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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wastewater Analyst

💰 $50,000 - $85,000

EnvironmentalWater/WastewaterLaboratoryCompliance

🎯 Role Definition

The Wastewater Analyst is responsible for monitoring, analyzing, and optimizing wastewater collection and treatment processes to ensure regulatory compliance, protect public health, and support efficient plant operations. This role combines hands-on laboratory analysis (BOD, COD, TSS, nutrients, metals, microbiology), field sampling, process troubleshooting, data analysis (trend analysis, permit limit tracking), regulatory reporting (NPDES and state permits), and coordination with operations, engineering, and environmental regulatory agencies. The ideal candidate has strong analytical skills, demonstrated lab and field experience, familiarity with SCADA and process control data, and a commitment to safety and quality assurance.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Wastewater Laboratory Technician or Water Quality Technician
  • Environmental Technician or Field Sampling Technician
  • Entry-level Process Operations or Environmental Compliance Assistant

Advancement To:

  • Senior Wastewater Analyst / Lead Wastewater Analyst
  • Process Engineer (Wastewater Treatment) or Treatment Plant Supervisor
  • Environmental Compliance Manager or Water/Wastewater Operations Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Environmental Consultant (water quality or regulatory compliance)
  • Laboratory Supervisor or Quality Assurance Coordinator
  • GIS/Environmental Data Analyst

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Collect representative influent, effluent and in-plant wastewater samples using chain-of-custody procedures and standard industry sampling protocols to support permit compliance and process control decisions.
  • Perform and document laboratory analyses for BOD, COD, TSS, pH, chlorine residual, ammonia-N, nitrate/nitrite, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, metals (e.g., lead, copper), fecal coliform/E. coli, and other parameters following APHA/ASTM/USEPA methods and internal SOPs.
  • Interpret laboratory results and process data to identify trends, excursions, permit limit violations, and opportunities for process optimization or chemical dosing adjustments to meet NPDES and state permit requirements.
  • Prepare, review and submit accurate regulatory discharge and monitoring reports (e.g., monthly/quarterly NPDES reports, DMRs) and coordinate with the environmental compliance team to respond to permit exceedances and regulatory inquiries.
  • Maintain, calibrate, troubleshoot and perform preventive maintenance on analytical instruments and field meters (spectrophotometers, DO meters, TOC analyzers, TOC, ion probes, auto-samplers, HACH, and GC/IC instruments) and document calibration and QC activities.
  • Operate and extract actionable insights from SCADA/HMI systems, process historian databases, and PLC data to evaluate plant performance, optimize aeration, sludge wasting, and chemical feed, and support real-time process control decisions.
  • Design and implement QA/QC plans including field blanks, duplicates, matrix spikes, calibration checks, and control charts to ensure data integrity and laboratory accreditation requirements are met.
  • Lead root-cause analyses and troubleshooting for process upsets, biological activity changes, odor complaints, or equipment failures, collaborating with operations, maintenance, and engineering teams to implement corrective actions.
  • Develop, update and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs), sampling plans, laboratory methods, and safety documentation to ensure consistent, defensible data generation and regulatory compliance.
  • Coordinate and oversee contract laboratory services, ensuring subcontractor data quality, timely turnaround, adherence to hold times and reporting formats, and proper chain-of-custody procedures.
  • Conduct pilot tests and bench-scale studies (e.g., nutrient removal, chemical coagulation/flocculation, biological process optimization) and analyze results to recommend full-scale process changes or capital improvements.
  • Maintain accurate electronic and paper records including laboratory notebooks, calibration logs, chain-of-custody forms, instrument maintenance records, and permit compliance documentation in accordance with record retention policies.
  • Provide technical support for plant optimization projects, including calculating mass balances, influent/effluent loading, solids handling strategies, chemical cost-benefit analyses, and performance modeling.
  • Train and mentor junior technicians and operators on sampling techniques, laboratory procedures, safety protocols, and data interpretation to raise cross-functional capability and ensure consistent quality.
  • Manage hazardous materials handling, chemical inventory, safety data sheets (SDS), and compliance with OSHA, HAZWOPER, confined space, and local safety regulations during sampling and lab operations.
  • Respond to after-hours plant alarms, spill events, and emergency sampling requests to evaluate effluent impacts, collect compliant samples, and provide technical guidance for immediate mitigation.
  • Communicate technical results and operational recommendations clearly to non-technical stakeholders including plant managers, field operators, regulators, and community members; prepare presentations and executive summaries.
  • Conduct data validation, trending, and statistical analysis using Excel, statistical software or data visualization tools to detect anomalies, calculate loads, and support permit negotiation or compliance strategy.
  • Assist in budget preparation and procurement for laboratory consumables, analytical services, instrumentation, and process chemicals; evaluate vendor quotes and recommend cost-effective solutions.
  • Support cross-disciplinary projects such as biosolids handling optimization, nutrient trading programs, pilot studies for emerging contaminants (PFAS, microplastics), and permit-driven facility upgrades by providing data-driven recommendations.
  • Ensure continuous improvement by participating in audits, accreditation assessments (e.g., state laboratory certification), and internal reviews to strengthen laboratory processes and corrective action plans.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests, perform exploratory data analysis and produce dashboards or visualizations to inform operations and executive decisions.
  • Contribute to the organization’s environmental data strategy by standardizing lab and field datasets, improving metadata capture, and integrating monitoring data with plant SCADA and asset-management systems.
  • Collaborate with engineering and operations teams to translate monitoring needs into instrumentation, sampling plans, and control strategies; participate in project planning, procurement, and commissioning activities.
  • Participate in safety, emergency response and permit renewal workgroups; represent the laboratory or water quality team in internal and external stakeholder meetings and regulatory negotiations.
  • Assist with GIS mapping of sampling locations, sewer basins, and monitoring stations to support source tracking and infrastructure planning.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Wastewater sampling techniques and field QA/QC (chain-of-custody, sample preservation, hold-times).
  • Laboratory analytical methods for BOD5, COD, TSS, pH, alkalinity, ammonia, nitrate, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, hardness, metals, and microbiological testing (APHA/SM/USEPA methods).
  • Regulatory reporting and compliance knowledge (NPDES, state discharge permits, effluent limits, DMR preparation).
  • SCADA/PLC data access and basic process control interpretation; familiarity with process historians and alarm management.
  • Instrument calibration, troubleshooting and maintenance for spectrophotometers, DO probes, pH meters, auto-samplers and other lab/field instruments.
  • QA/QC program implementation including blanks, spikes, duplicates, control charts and corrective action documentation.
  • Data analysis and visualization using Excel (advanced), SQL, Python/R (basic), or BI tools (Power BI, Tableau) for trend analysis and reporting.
  • Basic process engineering calculations: mass balances, load calculations, detention time, F:M ratios, SRT/MLSS interpretation.
  • Knowledge of wastewater treatment processes: primary/secondary treatment, activated sludge, nitrification/denitrification, biological nutrient removal, tertiary filtration, disinfection.
  • Chemical handling, HAZWOPER awareness, confined-space safety, and knowledge of OSHA lab safety protocols.

