For over a century, wastewater treatment has played a vital role in industrialized society — protecting public health, preserving natural ecosystems, and ensuring the safe disposal of human waste. Today, approximately 83% of U.S. households rely on public sewer systems, making the work of treatment facilities more crucial than ever.
If your home is connected to a public sewer system, the journey your wastewater takes begins the moment it disappears down the drain. It travels through a complex network of pipes and pump stations, eventually reaching a treatment facility designed to remove harmful substances before the water is safely returned to the environment. The goal is simple yet essential: take in dirty water, clean it thoroughly, and release it back into nature.
Behind the scenes, dedicated professionals work around the clock to keep these systems running. In the profiles that follow, three members of our union share their stories — highlighting the skill, responsibility, and pride it takes to manage wastewater properly. From Missouri to New Jersey to Pennsylvania, John Scofield, Andrew Dunlevy, and Vince Palmieri show what it truly means to protect our water — and the communities that depend on it.
John Scofield
Missouri American Water
Utility Worker
Local 455
For nearly two decades, I’ve worked in water and wastewater management in St. Charles County, just outside St. Louis. Over the years, I’ve learned that no two days are ever the same — and that’s what keeps this job so engaging. Whether it’s handling routine maintenance or pulling unexpected items like an engine car from a toy train from the system, the work never ceases to surprise.
I’m part of a small but dedicated team — just four of us responsible for four compact treatment plants. That means I wear a lot of hats. On any given day, I might be setting meters, checking chlorine and pH levels at the well house, repairing blowers or belts, replacing UV bulbs, or collecting and analyzing water samples. We’re a versatile crew, and most of the time, I’m working solo. Luckily, SCADA systems help us monitor everything remotely and send alerts if something’s off.
Our schedule runs on a rotating shift of four, 10-hour days. I start at 6 a.m. and usually wrap up by 4:30 p.m. There’s no night shift, but there’s someone on call for emergencies. My mornings kick off on the water side: checking chlorine, pH, and temperature at the well house and handling any work tickets. Once that’s done, I move over to the wastewater side.
Each plant serves residential customers only — anywhere from 50 to 600 homes — and treats between 55,000 and 120,000 gallons of wastewater daily. The process begins at the headworks, where large debris like paper, plastic, and the occasional toy gets screened out. Then, the water moves into a grit chamber where heavy particles settle.
From there, it flows into aeration tanks — my favorite part of the process. Here, microorganisms (we call them ‘bugs’) break down organic waste. It’s a bit like farming; you’ve got to keep your bugs healthy and well-fed. Big blowers keep oxygen levels up so they can thrive. Once their job is done, the water heads to clarifiers, where any remaining solids settle out. Some of the bacteria are recycled back to the aeration tanks, and the rest are processed into biosolids for reuse or disposal.
The final stage is disinfection. Two of our plants use UV technology, which is more environmentally friendly. One plant still uses chlorine, which we carefully dechlorinate before discharge. At one site, we’re using state-of-the-art Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) technology that eliminates the need for chemicals entirely.
The whole treatment process takes two to three days, though it can speed up after heavy rain events. Stormwater can flood our systems, and holiday seasons bring unique headaches, like when someone pours turkey grease down the drain. That stuff clogs everything.
Despite the messier parts of the job, there’s an incredible sense of satisfaction in what we do. Seeing clean water flow back into local creeks or lakes — places where people swim, fish, and water-ski — is a constant reminder that we’re protecting both public health and the environment. When I spot healthy fish swimming downstream, I know our efforts are making a difference.
After 19 years, the unpredictability and purpose of this work still drive me. Whether I’m managing a routine chlorine check or dealing with an unexpected toy train, I’m proud to be a part of something so essential.
Andrew Dunlevy
Bordentown Sewerage Authority
Sewerage Plant Maintenance Operator
Local 601
Bordentown is a small community in western New Jersey, just south of Trenton and not far from the Delaware River. I’ve been working for the Bordentown Sewerage Authority for nearly 20 years. Our plant serves a growing population, and as more farmland gets converted into housing developments, the demands on our system increase.
There are eight of us currently on the team — ideally, there’d be nine. We all rotate through just about every task the job demands: maintaining our system’s 60 miles of sewer mains and 15 pump stations, lab work, water treatment, and operating the press machines for dewatering. The plant is aging and definitely needs some upgrades, but we keep it running, and we’re committed to getting the work done right. It’s not the kind of work people think about often, but it’s essential, and we take a lot of pride in it.
A typical day for me starts at 7:30 a.m. I’ll often begin by checking in on a few of our pump stations — these are key parts of our system that help move sewage into the plant. If all’s running smoothly, I’m usually back at the plant by late morning.
From there, the day might involve anything from power washing algae off the tanks — especially important during warmer months — to collecting samples for lab testing. In the lab, we’re analyzing pH, ammonia, and alkalinity to make sure the treated water meets environmental standards. We use soda ash to help control alkalinity, and we’re always keeping an eye out for signs of imbalance or issues that could impact the treatment process.
Our plant can process up to three million gallons a day, though we average around 1.6 million. After a heavy rain, the volume can spike with groundwater infiltration and volume can drop to 1.2 million during a drought.
