Water Service Technician

Introduction

Charlotte’s local government, with more than 7,000 employees and a $2.39 billion budget, works hard to ensure that the community will be a winning city for everyone a truly remarkable place to live, work, learn and play.

Charlotte Water is an enterprise department of the City of Charlotte and one of the largest public water and sewer service providers in the southeast with 300,000 customer accounts and over 1000 employees.

Our service area includes the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County and the towns of Huntersville, Cornelius, Davidson, Mint Hill, Matthews and Pineville.

Charlotte Water’s FY 23 budget is $535M and a five-year capital program of $2.5 billion. We enjoy the highest credit ratings from all three major credit rating agencies as a result of sound financial planning and management and strong support from our City Council.

We value competent, skilled candidates with a customer service focus to work in a team environment.

Overview

The City of Charlotte is the largest municipality in North Carolina and the 15th largest city in the United States, with a total population of more than 897,000 citizens.

A major commerce center, Charlotte hosts several of the nation’s largest banks and technology companies.

Also known as the Queen City, Charlotte is home to the Carolina Panthers, the Charlotte Hornets and the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

We work hard to ensure that the community will be a winning city for everyone a truly remarkable place to live, work, learn and play.

Join us in helping to keep our City thriving, ensuring upward mobility and advancement in the workplace.

Summary

This position performs a variety of work involving field work orders associated with water services and metering equipment.

• Work involves turning service on / off; validating meter readings; installing, maintaining, and removing meters; investigating water quality and pressure complaints;
• handling move out orders when service is cancelled; fixing minor leaks; cleaning out meter boxes; serving as a first responder for water / network emergencies;

marking meter box locations; and utilizing mobile equipment and peripheral devices to manage work orders. This position makes decisions concerning field conditions, takes corrective actions, handles customer interactions, cleans and stocks work truck, and maps out routes.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

Receives and completes assigned service work orders within a specified time period; accurately records the water meter readings;

and enters pertinent notes associated with the work performed along with any notable conditions at each service address into a portable laptop.

Performs comprehensive field inspection of the water meter, register / wiring, and transmitter; validates proper and accurate reading match with register;

and provides readings for billings.

• Replaces inoperable or malfunctioning meter and / or metering equipment as required.
• Performs water flow test on meter to ensure equipment is functioning properly.
• Inspects water meter connections for leaks and replaces material as needed to repair leaks.
• Investigates customer complaints regarding such matters as high meter readings, noise, leaks, water quality, low / high water pressure, etc.

escalates situation if required.

• Performs meter box maintenance by cleaning out dirt and debris; ensures box lid fits correctly; and reports any meter box deficiencies or service line repairs.
• Repairs meter equipment.
• Reads maps to ascertain accurate location of customer addresses, lines, and right of ways.
• Performs preventative maintenance and daily inspections of vehicle and field computer equipment for proper function and reports malfunctions or deficiencies.
• Reports on fire hydrant leaks, water main leaks, and other water distribution issues in a timely manner.
• Reports on missing manholes covers and valve lid covers.
• Communicates to internal and external customers on how a meter and transmitter operate.
• Serves as first responder to water distribution and network emergencies.
• Performs other related job duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Knowledge of water utility operations.
• Knowledge of principles of customer service.
• Skill in communicating, both verbally and in writing.
• Skill in reading map.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely.
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships.
• Ability to follow directives and instructions. PHYSICAL DEMANDS : The work is light work and requires applying 10 pounds of force frequently exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally to move objects.

Additionally, the following physical abilities are required : balancing, , crouching, feeling, manual dexterity, grasping, handling, perceiving sounds at normal speaking levels, distinguishing among sounds, kneeling, lifting, mental acuity, pulling, pushing, reaching, repetitive motion, speaking, standing, stooping, expressing ideas by spoken word, shouting above noises, visual acuity in equipment, and walking.

• WORK ENVIRONMENT : Work is performed in a dynamic environment that requires sensitivity to change and responsiveness to changing goals, priorities, and needs.
• Requires : working outdoors in all weather conditions, near traffic, and tolerating foliage, seasonal pollen, dirt, dust, mud, water, insects, pests, reptiles, and animals;

being able to have a flexible schedule; and the ability to report for emergency situations.

Minimum Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED from an accredited school.
• Two (2) years of related work experience preferably experience in customer service and water utility operations. Licenses, Certifications or Registrations :
• Requires a valid driver’s license with an acceptable driving record.
• Desires AWWA Meter Technician Certification.

Salary

$46,200.00 Annually

Conditions of Employment

The City’s Background Check Policy requires background checks to be conducted on final internal or external candidate(s) applying for any position with the City of Charlotte.

The type of information that will be collected as part of a background check includes, but is not limited to : reference checks, social security verification, education verification, criminal conviction record check, and, if applicable, a credit history check, sex offender registry and motor vehicle records check.

Background checks must be in compliance with all federal and state statutes, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

The checks must be consistent with the guidelines set forth by these laws requiring organizations to obtain a candidate’s written authorization before obtaining a criminal background report, motor vehicle records check or credit report;

and to properly store and dispose of information derived from such reports.

Final candidates must pass a pre-employment drug-screening test and physical examination. During the selection process, candidates may be asked to take a skills test, and / or participate in other assessments.

The City of Charlotte is an Equal Opportunity Employer.