74204 Utility maintenance workers

What this occupation covers

Utility maintenance workers locate, repair, install and perform maintenance work to various equipment and facilities, such as water filtration and distribution plants, waste water treatment plants and power plants. They may also work on exterior and underground gas mains and distribution lines. They are employed by municipal, provincial and federal public works departments, private contractors under contract with government public works departments and gas distribution companies.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 13 main duties for this code.

• Check, clean and lubricate waterworks equipment, such as pumping equipment, chlorination equipment and compressors
• Adjust and repair waterworks equipment under the direction of qualified tradesperson
• Search and locate reported water leaks and repair water-mains, valves or outlets
• Install water meters using hand and power tools.
• Check and lubricate gas pipeline valves
• Conduct routine survey of gas mains and distribution lines to detect and locate escaping gas using gas detecting devices
• Investigate reports of gas leaks to determine the exact location and extent of leaks
• Dig ground to expose gas lines and repair damaged pipes
• Keep record of work performed and location and condition of pipelines
• Provide information on underground gas distribution lines and observe excavation work to ensure that underground gas facilities are protected.
• Operate equipment and instruments to locate and mark underground utility lines and pipes
• Provide information on underground utility lines
• Operate equipment and hand tools to inspect and test utility poles for decay and deterioration.

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 2 of its 13 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 72302 Gas fitters
• 51114 Translators, terminologists and interpreters
• 92011 Supervisors, petroleum, gas and chemical processing and utilities
• 92101 Water and waste treatment plant operators

Excluded from this code

• Gas fitters (See 72302 Gas fitters)
• Localiser - linguistic (See 51114 Translators, terminologists and interpreters)
• Supervisors, petroleum, gas and chemical processing and utilities (See 92011 Supervisors, petroleum, gas and chemical processing and utilities)
• Water and waste treatment plant operators (See 92101 Water and waste treatment plant operators)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

damage prevention technician · distribution and maintenance worker - utilities · field measurement hand - utilities · gas leak inspector · gas leak locator · gas leak surveyor · gas main leak inspector · gas main leak locator · gas main leakage tester · gas main maintenance and repairman/woman · gas maintenance worker · gas meter installer · gas regulator · gas utility operator · hydrant and valve maintenance worker · line locator - utilities · maintenance utility worker · pipe locator - utilities · pipeline maintenance worker · pipeline patrolman/woman · pipeline rehabilitation worker · power pole inspector · troubleshooter - pipeline · underground lines inspector - utilities

Employment requirements

• Completion of secondary school may be required.
• Several years of experience as a labourer in the same company may be required.
• On-the-job training is provided.
• Drinking water certification is required in Quebec and Ontario for waterworks maintenance workers.