CONDITIONS: The incumbent must be able to stoop, reach, kneel, crouch in confined spaces. The incumbent must have acceptable hearing, visual accuracy, field of vision, and color perception for taking water samples and performing necessary testing for Legionella bacteria, aerobic bacteria and other organisms and agents. Some moderate lifting is required and necessary.

Mainly works indoors but occasionally works outside for short periods of time. The incumbent is frequently called upon to work in intensely stressful situations in areas such as surgical suites, intensive care units, special procedures laboratories, etc. Several work environments include standard infection control procedures and precautions that are required to safely operate equipment within the various work environments. The incumbent is expected to wear proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) safety equipment whenever working in conditions that require it.

Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualifications. For this position, the job element method is used to match what you, the applicant, can do against what the work calls for. Your knowledge, skills and abilities will be compared to the knowledge, skills and abilities (called job elements) needed for success. Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element (WG-2 and higher only; screen-outs are not applicable to WG-1). Applicants who appear to meet the screen out element are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated from consideration. The potential eligibles are rated against the remainder of the job elements. While a specific length of training and experience is not required, your responses to the questionnaire must be supported by detailed descriptions of your experience on your resume.

You will be rated on the following Job Elements as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:

• Dexterity and Safety
• Interpret Instructions, Specifications (other than blueprint reading)
• Knowledge of Equipment Assembly, Installation, and Repair, etc.
• Operation of Equipment/Machinery
• Technical Practices
• Without more than normal supervision

IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Expand Hide additional information

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

Help

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.