South West Water
Building & Ground Maintenance Operative
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Building & Ground Maintenance Operative
Powered by Water, Driven by Purpose
South West Water keeps the South West flowing with safe, reliable drinking water and wastewater services across some of the UK’s most stunning landscapes.
We’re proud to be part of Pennon Group, a leader in the UK water sector, working towards a greener future. Our goals? As well as lowering our carbon footprint, we’re working with partners to:
- Plant 300,000 trees
- Restore peatlands
- Supporting farmers and landowners to improve water quality and wildlife
Whether you’re starting out or seeking a new challenge, our scale and ambition create opportunities for you to shape your own career.
Ready to make a splash? Join our team today.
The Role
We have an exciting opportunity for a Building & Grounds Maintenance Operative to join our friendly team. This is a hands-on role where you’ll travel to various sites across the South West, carrying out essential maintenance activities to support our Drinking Water Services operations.
During the spring, summer, and early autumn, your focus will primarily be on grounds maintenance. Outside of the growing season, you’ll also support a range of building maintenance tasks, all under the guidance of the Building & Grounds Maintenance Team Leader.
Key Responsibilities
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- Carry out reactive and planned maintenance across South West Water assets
- Grounds maintenance activities, including:
- Grass cutting and strimming
- Hedge trimming
- Tree work (ground-level only)
- Path repairs and maintenance (gravel, concrete, slabs, steps)
- Use of powered plant, hand tools, and chemicals
- General building maintenance, including:
- Woodwork and door repairs
- Roof gutter maintenance
- Painting and decorating
- Provide accurate and timely updates on completed work
- Follow schedules, procedures, and business rules
- Liaise with the Team Leader and Central Support Administrator to optimise workloads
- Respond to customer enquiries professionally when required
- Ensure all work is conducted in line with Health & Safety regulations and safe systems of work
- Support periodic maintenance activities, such as chemical tank cleaning
Essential Requirements
About You:
- Full UK Driving Licence (including BE classification)
- Ability to follow risk assessments and safe systems of work
- Good understanding of health & safety practices
- Flexible approach to working hours
- Basic maths and IT proficiency
- Positive, “can-do” attitude and willingness to learn
Desirable
- Experience operating grounds maintenance machinery
- Experience in general building maintenance and repairs
- Strong teamwork and collaboration skills
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Closing Date: 14th July 2026 We may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible.
Please note that the successful candidate will be subject to a mandatory DBS check as part of the onboarding process.
Why Join Us?
At South West Water, we believe being yourself is our strength. Together, we build a culture of belonging, where inclusion is instinctive and diversity thrives.
Our core values—essential to our success—are:
- Be Rock Solid – Build trust and be trusted. Be the one we all look to and can depend on.
- Be You – Bring your best self every day. Be yourself and make your mark in your unique way.
- Be the Future – Embrace change. Drive progress. Own the challenge.
We look after the water and wastewater services for 1.8 million customers across Cornwall, Devon, the Isles of Scilly, and parts of Dorset and Somerset.
From treatment and maintenance to innovation and improvement, we’re busy every day:
- Finding and fixing leaks
- Unblocking sewers
- Going bigger and further in our environmental work to be a company you can be proud of.
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