Water represents an indispensable component of life, opening doors to a career path brimming with opportunities and potential. Safeguarding access to clean, potable water via public water systems is a multifaceted undertaking. Water careers offer many avenues for professional growth, ensuring a fulfilling and enduring career.
Entering the water industry offers a range of roles and duties to suit various skills and interests. From construction to customer service, engineering to environmental sciences, there are diverse opportunities available. Each path may require specific educational qualifications, while others are open to entry level. Discover the multitude of opportunities within the water industry by exploring Pennichuck’s diverse departments.
Construction & Meter Work
Also know as the Distribution Department at Pennichuck, this is the largest among our divisions, with a fully staffed team comprising approximately 42 dedicated individuals. This department is further organized into distinct units, including the construction department, meter department, and fleet maintenance department.
Their responsibilities encompass a broad spectrum of critical tasks, ranging from the installation of underground pipelines and connecting service lines to homes to the management of a vast network exceeding 5,000 meters.
The team takes immense pride in overseeing and executing the installation, construction, repair, and maintenance of all water distribution systems. This includes mains, valves, services, fire hydrants, and all related components, such as pavement cutting, excavation, backfilling, caulking, yarning, metal compound heating and pouring, pipe joining, thawing of mains, services, and fire hydrants, as well as the upkeep of Company property.
Their workload also encompasses meter-related tasks, including reading, installation, removal, replacement, testing, and repair. This involves the installation and replacement of cellar fittings and the testing and repair of backflow preventers. Additionally, they undertake the vital duty of maintaining and painting all hydrants within our service area throughout the year.
Engineering and Environmental Services
The engineers, technicians, scientists, business analysts, construction specialists, and administrators of the Engineering and Environmental Services Department at Pennichuck are responsible for duties that support the Company’s mission of supplying safe and reliable drinking water service to the customers that we serve. The department oversees planning, design, and execution of major capital improvements including the installation of new the replacement of aging water main, replacement and upgrades to existing and the design, the construction of new pumping, treatment, and water storage facilities and for maintaining and executing the Company’s asset management program.
The Department provides professional engineering services, environmental consulting, and GIS services to other departments within the Company. GIS and the management of the Company’s computerized maintenance and management system (CMMS) transcend all departments within the Company. Other services may be more focused on one particular area of the Company such as our environment science staff provide direct support to Water Supply. Field sampling, water quality monitoring, source water protection, hydrologic monitoring and regulatory reporting are activities carried out throughout the year. Our distribution engineering staff often provide direct technical support to the Distribution Department as well as being responsible for the Company’s ongoing water main replacement program. Computerized hydraulic modeling of our distribution systems supports day to day activities as well as the Company’s capital water main replacement plan.
External facing activities of the Department include the management of water system development activities of private and governmental entities. These are projects, completed by developers, that typically expand our existing water systems to support various types of development. Many members of the Department are active within the state and communities that we serve by participating in professional trade associations, performing outreach to local schools, volunteerism, and regulatory & governmental affairs.
Water Treatment
Employees working in the Water Supply Department are responsible for the operation and maintenance of all the facilities related to the collection, treatment, pumping and storage of the drinking water provided to our customers. These facilities include: surface water treatment plants, groundwater treatment plants, pumping stations, well stations, storage tanks ranging in size from 500 gallons to 6.5 million gallons and dams used to impound surface water supplies.
The team at Water Supply is responsible for maintaining compliance with all state and federal laws and regulations relative to water purity. Nearly 8000 water samples are gathered each year to ensure quality and compliance.
Customer Operations
The Revenue and Customer Operations Department (RCO) at Pennichuck Water is a diverse team, each member contributing uniquely to our daily operations. RCO comprises billers, customer service representatives, administrative personnel, accounts receivable specialists, and communications experts.
This department serves as the cornerstone for our customer operations, encompassing responsibilities such as reviewing customer bills, assisting customers via phone and email, collaborating with other departments, offering in-person customer care, managing payments, coordinating notifications, creating training materials, and providing administrative oversight.
RCO takes immense pride in delivering exceptional customer service in a friendly and efficient manner. We welcome in-office, hybrid, and remote full-time employees and actively support educational opportunities for co-op students and interns. Our team benefits from extensive training, opportunities for growth, and participation in industry events and association groups. Many of our team members also engage in local charities and community events, aiming to enhance the quality of life in our community.
Information Technology
The IT Department oversees the installation and maintenance of the company’s computer networks and computer systems. Spread over 4 occupied facilities and numerous remote facilities, the IT team performs installations, configurations, routine system maintenance, critical repairs, and monitoring of the network infrastructure for all the corporate networks and the SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) network.
The Pennichuck IT Team members provide user support for new implementations of both hardware and software, as well as support for existing systems. The Team provides support for both onsite and remote end users. Proactive maintenance efforts ensures that all systems are as secure as possible. Monitoring of existing systems provides optimal system uptime.
Accounting
The dedicated Finance and Accounting team at Pennichuck plays a crucial role in advancing the company’s mission of providing safe and dependable drinking water to our valued customers. Their responsibilities support the company’s overall financial health by maintaining accurate financial records, transparent reporting of financial data, providing financial insights, and maintaining the company’s system of internal controls and compliance.
Beyond their essential work, many members of our Finance and Accounting Department actively engage with the communities and state we serve. They participate in professional trade associations, engage in outreach efforts with local schools, volunteer their time, and are engaged in regulatory and governmental matters. Their commitment extends beyond numbers, reflecting a genuine dedication to our customers and the well-being of our region
Open Positions
Pennichuck is an equal opportunity employer and it is our policy to hire, train, promote, and otherwise provide terms and conditions of employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, pregnancy, disability or veteran status. All employment decisions are based solely on valid requirements, in accordance with the principles of equal employment opportunity. For more information about EEO Regulation, click here.
Pennichuck is a participant in E-Verify. This is a system that checks hires against government databases to ensure the potential employee is able to legally work in the US. Please select the follow links to learn more information regarding this practice:
