Irrigators

Job description

Irrigators to perform the following duties:

Workers will be responsible for starting and stopping surface and subsurface irrigation with syphon tubes as well as monitoring the elevation in head water by opening and closing irrigation gates. Workers will also be responsible for running water run fertilizer and will also need to assist in starting and stopping pumps for surface and subsurface drip irrigated fields. In addition, irrigators will be responsible for cleaning out irrigation ditches with a shovel.

Workers will irrigate the following agricultural products: Alfalfa, Bermuda grass, Broccoli, Butter lettuce, Cantaloupes, Green cabbage, Green leaf lettuce, Head lettuce, Red cabbage, Red leaf lettuce, Romaine lettuce, Sudan grass, Watermelons, and Wheat.

All products follow a similar lifecycle that corresponds to the following: an irrigation before planting, which would be described as a flat water. It is then followed by a germination water, or a water after planting. The next phase corresponds to the plants respective growing lifecycle, with irrigation intervals varying depending on weather and soil conditions. The final stage will be considered harvest irrigations, which are the final irrigation before the commodity is harvested.

In addition, workers will be required to perform all operations related to sprinkler pipe irrigation, maintenance, and storage. This encompasses unstacking irrigation pipes from their seasonal storage yards and restacking them onto portable trailers and ultimately installing them into fields that are prepared for planting and germination irrigation. Workers will also be required to remove sprinklers from these same fields and stack them in portable trailers once the germination irrigations have been completed. Workers will also on occasion be asked to replace damaged or broken parts, ie. rubber gaskets or sprinkler heads, as part of routine pipe maintenance. This maintenance will not require the use of any power tools or sawing equipment, simply a wrench and pliers.

Special Requirements

Requirements: 3 months of experience working as an irrigator is required. Specific requirements include lifting up to 50 pounds frequently. Workers must stand, sit, crouch, bend, reach, lift and carry items weighing up to 50 pounds in the course of performing required activities. Must have use of both hands and be able to use hand tools. Must be able to walk and stand up extensively. Must be able to work under conditions where skin and clothing become heavily soiled with mud, water, grease, etc. Must be able to work outdoors in inclement weather conditions, including rain, cold, high winds, etc. No smoking, illegal drugs, alcohol or weapons of any sort in the housing or working fields. Must be able to communicate in English or Spanish for training and safety purposes.

See Addendum C.