jobfacts

Water and sewerage plant operatives

SOC 2020 8134

Water and sewerage plant operatives operate valves to control water supplies in mains and pipelines, attend screening, filtering, water purifying and sedimentation plant, clear any blockages and patrol and maintain sewerage systems.

Also calledWater treatment workerWater quality technicianWater treatment operatorOperatorSuperintendentTechnicianand 86 more titles
Typical full-time pay£39,7002025 Provisional
People in the job21,000across the UK
Demand for workersElevated
New adverts a month615↓ 6.1%on last year · 245th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025

Half of full-time water and sewerage plant operatives earn between £31,600 and £46,200 a year.

What full-time water and sewerage plant operatives earn, 2025
£39,700 typical£29,200lowest 20%£46,20075%n/ptop 10%
Middle half (£31,600–£46,200)n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less thanNot published
Lowest 20% earn less than£29,200
25%£31,600
Median£39,700
75%£46,200
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £39,700
West Midlands!£47,700
East Midlands!£42,300
South West!£41,000
Scotland!£40,000
South East!£39,600
North West!£38,000
East of England!£36,500
Wales!£30,400
North EastNot published by ONS–
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £39,700
West Midlands£47,700 (small sample)
East Midlands£42,300 (small sample)
South West£41,000 (small sample)
Scotland£40,000 (small sample)
South East£39,600 (small sample)
North West£38,000 (small sample)
East of England£36,500 (small sample)
Wales£30,400 (small sample)
North EastNot published by ONS
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £32,400
  • 2024 £38,000
  • 2025 Provisional£39,700
↑ 23% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 615 jobs for water and sewerage plant operatives are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as elevated.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (4 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026625
Jul 2026579
Jun 2026Not published
May 2026577
Apr 2026648
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026592
Jan 2026721
Dec 2025404
Nov 2025593
Oct 2025682
Sept 2025725
Aug 2025671
Jul 2025Not published
Jun 2025Not published
May 2025723
Apr 2025601
Mar 2025624
Feb 2025807
Jan 2025759
Dec 2024423
Nov 2024616
Oct 2024667
Sept 2024661
Aug 2024666
Jul 2024737
Jun 2024698
May 2024779
Apr 2024676
Mar 2024584
Feb 2024639
Jan 2024739
Dec 2023496
Nov 2023612
Oct 2023505
Sept 2023608
Aug 2023657
Jul 2023634
Jun 2023910
May 2023862
Apr 2023789
Mar 2023857
Feb 2023837
Jan 20231,068
Dec 2022780
Nov 20221,007
Oct 2022962
Sept 2022862
Aug 2022841
Jul 2022897
Jun 2022792
May 2022918
Apr 2022640
Mar 2022830
Feb 2022848
Jan 20221,078
Dec 2021742
Nov 2021790
Oct 2021974
Sept 2021785
Aug 2021724
Jul 2021947
Jun 2021798
May 2021952
Apr 2021801
Mar 2021977
Feb 2021656
Jan 2021767
Dec 2020595
Nov 2020651
Oct 2020803
Sept 2020736
Aug 2020628
Jul 2020627
Jun 2020539
May 2020374
Apr 2020450
Mar 2020713
Feb 2020977
Jan 2020874
Dec 2019622
Nov 2019842
Oct 2019965
Sept 2019908
Aug 2019712
Jul 2019849
Jun 2019840
May 2019760
Apr 2019595
Mar 2019632
Feb 2019565
Jan 2019675
Dec 2018413
Nov 2018501
Oct 2018533
Sept 2018549
Aug 2018474
Jul 2018515
Jun 2018573
May 2018541
Apr 2018519
Mar 2018526
Feb 2018498
Jan 2018557
Dec 2017391
Nov 2017614
Oct 2017526
Sept 2017508
Aug 2017499
Jul 2017457
Jun 2017569
May 2017587
Apr 2017572
Mar 2017677
Feb 2017573
Jan 2017796
Is there a shortage of water and sewerage plant operatives?
Elevated

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment; in 2024 it was critical.

