Water and sewerage plant operatives Pay Data UK — 2025

Water and sewerage plant operatives roles in the UK earn a median of £40,501 per year, equivalent to £18.69 per hour as of 2025. This represents a 6.0% increase in annual pay compared to the previous year. Pay varies across the UK, ranging from £28,496 to £60,461 per year.

How Pay Varies Across the UK

Each bar shows how many areas of the UK have a median annual pay in that range for Water and sewerage plant operatives roles. The dashed line marks the national median.

Based on sub-regional area data. Want a precise figure for your area?

About Water and sewerage plant operatives

Water and sewerage plant operatives operate valves to control water supplies in mains and pipelines, attend screening, filtering, water purifying and sedimentation plant, clear any blockages and patrol and maintain sewerage systems.

Typical Tasks and Duties

• attends water filtration and purification plant, monitors chemical treatment and regulates treatment of water supply within strict guidelines
• opens and closes valves to regulate quantity and pressure of water and reports defective valves or abnormal water pressure
• stops water supply in an emergency and informs consumers likely to be affected
• regulates flow of raw sewage into screening plant, releases screened sewage and regulates its flow into detritus pits, sedimentation tanks and filtration beds
• cleans out screen compartments, sedimentation tanks and filtration beds manually or using mechanical scraper
• patrols sections of sewer, examines for any blockages or gas releases and clears blockages by flushing or by using boring rods
• digs trench and assists pipe layers to lay, renew or repair sewerage pipes

Entry Routes and Qualifications

There are no formal academic entry requirements. Training is provided Off and on-the-job. NVQs/ SVQs in Operating Process Plant are available at level 2.

Related Occupations

Salary data is sourced from official UK pay datasets and updated periodically.