Water Plant Operator Trainee Jobs in Riverside, CA

Salary : $56,264.00 - $77,376.00 Annually
Location : Throughout San Bernardino County, CA
Job Type: Full-time
Job Number: 26-46103-01
Department: Special Districts
Opening Date: 01/31/2026
Closing Date: Continuous
The Job
Applications will be received until a sufficient number of applications are received. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible to ensure consideration as recruitment may close at any time.

• Recruitment Bonus - Newly hired employees from this recruitmentmay be eligible to receive bonus payments up to $2,000 ($1000 upon hire and $1000 upon completion of 2080 service hours.)
• Referral Bonus - Current employees in a regular position who refer a qualified candidate for this recruitment may be eligible to receive bonus payments up to $750 per referral ($250 upon hire, $500 upon new employee completing 2,080 hours)

San Bernardino County's Department of Public Works, Special Districts, Water and Sanitation Division is recruiting for Maintenance Workers II to perform a variety of general and semi-skilled maintenance tasks pertaining to the operation of a water distribution or wastewater collection system. Maintenance Workersare required to perform their duties in all weather conditions, and at any work site; work sites are located throughout the County, including high/low deserts, mountains, and valleys. For more detailed information refer to the job description.
The Special Districts Division provides cost-effective services to 100+ unincorporated areas throughout San Bernardino County. Services are provided with a commitment to safety, quality, and focus on customer satisfaction.
Excellent Benefits
To review job-specific benefits, refer to:
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
Working Conditions: Applicants must be able to perform heavy manual labor and work outdoors in varying weather conditions; work in desert and mountainous areas, remote locations, and other locations as needed; have the ability to drive in all weather conditions; and work weekends and holidays, and respond to emergency calls as needed. Must regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds and have the ability to stoop, kneel, crouch, bend over, and crawl for extended periods in the performance of job duties for this position.
Health and Physical: Persons seeking appointment to this class must meet the health and physical condition standards deemed necessary and proper for performance of the duties established by the San Bernardino County Special Districts Department.
Certification: Some facilities require the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Water Distribution Operator Grade D3 certification. Additional compensation may be available for employees possessing certifications at a higher level than required for the assigned site, and/or for specialized industry-specific certifications.
Additional Certification: Must possess and maintain both a State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Water Distribution Operator Grade D2 certification and a Water Treatment T2 certification within 18 months from date of employment or be terminated.
License: Must obtain and maintain a CA Class A unrestricted driver license with tanker endorsement within 24 months of Maintenance Worker series employment or be terminated. Subject to DOT random testing requirements.
Travel: Travel throughout the County is required. A valid CA driver license and proof of automobile liability insurance is required at time of appointment.
Assignment: Employees on call must respond by phone within 30 minutes. Employees may be assigned to one region, but are expected to work any site located throughout the County, to meet the Department's needs. Incumbents are required to be available on-call evenings, weekends, and holidays, as needed. Sites/locations encompass the mountains, the deserts, and the valleys.
Sponsorship: Please note that San Bernardino County is not able to consider candidates who will require visa sponsorship at the time of application or in the future.
Minimum Requirements
Candidates must meet all of the following requirements:Certifications:
One of the following certification combinations:

• Current CA SWRCB D2 Water Distribution Operator and T1 Water Treatment certifications

-OR-

• Current CA SWRCB T2 Water Treatment and D1 Water Distribution Operator certifications

