Apprentice Water Network Operative

United Living Group

Leeds (LS25 1NB)

Closes in 22 days (Sunday 10 August 2025)

Posted on 18 July 2025


Summary

Our Infrastructure Services Water business who deliver critical resilient infrastructure are looking for water network operative apprentices to join our Water division who are a national provider of infrastructure and non-infrastructure water and wastewater services to UK water utility companies.

Training course
Water network operative (level 2)
Hours
Monday - Friday. Shifts to be confirmed.

48 hours a week

Start date

Monday 1 September 2025

Duration

2 years

Positions available

2

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

Where you'll work

Brookfield House
Selby Road, Garforth
Leeds
LS25 1NB

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

WATERTRAIN LIMITED

Training course

Water network operative (level 2)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents
  • Identify hazards and implement controls to reduce risks to people and the environment.
  • Comply with a safe system of work, including permits, work and engineering instructions.
  • Identify and organise resources.
  • Comply with workplace health, safety and environmental policy and practice; use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and safety equipment.
  • Follow procedures for signing, lighting and guarding as well as public and pedestrian segregation and escalate issues if required.
  • Identify, locate and avoid damage to underground utility services.
  • Carry out safe excavation practices for utility network services.
  • Monitor and maintain site conditions; good housekeeping.
  • Select, check and operate equipment and tools; report faults if required.
  • Maintain and store equipment and tools, for example charge batteries, clean equipment, grease machines, re-fuel.
  • Communicate with others verbally for example, internal and external customers, colleagues and managers.
  • Use gas detection equipment.
  • Communicate in writing with others and record task information, for example, job sheets.
  • Follow standard operating procedures (SOP).
  • Use information technology and digital systems. Comply with GDPR and cyber security.
  • Carry out learning and development activities.
  • Organise and prioritise own work.
  • Apply equity, diversity and inclusion rules.
  • Apply team working principles.
  • Carry out pipe cutting.
  • Carry out squeeze off activities.
  • Join materials by fusion techniques.
  • Join materials by mechanical means on clean water assets.
  • Drill and tap clean water assets.
  • Install clean water assets.
  • Conduct disinfection procedures for clean water mains and services.
  • Check the performance of the asset and escalate issues if necessary.
  • Use continuous supply procedures.
  • Repair water network asset.
  • Identify and solve common issues within the clean water network.
  • Use pumping equipment.
  • Follow hygiene procedures.
  • Install or replace waste water assets.
  • Replace and join materials by flexible seals, for example band seals on waste water services.
  • Prepare the site for a no dig team.
  • Carry out excavation and shoring of deep excavations.
  • Repair waste water network assets.
  • Use mitigation methods to maintain flow, for example using pumps, stopping or diverting.
  • Identify and solve common issues within the waste water network.
  • Decontaminate equipment, tooling and PPE.
  • Identify hazards and implement controls to reduce risks to people and the environment.
  • Comply with a safe system of work, including permits, work and engineering instructions.
  • Identify and organise resources.
  • Comply with workplace health, safety and environmental policy and practice; use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and safety equipment.
  • Follow procedures for signing, lighting and guarding as well as public and pedestrian segregation and escalate issues if required.
  • Identify, locate and avoid damage to underground utility services.
  • Carry out safe excavation practices for utility network services.
  • Monitor and maintain site conditions; good housekeeping.
  • Select, check and operate equipment and tools; report faults if required.
  • Maintain and store equipment and tools, for example charge batteries, clean equipment, grease machines, re-fuel.
  • Communicate with others verbally for example, internal and external customers, colleagues and managers.
  • Use gas detection equipment.
  • Communicate in writing with others and record task information, for example, job sheets.
  • Follow standard operating procedures (SOP).
  • Use information technology and digital systems. Comply with GDPR and cyber security.
  • Carry out learning and development activities.
  • Organise and prioritise own work.
  • Apply equity, diversity and inclusion rules.
  • Apply team working principles.
  • Carry out pipe cutting.

Training schedule

This training schedule has not been finalised. Check with this employer if you’ll need to travel to a college or training location for this apprenticeship.

Requirements

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

About this employer

United Living is a leading infrastructure, construction, and property services company in the UK, comprised of four complementary businesses. We help our customers and the communities they serve benefit from resilient infrastructure, affordable homes, and improved living spaces that are fit for the future. We invest in our people and firmly believe that our workforce is our most valuable asset. A driving force for success and the core to achieving our vision of creating a connected and sustainable future, our team is the heart of our organisation. Building a diverse, inclusive, and equal working environment in which everyone is welcomed and encouraged to be themselves, is a commitment we are dedicated to. We believe that having a diverse workforce not only sets us up for success, but it allows for greater opportunities for innovation, adaptability, and wide-ranging capabilities. We empower our people, and our communities, to champion diversity and change every day. We are a fast-paced, diverse, and hugely ambitious business. We welcome challengers, innovators and people who embrace change to establish yourself in a creative environment that champions freedom of expression and supports you in your personal and professional development – because together, we achieve more.

https://unitedliving.co.uk/ (opens in new tab)

Disability Confident

Disability Confident

A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.

You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.

After this apprenticeship

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

United Living Group

Rebecca Harrison

earlycareers@unitedliving.co.uk

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000332673.

Apply now

Closes in 22 days (Sunday 10 August 2025)

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