Section 65 - Staffing Plan

65.01. General Requirements

National Pollutant Discharge Permit (NPDES) requires adequate and qualified staff be provided to carry out the operation, maintenance and testing activities required to insure compliance with permit conditions.

The proper operation and maintenance of the wastewater collection, treatment and solids handling and disposal systems is extremely important in terms of ensuring protection of the public's health and the owners large capital investment in the facility. The key to accomplishing these important objectives is staffing the facility with an adequate number of properly trained, qualified and certified personnel.

In 1970, the State of Washington adopted a policy to take all reasonable action to protect the public health and environment through the safe and effective operation of public drinking water and domestic wastewater plants. These guidelines were adopted to ensure that only qualified and certified personnel operate these facilities and that the plants be operated and maintained in a manner consistent with the professional responsibilities of such certification. The rules also contain provisions to ensure that minimum personnel qualifications are met and that operators routinely obtain additional training and experience.

The guidelines further establish a system for classification of treatment facilities according to size, complexity and degree of risk to the public health if improperly operated. Specified classes of certified operators who must serve as lead/chief operators and as shift operators of these plants are also part of the policy. The MPWRF classified as a Grade III facility. This means that a grade III or higher operator needs to be in overall charge of the facility and that at least and operator II is in charge of any individual shift assigned to the plant.

Critical to the determination of staffing needs is the number of shifts per day that operating personnel are present. The facility processes, facility size and expected incoming waste loads are some of the factors considered when manpower requirements are developed.

Also of consideration are the data management support systems provided.

The MPWRF has been designed for extensive use of programmable logic controllers (PLC's) and with an extensive Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system. The SCADA system has terminals at two locations on site, and one terminal at the Westside facility. The facility can be operated one shift per day for seven days per week. Others will provide grounds and landscaping support.

The various logistic and design factors provided for the MPWRF allow for this facility to be managed as a remote operation of the Westside facility. Consequently, only a fairly nominal staff is required to be on site at any given time. Management, maintenance and laboratory support are specifically provided from the Westside facility.

This arrangement allows for meeting the minimum regulatory requirements, and at the same time provides for a cost-effective coverage of all areas of concern. Regardless, the necessary qualified personnel need to be provided for the facility to meet its intended objectives and extra help will always be available from the Westside facility.

65.04 Job Descriptions

Job descriptions are required for the major positions necessary to operate this facility. The duties and requirements identified in the job description are general in nature and intended to provide the minimum of the skills, experience, and tasks necessary to operate this facility.

Specific tasks and requirements will be found in other sections of this Manual, in the vendor operation and maintenance literature, and ultimately in the site-specific operating procedures generated for this facility.

The following positions have been identified as necessary for the operation of the MPWRF:

• Operations Manager
• Operator III
• Operator II
• Maintenance Worker I, II, III
• Electrical Technician
• Laboratory Technician
• Administrative Assistant

Job descriptions for these positions are maintained on file.