Job Description

Overview

The Utility Mechanic position at American Water involves performing various responsibilities related to the operation and maintenance of water distribution systems. The role offers competitive pay and opportunities for professional growth within the company.

Responsibilities

  • Coordinate, monitor, and control the safe and efficient utilization of Company and valve operating equipment and assigned personnel.
  • Locate, access, operate, and repair Company facilities such as mains, hydrants, and plumbing fixtures.
  • Investigate and diagnose hydraulic variations that may impact system operations and customer service.
  • Perform distribution system tests, including fire flows and pressure losses.
  • Complete house-to-house connections at customers' accounts to maintain service.
  • Mark-out company facilities and initiate requests to mark-out other utilities' facilities.
  • Raise to grade Company facilities such as meter hoods and valve boxes.
  • Operate and repair Company facilities such as fire hydrants and distribution system valves.
  • Complete the installation of facilities including water services and main extensions.
  • Collect and evaluate water samples in accordance with established water quality practices.
  • Transport materials to and from facilities and job sites.
  • Prepare Company facilities for adverse weather conditions.
  • Restore service to frozen Company facilities as required.
  • Record pertinent data and maintain accurate records.
  • Report conditions in the field that may impact Customer Service or public safety.
  • Respond to inquiries accurately and professionally.

Requirements

  • Must possess geographical knowledge of the Company’s service area and distribution system.
  • Capable of interpreting diagrams, blueprints, schematics, and maps.
  • Must have working knowledge of Company policies, safety practices, and state and federal regulations.
  • Ability to properly and safely make necessary taps, restraints, and repairs.
  • Capable of operating Company equipment and vehicles necessary for the completion of assigned responsibilities.
  • Successfully demonstrate skills of Utility Mechanic I for a minimum of one to two years.
  • High School Diploma or G.E.D.
  • Must obtain a valid motor vehicle commercial driver’s license, Class A, within one year.
  • Complete Competent Person training to receive certification.
  • Able to speak, read, write, and understand the English language.
  • Mechanically inclined.
  • Customer Service focused.

Benefits

  • 401k
  • Health Insurance
  • PTO
  • Dental
  • Vision

Additional Information

  • Daily local travel required.
  • Work indoors and outdoors in all adverse weather conditions.
  • Understand and follow Company safety procedures and wear appropriate PPE.

Benefits

401k
Health Insurance
PTO
Dental
Vision

How this job compares in Plainfield, NJ

Pay in context

At roughly $29/hr, this posting comes in about 11% below the $33/hr median for welding jobs across New Jersey, where the middle half runs $27–$40/hr across 101 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 32% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. That gap is worth raising directly — in a market this size there is normally room to negotiate toward the median, particularly if you already hold the certifications the posting asks for.

The local market in Plainfield, NJ

This is the only active welding job we're currently tracking in Plainfield, NJ, which makes it worth moving on quickly — there is no local competing offer to weigh it against. Across New Jersey as a whole we're tracking 174 other active welding openings from 130 employers. Browse welding jobs across New Jersey.

American Water currently has 1 other opening live in New Jersey, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

The most active employers in New Jersey at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are gpac (8), Valcor Engineering Corporation (6), and Xylem (3). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within New Jersey, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are South Plainfield at $38/hr and Cherry Hill at $31/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

Similar openings near Plainfield, NJ

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Utility Mechanic figures were last recalculated when this page was built.