By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
The positions of the equipment operator and the water operator will be separated into two separate jobs in Mona. The water operator, as a single position, opened when Allen Pay tendered his resignation. While the council has some time to hire a new water operator, the council has been working on what the job description for each position should be. Jonathan Jones, council member, has been working on the job description and has been working with Terry Smith, Rural Water Association of Utah (RWAU), Technical Director, to determine the best wording for the water operator position. “He asked me how the wastewater system was currently being managed,” said Jones. “He suggested that there be some cross-training so that they could cover for each other if need be.” The city does not have a wastewater management plan, said Greg Newton, mayor. Jones said that the treatment plant operator was the individual that Smith was referring to when he suggested cross-training. The water operator must be certified through the State Division of Drinking Water at the appropriate grade. Currently Mona is listed as having a population of 1,400 which requires a Grade 1. However, a Grade 2 trained operator is needed for a population of 1,501 and so, since the community is only 101 persons away from that cut-off, the city might consider having the Grade 2 operator now rather than later. As for hiring someone from out of the area to be the water operator, said Jones, the rules state that the operator must live within one-hour travel time of the system in which the operator is the Direct Responsible Charge (DRC). “Nephi City has a 20-minute rule,” said Jones. “The DRC must live within a 20-minute radius of the system. I used that requirement in our job description.” Jones prepared a job description that outlined the general purpose, supervision received, supervision exercised, position requirements and general communication. There are 11 requirements listed which begin with the need to have a thorough knowledge of the water system and how it functions. Number 2 states: “Must be generally knowledgeable of the Mona Irrigation and city irrigation system and have a good working relationship with those responsible for these systems.” “Does requiring a knowledge of the secondary and culinary water system limit our pool of applicants?” asked Katrina Long, council member. The irrigation company has a secondary distribution system that they manage, said Jones. Jeff Hearty, council member, said he liked the idea that the water operator could call the irrigation company and talk about which line of that system might be leaking. Bill Mills, resdient, said that the irrigation company does own the distribution lines of their system. “It would be a simple call,” said Molli Graham, council member. The person hired should be willing to learn the systems. “We do have a water master plan,” said Jones. Number 3 on the list of requirements states that the operator should work with the city engineer to develop comprehensive maps/GIS of the water system. Somewhere, Newton said, there should be the GIS system recorded on a disk. However, it was missing. Michelle Dalton, secretary/treasurer, said that the move from the old office to the new one had temporarily disturbed things but that she would try to find the missing disk. Jones said that Smith also said that computer skills are becoming a necessity when it comes to filing compliance reports so he had included the requirement that the operator have computer skills necessary to do the job. Smith had also suggested that, since the state is considering requiring each community water system to have a person certified as a Cross Connection Administrator, and Jones had included that requirement in the job description. In order to qualify as a Cross Connection Administrator, the operator must take a four day class and then pass a written exam. The job description also states that the person hired as operator must maintain the certifications necessary to fully maintain the water systems, perform all sampling and testing work required by the state, apprise the mayor and council of water system needs and recommendations quarterly, keep records and appropriate documentation and perform Blue Stake markings as required. Jones will tweak the requirements and have them ready for adoption at the next meeting so that the city may begin advertising for the position. “I will have this on the agenda for next meeting,” said Jones. “We can then move forward.”
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