  • Visas grantedAbove usual
  • Online job advertsAbove usual
  • Wage growthAbove usual
  • Pay against similar jobsAbove usual
  • Hours workedAbove usual
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
43%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for plant and machine operatives, which includes water and sewerage plant operatives. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London285
Manchester54
Birmingham48
Reading34
Sheffield32
Coventry28
Bristol, City of23
Glasgow City23
Buckinghamshire20
Leeds19
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where water and sewerage plant operatives are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. Fewer than 10 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
WomenToo few in the survey to give a reliable figure
Age of water and sewerage plant operatives
n/p
33%!
17%!
18%!
28%!
n/p
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–24Not published
25–3433% (small sample)
35–4417% (small sample)
45–5418% (small sample)
55–6428% (small sample)
65+Not published
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent!11%
Higher education below degree!11%
A levels or equivalent!41%
GCSEs or equivalent!32%
Other qualifications–
Not published
No qualifications!5.6%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent11% (small sample)
Higher education below degree11% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent41% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalent32% (small sample)
Other qualificationsNot published
No qualifications5.6% (small sample)

Main employers: water collection, treatment and supply (73%), sewerage (9.2%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
11%
as their highest qualification
Most common qualification
A levels or equivalent
held by 41%
Apprenticeships
7
from level 2
Apprenticeships take
18 months to 4 years
typically

Routes in

You can get into this job through:

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do an apprenticeship with a water treatment firm, such as:

  • Water Process Operative Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
  • Water Industry Treatment Process Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
  • Water Treatment Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
  • Water Industry Asset Maintenance Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship

These can take between 18 months and 4 years to complete.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Work your way up

You could start as a trainee with a water company and advance in your career through on-the-job training or an apprenticeship. For example, your employer may support you through a course in water engineering.

Apply directly

You could apply directly for water treatment jobs.

Some employers may want you to have GCSEs in English, maths and a science at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C).

Experience of working in industrial plant maintenance could be helpful though not essential.

You can find more advice about careers and training in the water industry through Energy & Utilities Careers & Jobs.

What you’ll need

  • pass a medical check

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for water treatment worker. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Apprenticeships

7 for this job
Level 3About 4 years

Water industry asset maintenance technician

Leads to
Institution of Engineering and Technology
Details on Skills England
Level 3About 2½ years

Water industry network technician

Leads to
The Institute of Water
Employers may ask for
Typically, 3 to 5 GCSEs at grade 4 or above including English and mathematics, or equivalent qualifications.
Details on Skills England
Level 3About 3 years

Water industry treatment process technician

Leads to
The Institute of Water
Employers may ask for
Typically, 3 to 5 GCSEs at grade 4 or above including English and mathematics, or equivalent qualifications.
Details on Skills England

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • attends water filtration and purification plant, monitors chemical treatment and regulates treatment of water supply within strict guidelines
  • opens and closes valves to regulate quantity and pressure of water and reports defective valves or abnormal water pressure
  • stops water supply in an emergency and informs consumers likely to be affected
  • regulates flow of raw sewage into screening plant, releases screened sewage and regulates its flow into detritus pits, sedimentation tanks and filtration beds
  • cleans out screen compartments, sedimentation tanks and filtration beds manually or using mechanical scraper
  • patrols sections of sewer, examines for any blockages or gas releases and clears blockages by flushing or by using boring rods
  • digs trench and assists pipe layers to lay, renew or repair sewerage pipes

Skills

  • ensure compliance with environmental legislation
  • maintain water treatment equipment
  • perform water treatments
  • test samples for pollutants
  • ensure equipment maintenance
  • maintain desalination control system
  • monitor water quality
  • operate hydraulic machinery controls
  • operate water purifying equipment
  • use water disinfection equipment
  • ensure proper water storage
  • use personal protection equipment
  • assess waste type
  • carry out waste water treatment

Knowledge

  • hazardous waste types
  • water chemistry analysis
  • water policies
  • water reuse
  • hazardous waste treatment
  • waste and scrap products

Suits people who like

  • Practical, hands-on work
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for process, plant, machine and construction operatives, a group of 25 jobs that includes water and sewerage plant operatives.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 19%about 142,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 2035496,000including people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.