Soft Skills

  • Strong written and verbal communication to translate technical data into clear recommendations for regulators, operators, and management.
  • Analytical problem-solving and attention to detail for interpreting complex datasets and identifying root causes of process issues.
  • Time management and organizational skills to prioritize sample schedules, reporting deadlines, and maintenance tasks.
  • Team collaboration and interpersonal skills to work across operations, engineering, and regulatory teams.
  • Adaptability and resilience to respond to emergency sampling, after-hours alarms, and changing regulatory requirements.
  • Coaching and mentoring ability to develop junior technicians and promote laboratory best practices.
  • Ethical judgment and integrity to maintain unbiased data, accurate records, and transparent reporting.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Associate degree in Environmental Science, Chemistry, Biology, Water Technology, or related technical field.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, Chemistry, Microbiology, or Water Resources.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Environmental Engineering
  • Environmental Science / Water Quality
  • Chemistry / Analytical Chemistry
  • Microbiology / Biological Sciences
  • Water Technology / Wastewater Treatment

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–5 years of laboratory and field experience in wastewater treatment, municipal or industrial effluent monitoring, or environmental analytical laboratories.

Preferred:

  • 3–7 years experience with demonstrated competence in wastewater sampling, lab analyses (BOD, TSS, nutrients), regulatory reporting (NPDES), and SCADA/process data interpretation.
  • Certifications such as State Wastewater Operator Certification (Grade I–III), Certified Environmental Professional, HAZWOPER, or laboratory accreditation experience are highly desirable.
  • Experience with laboratory information management systems (LIMS), GIS for sampling location management, and participation in audit or accreditation processes.
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