What You'll Do

  • Drive trucks to transport crews, materials, and equipment.
  • Communicate with supervisors and other workers, using equipment such as wireless phones, pagers, or radio telephones.
  • Prepare and keep records of actions taken, including maintenance and repair work.
  • Operate sewer cleaning equipment, including power rodders, high-velocity water jets, sewer flushers, bucket machines, wayne balls, and vac-alls.
  • Ensure that repaired sewer line joints are tightly sealed before backfilling begins.
  • Withdraw cables from pipes and examine them for evidence of mud, roots, grease, and other deposits indicating broken or clogged sewer lines.
  • Install rotary knives on flexible cables mounted on machine reels, according to the diameters of pipes to be cleaned.
  • Measure excavation sites, using plumbers' snakes, tapelines, or lengths of cutting heads within sewers, and mark areas for digging.
  • Locate problems, using specially designed equipment, and mark where digging must occur to reach damaged tanks or pipes.
  • Clean and repair septic tanks, sewer lines, or related structures such as manholes, culverts, and catch basins.

Essential Skills

Operation and Control 3.88/5
Operations Monitoring 3.62/5
Critical Thinking 3.12/5
Active Listening 3.0/5
Equipment Maintenance 3.0/5
Troubleshooting 3.0/5
Repairing 3.0/5
Quality Control Analysis 3.0/5
Time Management 3.0/5
Monitoring 2.88/5
Coordination 2.88/5
Complex Problem Solving 2.88/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to sense whether the day to day rhythm and focus of this path line up with what energizes you.

Top passions

  • Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.
  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.
  • Analyst: Investigating problems and finding patterns keeps you engaged.

Common styles

Dependability, Integrity, Attention to Detail, Independence, Cooperation

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Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Manual Dexterity 3.75/5
Control Precision 3.62/5
Oral Comprehension 3.5/5
Problem Sensitivity 3.5/5
Flexibility of Closure 3.5/5
Arm-Hand Steadiness 3.5/5
Multilimb Coordination 3.5/5
Depth Perception 3.38/5

Technologies & Tools

Intuit QuickBooks Microsoft Excel Microsoft Word Route mapping software Web browser software Word processing software Work scheduling software

Work Environment & Style

Common Styles for This Career

  • Dependability (High importance: 4.11/5)
  • Integrity (High importance: 3.91/5)
  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 3.9/5)
  • Independence (High importance: 3.86/5)
  • Cooperation (High importance: 3.74/5)

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How to Become One

Little or no previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for this career. Training is provided on the job.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Aseptic Tech (Aseptic Technician) Drain and Sewer Technician Drain Cleaner Drain Technician Electric Sewer Cleaning Machine Operator High Reach Operator Pipe Cleaning Machine Operator Priming Machine Operator Public Works Operator Public Works Technician Reach Operator Roto Rooter Operator Septic Cleaner Septic Pump Truck Driver Septic Tank Cleaner Septic Tank Service Technician Septic Technician Service Technician Sewage Screen Operator Sewer and Drain Technician Sewer Bricklayer Sewer Cleaner Sewer Line Repairer Sewer Pipe Cleaner Sewer Technician Stormwater Technician Transport Tank Technician