Experience: Two (2) years of recent experience (within the last 5 years) in the maintenance and repair, or inspection, of water/wastewater equipment and machinery.License: Must possess a valid CA Class "C" driver license (or higher).
NOTE: Copy of required certificates must be attached to the application.
Desired Qualifications
The ideal candidate will possess a valid CA Class A unrestricted driver license with tanker and hazmat endorsements, in addition to possession of the SWRCB Water Distribution Operator Grade D3 certification, SWRCB T2 Water Treatment certification and SWRCB Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Grade II certification.
Selection Process
Application Procedure: Applications will be accepted until a sufficient number of qualified applications are received. To receive consideration for this excellent opportunity, please complete and submit the online employment application and supplemental application. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of the application and/or supplemental questionnaires.
There will be a competitive evaluation of qualifications based on the information provided in the Application and the Supplemental Questionnaire. You are encouraged to include detailed descriptions of your qualifying experience and skills, as only the most highly qualified applicants will be referred to the Department.
All communications regarding the selection process will be via email. Applicants are encouraged to check their e-mail frequently to learn additional information regarding this recruitment. Check your GovernmentJobs account for notifications. Update your firewalls to allow e-mails from San Bernardino County through governmentjobs.com. Update your Spam, Junk, and Bulk settings to ensure it will not spam/block/filter communications from email addresses with the following domain "@hr.sbcounty.gov". Finally, be sure to keep your personal information updated. Taking these steps now will help ensure you receive all communications regarding this recruitment.
To ensure timely and successful submission of your online application, please allow ample time to complete and submit your application before the posted filing deadline. Applicants will be automatically logged-out if they have not submitted the application and all required materials prior to the posted deadline. Once your application has been successfully submitted you will receive an onscreen confirmation and an email. We recommend that you save and/or print these for your records. Please note: if you do not receive an onscreen confirmation and an email acknowledging our receipt of your application, we have not received your application.
All communications regarding the selection process will be via email. Applicants are encouraged to check their e-mails frequently to obtain any correspondence associated with this recruitment. Please be sure the email provided on this application is always current; it is your responsibility to update your personal information. Update your Spam, Junk, Bulk and Firewall settings as needed to ensure that you receive all information pertaining to this recruitment.
EEO/ADA: San Bernardino County is an and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant employer, dedicated to ensuring equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants.
ADA Accommodation: If you have a disability and need accommodations during the testing process, please submit the within one week of a recruitment filing deadline.
Veterans' Preference: Eligible veterans and their spouses or widows/widowers who are not current County employees may receive additional Veterans' Preference points. For details and instructions on how to request these points, please refer to the
For more important details, review the links below:
Guide to Completing a County Job Application
Applicant Information and the County Employment Process
Water and Sanitation MOU
San Bernardino County offers a range of benefit programs for employees and their eligible dependents. These include health, dental, vision, and life insurance, as well as a variety of other voluntary benefits. Programs and benefit amounts vary and are based on bargaining unit, family size, hire date, plan selection, and number of hours worked.
Please review the appropriate * for more information
Refer to the appropriate MOU, contact the County's Employee Benefits and Services Division at (909) 387-5787 or visit the for more detailed information.
*Retirement benefits subject to change.
01
PLEASE READ THE BELOW STATEMENT
Instructions: The information provided on your application and in your responses to the following Supplemental Questionnaire will be used to determine if you meet the minimum requirements for this position, as well as in a competitive evaluation of qualifications. It is in your best interest to be as thorough as possible in your responses. Resumes will NOT be reviewed to determine qualifications. Applicants will not be able to update their application materials or answers to the questionnaire once the application has been submitted. Note: Experience listed on this questionnaire must also be listed and fully detailed in the work experience section of your application.

• I have read and understand the above statement.

02
Work Availability: This position may be required to work weekends and holidays, to provide coverage as needed. Indicate your willingness and availability to work weekends and holidays. Note that not being available will remove you from this process.

• Yes, I am willing and available to work weekends and holidays.
• No, I am not willing or available to work weekends and holidays at this time.

03
Water Distribution Operator Certification: Check the (highest) valid CA SWRCB or Department of Public Health Services (CDPH) Water Distribution Operator Certification Grade that you possess. Attach a copy to your application.

• D1
• D2
• D3
• D4
• D5
• Other (include in Certificates section of Application)
• None of the above.

04
Water Treatment Operator Certification: Check the (highest) valid CA SWRCB or CDPH Water Treatment Operator Grade Certifications that you possess. Attach a copy to your application.

• T1
• T2
• T3
• T4
• T5
• Other (include in Certificates section of Application)
• None of the above.

05
Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Certification: Check the (highest) valid CA State Water Resource Control Board (SWRCB) Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator certificates you possess. Attach a copy to your application.

• Grade I
• Grade II
• Grade III
• Grade IV
• Grade V
• None of the above.

06
California Driver License: Indicate the CA driver license you currently possess.

• Class A
• Class B
• Class C
• Other
• None of the above.

07
Experience: Indicate your experience in a Water/Wastewater environment:

• Maintenance on Equipment/Machinery
• Monthly Scheduled Preventative Maintenance
• Sampling of Water/Wastewater
• SCADA computer software
• Other data collection computer software
• Other
• None of the above

08
Applicant Acknowledgement - Notification via email: As part of our efforts to increase efficiency and promote conservation of resources, human resources uses email to communicate with applicants. Therefore, all future communications regarding this recruitment, including applicant status and testing notifications, will be made via email. Each applicant needs their own email address. We strongly encourage you, as an applicant, to ensure that the email address you have provided us with your application is current, secure, confidential, and readily accessible to you. Adjust Spam and/or other filters so that our emails are accepted. Please carefully read any notices that we send you and follow any instructions provided in a timely manner. We will not be responsible in any way if you do not receive our emails (i.e., for the non-delivery of our emails or if you fail to check your e-mail on a timely basis).

• I acknowledge that I have read, understood, and agree to the above.

09
**ATTENTION GMAIL USERS**
We have become aware of an increase in Gmail's spam filter sensitivity. Due to this change, it is possible that emails coming from San Bernardino County Human Resources may be marked as spam and will not make it into your Gmail inbox.
For your convenience, a step-by-step guide to create and apply filters within Gmail is available in the attached PDF. Once downloaded, follow the instructions so that you will receive future emails from San Bernardino County Human Resources.
Note: If you apply the filters and still do not receive emails from San Bernardino County Human Resources you can check your (Neogov) account inbox. All notifications will appear there.

• I understand

10
Applicant Acknowledgement - Application Complete: Thank you fo