Sewage enters through our screw pump station, which lifts it high enough to let gravity move it through the plant. It passes through bar screens and a grit chamber before reaching the primary clarifiers. Solids settle out, and we pump the water to storage tanks for further processing. The solids go to the belt press, where we squeeze out any remaining water. Remaining solids are hauled off to the Burlington County Composting Facility while the water we extract gets processed back through the plant.
The liquid travels on to oxidation ditches, where bacteria (‘bugs’) break down the organic matter. Our bugs are the real workers, eating all that organic material. After the bugs get their fill, the liquid moves on for disinfection in our chlorine contact tanks. It’s then dechlorinated, aerated and released into Black’s Creek — eventually flowing into the Delaware River. It takes about 24 hours for a gallon of wastewater to be fully treated. Some of the solids take longer.
It’s amazing how clean the water is by the end of that journey. We even had a beaver family living near the outflow — proof, I think, that we’re doing something right. It’s not glamorous work, but it’s necessary and important.
Vince Palmieri
Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (Alcosan)
Control Room Operator, Secondary Operations
Local 433
I’ve been working at Alcosan since April 2002, starting out as a general laborer cutting grass and cleaning the grounds. Today, over two decades later, I’m a Control Room Operator in Secondary Operations — proof that with dedication and curiosity, growth is always possible.
Alcosan is located on Pittsburgh’s Northshore, where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers merge to form the Ohio River. Our 59-acre plant sits at a geographic low point, a location selected by the Army Corps of Engineers some 80 years ago to take advantage of gravity in a city built on hills. That gravity-fed design helps us move wastewater through the system efficiently.
We provide wastewater treatment services for 83 communities in Allegheny County, including Pittsburgh. On a typical dry day, we treat about 250 million gallons of wastewater. But when it rains, the challenge grows. Like many older systems, ours isn’t fully separated, meaning stormwater and sewage can combine, straining the system. That’s why we’re halfway through a 20-year Clean Water Plan — to expand capacity, reduce overflows, and protect our region’s vital waterways.
When I started at Alcosan at age 26, I was just happy to have a job. I spent the first few years in general maintenance before moving into regional conveyance, where I helped inspect and maintain sewer infrastructure across the county. It was hands-on work — making sure gates opened and closed properly, and that flow was uninterrupted.
Around six or seven years in, I entered an electrical apprenticeship program. That’s where I really began to deepen my technical knowledge — working on everything from office plugs to the massive 12,000-volt systems that power our facility. I spent years troubleshooting pumps and electrical drives, learning how to diagnose problems under pressure. Then in 2020, right as the pandemic began, I moved into the operations department.
Operations is a 24/7, 365-day-a-year commitment. Sewage doesn’t take holidays. We work rotating shifts — six days on, two off — cycling through mornings, afternoons, and overnights. Every shift begins with a briefing from the outgoing operator. We cover what’s been running smoothly, what’s gone offline, and what needs our attention.
As a Control Room Operator in Secondary Operations, I’m responsible for monitoring and adjusting the final stages of the wastewater treatment process before clean water is released. After initial screening and sedimentation, the wastewater arrives at the aeration tanks. This is where biology takes over. Microscopic organisms consume organic waste like fecal matter. We don’t rely on chemicals here; instead, we work to keep these organisms thriving. It’s all about balance. Our lab technicians test the water every eight hours, helping us fine-tune oxygen levels and flow to support healthy microbial activity.
From aeration, the water moves to the clarifiers — massive circular tanks where remaining solids settle out. These solids are then pumped to our dewatering facility and either incinerated or sent to a landfill. Meanwhile, the now mostly clean water heads to the disinfection stage, which is another key part of my job.
We add a carefully measured dose of sodium hypochlorite to kill any remaining harmful bacteria. Too little, and we risk contamination. Too much, and we can damage the environment. So, we rely on real-time analyzer data to make constant adjustments. After disinfection, the water is dechlorinated and finally discharged — clean and safe — back into the Ohio River.
Another major responsibility of mine is overseeing our three air scrubber buildings. The treatment process can produce some unpleasant odors, and because we’re situated in the heart of the city, we go to great lengths to clean the air. Using a combination of water, sodium hypochlorite, and caustic, we scrub and neutralize odors before releasing the air back into the environment.
Redundancy is a core part of our operations. We always have backup systems and spare capacity. If something breaks during the night shift, we switch to a redundant unit until the day crew can handle repairs. Alcosan is like a self-contained city, with offices, a lab, and treatment facilities all on one site. At any given time, hundreds of people are working together to keep the system running.
To do this job, you need a Pennsylvania Water and Wastewater Treatment license. It’s not easy to earn or maintain. You need to pass a rigorous exam and stay current with continuing education. It’s a responsibility I take seriously. We’re not just operating a plant — we’re safeguarding public health and the environment.
Looking back, the plant I saw as a 26-year-old is very different from what I see now at 49. We’ve grown, adapted, and improved in so many ways. And I’ve grown right along with it. What I love most is that every day brings something new: a problem to solve, a system to improve, a way to do the job better. It’s not just work; it’s meaningful work. I’m proud to be part of it.