Staff role

Septic Tank Servicer / Sewer Pipe Cleaner

Clean and repair septic tanks, sewer lines, or drains. May patch walls and partitions of tank, replace damaged drain tile, or repair breaks in underground piping.

O*NET reports this occupation under titles such as: Drain Cleaner; Drain Technician; Public Works Technician; Septic Cleaner; Septic Pump Truck Driver; Septic Tank Service Technician; Service Technician; Sewer Bricklayer

Tasks

  • Communicate with supervisors and other workers, using equipment such as wireless phones, pagers, or radio telephones.
  • Drive trucks to transport crews, materials, and equipment.
  • Inspect manholes to locate sewer line stoppages.
  • Operate sewer cleaning equipment, including power rodders, high-velocity water jets, sewer flushers, bucket machines, wayne balls, and vac-alls.
  • Prepare and keep records of actions taken, including maintenance and repair work.
  • Clean and repair septic tanks, sewer lines, or related structures such as manholes, culverts, and catch basins.
  • Measure excavation sites, using plumbers' snakes, tapelines, or lengths of cutting heads within sewers, and mark areas for digging.
  • Service, adjust, and make minor repairs to equipment, machines, and attachments.
  • Locate problems, using specially designed equipment, and mark where digging must occur to reach damaged tanks or pipes.
  • Dig out sewer lines manually, using shovels.

Knowledge

  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Mechanical
  • Transportation
  • English Language
  • Public Safety and Security
  • Mathematics
  • Administration and Management

Skills

  • Critical Thinking
  • Active Listening

Abilities

  • Manual Dexterity
  • Control Precision
  • Oral Comprehension
  • Problem Sensitivity
  • Flexibility of Closure
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Multilimb Coordination
  • Depth Perception
  • Reaction Time
  • Near Vision
  • Hearing Sensitivity
  • Oral Expression
  • Deductive Reasoning
  • Static Strength
  • Extent Flexibility
  • Far Vision
  • Inductive Reasoning
  • Perceptual Speed
  • Visualization
  • Selective Attention
  • Trunk Strength
  • Auditory Attention

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

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