The Velasco Drainage District utility worker position.
Job description
Job Summary
The Utility worker is responsible for maintenance weed eating, clearing vegetation—grass, weeds, and brush—from levees, drainage channels, embankments, and flood protection structures. This role is vital for flood control, ensuring that inspectors can access and inspect infrastructure, and maintaining proper water flow. Maintaining levee equipment, tractor, pumps, gates, performing repairs to facilities and grounds, and keeping accurate maintenance records responsible for maintaining the structural integrity, vegetation, drainage systems of levees and flood protection infrastructures. They primarily operate tractors with attachments (mowers, bush hogs, blades, etc.) to cut grass and maintain vegetation, ensuring visibility, accessibility, and flood control when the levee operator is unavailable. A Commercial Driver License (CDL) is required. Storm/on call duty. operating and
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Vegetation Control: Operate tractors with mowers when needed, with attachments to cut grass, brush, small trees on levees, banks, and within rights-of-way.
- Operation: Assist the lead operator in carrying out tasks assigned by the Supervisor. Safely operate all levee equipment, industrial tractors, sometimes including front-end loaders, backhoes, or other equipment for maintenance tasks. Weed eat, spry for weeds.
- Levee Maintenance: Perform tasks to maintain flood control structures, such as repairing erosion, clearing debris, and operating drainage gates or pumps. repairs of all levee equipment, buildings, grounds and tools as directed.
- Routine Maintenance: Perform daily inspections, lubricating, refueling, and minor repairs on equipment to keep it in safe working order. Keep up with hand tools and company truck.
- Labor Tasks: Perform manual labor as needed, including using chainsaws, weed eaters, and shovels, as well as sandbagging during high-water emergencies. Perform other duties as assigned and assist other employees as needed.
- Documentation: Maintain maintenance records and logs for equipment usage. Report maintenance issues to Supervisor and lead operator. Maintain maintenance records and pump log charts.
- On call: Will be on call every third (3) week or as needed. Employees on call must be within the area and respond within a 30-minute maximum.
Skills, Abilities and Knowledge
- Ability to read and write.
- Knowledge: Practical knowledge of operating, maintaining, and repairing a wide range of tools and equipment, including tractors, mowers, trucks, pump equipment, chainsaws, weed eaters, and various hand and power tools. Understanding of tractor operation, hydraulic systems, Practical knowledge of heavy machinery (e.g., bulldozers, excavators).
- Physical Stamina: Ability to sit and operate machinery for long periods, on steep slopes. work in harsh weather conditions (sun, rain, heat, cold), and lift heavy objects (50+ lbs).
- Safety Orientation: Strict adherence to safety protocols, particularly when operating on steep slopes or in hazardous conditions.
Education and Experience
- Education High school diploma or equivalent preferred; applicants without a diploma may be considered based on demonstrating required abilities and skills.
- Experience: Typically requires previous experience operating tractors or similar heavy equipment. Experience in construction, use of cutting torches and mechanical repair.
- Licensure: Valid Commercial driver’s license (CDL) required. Or the ability to obtain a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) with in 30 days.
- Working Conditions
This position often requires working outdoors in extreme temperatures, high humidity, and in sometimes confined or isolated spaces. Long hours, including weekends and holidays, may be required during peak season or during flood events.
Other Requirements
- Ability to work all three (3) shifts Days, Evening, Nights, including overtime, storms, weekends and holidays as required.
- Regularly required to exert physical effort for extended periods.
- Pushing, pulling, climbing and lifting of (50+ lbs).
- Good manual dexterity and meet all established physical requirements.
- Work is performed with prolonged exposure to dust, sun and inclement weather, and confined spaces.
- Occasional exposure to hazardous conditions, including heights, and slippery surfaces. Herbicide/ pesticide chemical.