Workforce Wednesday: Water treatment facility operator

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Anchorage has some of the best drinking water in the country. We use more than 25 million gallons per day. Water Treatment Facility Operators are in charge of filtering, disinfecting and putting fluoride in the water before sending it into a thousand miles of piping to your tap.

Wednesday, Mike Kukowski, a foreman with Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility (AAWU) joined Daybreak to talk about the position. It requires some science, math and technical skills. Operators can make anywhere from $20 to $40 an hour depending on experience. Kukowski said it encourages in-house training and promoting from within.

“I really like that I’m behind the scenes when somebody turns their tap on, it’s like a light switch to them. They’re just flipping on the switch. To me, it’s much more — we’re providing safe, reliable water,”