Description
Operate and monitor facility utility systems—boilers, chillers, cooling towers, compressed air, water treatment, and related distribution—to ensure safe, efficient, and reliable steam, air, water, and energy supply.
- • Perform minor repairs, preventive maintenance, and component replacements on utility equipment.
- • Adjust control setpoints on boilers, chillers, compressors, and chemical feed systems to meet load, quality, and efficiency targets.
- • Monitor SCADA/DCS screens, gauges, flowmeters, and alarms to verify utility system conditions.
- • Operate utility equipment via control panels, PLCs, and semi-automatic controls.
- • Record operating data, rounds, and log sheets for pressures, temperatures, flows, and test results.
- • Coordinate with engineering, maintenance, and operations to resolve issues affecting safety, energy use, or service quality.
- • Collect water samples and perform tests (pH, conductivity, hardness, chlorine) to maintain boiler, cooling, and RO standards.
- • Execute emergency shutdowns, load-shed, or bypass procedures per SOPs.
- • Start and stop pumps, fans, and compressors to place equipment in or out of service or regulate steam, water, air, or fuel flows.
- • Review trend data and lab results to adjust chemical dosing, blowdown, and cycles of concentration.
- • Patrol utility areas to check for leaks, abnormal noises, or overflow conditions.
- • Notify and support maintenance or stationary engineers to correct equipment issues and adjust utilities supply.
- • Inspect boilers, chillers, cooling towers, air compressors, deaerators, RO units, and softeners for proper operation and efficiency.
- • Direct helpers or contractors during utility equipment startup, shutdown, and maintenance.
- • Operate valves to isolate, vent, drain, or align steam, condensate, water, fuel, and air systems.
- • Calculate chemical feed rates, fuel usage, and water make-up needs using formulas and load data.
- • Gauge and monitor tank levels for fuel, condensate, demineralized water, and chemicals.
- • Apply heat tracing or controlled heating to thaw or prevent frozen lines and valves when required.
- • Clean and maintain strainers, filters, cooling tower basins, and spray nozzles; backwash and regenerate softeners and filters.
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Advanced Manufacturing
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
