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Marine Corps MOS · Engineering

1171 Water Support Technician

Current service use not established

This code is listed in the directory. Inclusion alone does not confirm current service use.

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Overview

A Water Support Technician installs, operates, inspects, and maintains pumps, water purification equipment, storage and distribution systems, and laundry and shower facilities. The technician conducts water surveys, reconnaissance, and quality analysis, establishes water disposal systems, and installs and repairs plumbing in structures.

Minimum ASVAB: CL 95 or MM 95

ASVAB policy: Not policy-reviewed · coverage unknown · as of 2026-10-19

Program scope has not been reviewed.

Policy applicability and coverage of the program's score routes have not been reviewed. Shown-route arithmetic is not an eligibility decision.

Source: navmc-1200-1l-fy26 (source date 2025-03). Policy applicability has not been established.

See if you would hit this score: free ASVAB practice test

Core Skills

  • Water surveys and source reconnaissance
  • Pump and purification equipment maintenance
  • Structural plumbing planning and repair
  • Laundry and shower facility installation

Civilian Career Paths

Career associations are editorial assessments of the cited evidence, not an official crosswalk unless the evidence explicitly says so. O*NET supplies civilian occupation information, not proof of a military match. Related experience does not confer civilian qualifications. Tasks and tools below describe civilian work, not military training.

Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators

Operating purification equipment, analyzing water quality, and maintaining pumps and water disposal systems transfer directly to treatment plant operations.

How to prepare: Apply for supervised operator-trainee openings that provide long-term on-the-job training toward the state's entry license level. Operators typically need a high school diploma or equivalent; a state license is usually required, but entry-level workers often complete licensing during supervised training.

What the civilian work involves
  • Collect and test water and sewage samples, using test equipment and color analysis standards.
  • Operate and adjust controls on equipment to purify and clarify water, process or dispose of sewage, and generate power.
  • Inspect equipment or monitor operating conditions, meters, and gauges to determine load requirements and detect malfunctions.
Civilian tools and software (examples)
  • Data logging software

Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters

Planning, installing, and repairing structural plumbing and water distribution systems provides direct overlap with civilian plumbing work.

How to prepare: Bring documented military plumbing experience to a union, trade association, or employer apprenticeship sponsor for an entry assessment; the usual route requires a high school diploma or equivalent and a 4- or 5-year apprenticeship. Independent plumbing work requires licensing in most states and some localities, often with 2 to 5 years of experience and a trade exam under that jurisdiction's rules.

What the civilian work involves
  • Install underground storm, sanitary, or water piping systems, extending piping as needed to connect fixtures and plumbing.
  • Assemble pipe sections, tubing, or fittings, using couplings, clamps, screws, bolts, cement, plastic solvent, caulking, or soldering, brazing, or welding equipment.
  • Locate and mark the position of pipe installations, connections, passage holes, or fixtures in structures, using measuring instruments such as rulers or levels.

Notes & Sources

  • Water operator license requirements and levels vary by state; interstate recognition is not automatic, and relocation may require new examinations.
  • For pipefitting or steamfitting rather than plumbing, some states require separate licensing, and gas-line work may require a special license.
Evidence for this guidance (5 documents)
  1. NAVMC 1200.1L (FY26, in force): MOS 1171

    [1] MOS 1171 section "a. Summary"; cached text line 32948; NAVMC 1200.1L signed 2025-03-07, in force until 2026-10-01

    Supports: Water surveys and source reconnaissance, Pump and purification equipment maintenance, Structural plumbing planning and repair, Laundry and shower facility installation, Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators (O*NET 51-8031.00), Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (O*NET 47-2152.00)

    [4]NAVMC 1200.1L MOS 1171: Related SOC titles · MOS 1171 section "e. Related Standard Occupational Classification"

    Supports: Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (O*NET 47-2152.00)

  2. O*NET: Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators

    [2] O*NET 30.3 occupational data

    Supports: Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators (O*NET 51-8031.00)

  3. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators

    [3] How to Become; Training and Licenses; updated August 27, 2026

    Supports: Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators (O*NET 51-8031.00)

  4. O*NET: Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters

    [5] O*NET 30.3 occupational data

    Supports: Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (O*NET 47-2152.00)

  5. Bureau of Labor Statistics: plumbers pipefitters and steamfitters

    [6] How to Become One; retrieved 23 September 2026

    Supports: Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (O*NET 47-2152.00)

Defense contractor jobs for 1171

Descriptions may be summarized for clarity. Verify all information with your branch career counselor or official military documentation before making career decisions.

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