Description

A complete job description and application instructions are available at www.kenosha.org.

The Director of Wastewater Treatment is a critical component of the Kenosha Water Utility (KWU) management team in its efforts to “provide and protect our greatest natural resource.”  The overall purpose of this position is to plan and manage the operations of the wastewater treatment plant and lift stations in compliance with the Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (WPDES) permit, coordinate related services and programs, and assure that all requirements of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WI DNR) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are met.  There is an approved Master Plan which lays out capital projects for the wastewater treatment plant for the next 20 years that the incumbent will be responsible for implementing. Assistance in carrying out these responsibilities is provided by the following direct reports:  Environmental Programs Supervisor, Utility Maintenance & Operations Supervisor, and Lead Operator.  This position receives direction and guidance from the Director of Operations (currently vacant) and/or the Assistant General Manager with administrative oversight and evaluation of performance conducted by the General Manager.  APPLICATIONS WILL BE REVIEWED UPON RECEIPT FOR POTENTIAL IMMEDIATE INTERVIEW, and this recruitment will close when the position is filled. Any questions regarding this recruitment should be forwarded to the KWU Director of Personnel & Administration at shill@kenosha.org or 262-653-4308. Full-time benefits include employer paid health/dental/life insurance and pension contributions into the Wisconsin Retirement System, paid time off (vacation, sick, holidays), and ability to earn compensatory time and overtime when responding to after-hour emergencies.
  
The Kenosha Water Utility (KWU) is a municipally-owned, fiscally independent public utility organized under authority of §66.0805 of the Wisconsin State Statutes and Chapter XXXII of the City of Kenosha General Ordinances. KWU provides water and wastewater services to more than 100,000 people in the Kenosha area, including the City of Kenosha and the Villages of Bristol, Pleasant Prairie, and Somers. Kenosha is ideally located off Interstate 94 on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan between Milwaukee and Chicago. More information may be obtained at www.kenosha.org. 
 
KWU maintains the sanitary sewer system consisting of the wastewater treatment plant, 332 miles of pipe and 13 lift stations. During heavy rain events, the flow to the KWU wastewater treatment plant increases as much as five times the average flow. The KWU wastewater treatment plant treats an average of 21 million gallons of sewage a day and is regulated by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.  KWU uses a 2-step process: primary treatment to separate the solid and liquid portions of wastewater for further treatment, and secondary treatment which uses biological and anaerobic digestion processes to remove pollutants from the liquid portion and breakdown the solids portion before discharging the final effluent into Lake Michigan. In the event flow exceeds plant capacity, there is a 30 million gallon equalization basin for additional storage for later treatment. The wastewater plant laboratory is responsible for collecting, preparing and analyzing wastewater samples before, during and after treatment and at various points in our collection system which includes monitoring the wastewater discharge from industrial users.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, environmental science, chemistry, biology, business management or related field from an accredited institution;
• Supplemented by a minimum of five (5) years experience in water or wastewater treatment operations or engineering of which at least two (2) years were in a supervisory capacity;
• Or any combination of education and experience that provides equivalent knowledge, skills and abilities.
• Project management experience with capital projects of five (5) years is desired.
• Valid driver's license.
• Ability to respond to plant emergencies and participate in supervisory on-call rotation.
• Wisconsin Wastewater Operator Certification (Operator-in-Training/OIT) with the following subclasses is required prior to end of probationary period unless already possessed.  Advanced certification with the same subclasses must be obtained within a time period determined by management. 
  • A1 - Biological Treatment, Suspended Growth Processes;  
  • B - Solids Separation;  
  • C - Biological Solids/Sludge Handling, Processing, and Reuse;  
  • D - Disinfection;  
  • P - Nutrient Removal, Phosphorus