Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wastewater Coordinator

🎯 Role Definition

The Wastewater Coordinator is responsible for coordinating and executing wastewater treatment and collection system compliance, sampling, and reporting programs. This role ensures adherence to NPDES and state permits, manages pretreatment and biosolids programs, oversees field sampling and laboratory QA/QC, supports SCADA and asset management activities, and coordinates contractors and cross-functional stakeholders to maintain safe, reliable wastewater operations.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator (Grade I–III)
Environmental Technician or Field Sampling Technician
Collections/Stormwater Maintenance Technician

Advancement To:

Senior Wastewater Coordinator / Compliance Specialist
Wastewater Operations Supervisor or Plant Superintendent
Environmental Compliance Manager or Utilities Division Manager

Lateral Moves:

Pretreatment Inspector / Industrial Compliance Specialist
Stormwater Coordinator / Environmental Programs Analyst

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Manage and maintain compliance with federal, state and local wastewater permits (including NPDES permit limits, effluent monitoring schedules, and reporting deadlines), preparing and submitting accurate Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMRs) and required regulatory documentation.
Lead and coordinate routine and event-driven wastewater influent, effluent and sludge sampling programs, ensuring chain-of-custody protocols, adherence to EPA-approved sampling methods, and timely delivery of samples to certified laboratories.
Oversee the facility’s pretreatment and industrial discharge program, reviewing permit applications, conducting inspections of industrial users, enforcing compliance through notices and follow-up, and coordinating corrective action plans.
Develop, implement and update Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and sampling plans for laboratory QA/QC, method detection limits, calibration, and data validation to ensure defensible analytical results and regulatory defensibility.
Operate, monitor and optimize SCADA and PLC systems in collaboration with operations and instrumentation teams to maintain process control, alarm management, and real-time treatment performance tracking.
Coordinate biosolids handling, stabilization, testing and disposal/reuse activities in accordance with federal and state biosolids regulations, preparing reports and ensuring contract compliance for hauling and land application.
Manage CMMS/asset management tasks for wastewater equipment, including work order creation, preventive maintenance scheduling, spare parts inventory, and lifecycle tracking to reduce downtime and extend equipment life.
Prepare, analyze and present treatment plant performance metrics, compliance trends, and operational recommendations in written reports and presentations to regulatory agencies, utility leadership and elected officials.
Plan and coordinate capital improvement and rehabilitation projects by preparing scopes of work, participating in contractor selection, reviewing submittals, and monitoring project schedules and budgets to completion.
Serve as the primary point of contact for regulatory inspections and audits, coordinating internal responses, corrective action documentation, and implementing process improvements to address audit findings.
Administer and monitor budgets related to wastewater sampling, laboratory services, contracts, and operational supplies; prepare purchase requisitions and contract change orders when necessary.
Train and supervise field and laboratory staff, contractors and seasonal employees on safety, sampling techniques, permit requirements, and SOPs; maintain documentation of training and certifications.
Oversee emergency response activities for sewer overflows, bypasses and contamination events, coordinating field crews, public notifications, containment and regulatory reporting as required by sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) and spill response plans.
Conduct routine inspections of collection system infrastructure and treatment process units (tanks, clarifiers, aeration basins, digesters), document deficiencies, and coordinate repairs or maintenance with operations teams and contractors.
Review and interpret lab results, process alarms and sensor data to diagnose process upsets (BOD, TSS, pH, ammonia, nutrients), recommend corrective actions and implement process optimizations with operations staff.
Implement and maintain safety and confined space programs related to wastewater collection and treatment, ensuring PPE use, permit-required confined space entry procedures, and adherence to OSHA and state safety standards.
Coordinate cross-departmental initiatives such as FOG (fats, oils and grease) control programs, public education campaigns, and wastewater pretreatment outreach to reduce blockages and noncompliant discharges.
Maintain and update mapping and GIS records for sewer assets, manholes, lift stations and force mains; support condition assessment and capital planning using GIS and video inspection data.
Manage third-party laboratory contracts, review analytical scopes, negotiate service terms, and ensure labs meet accreditation and method requirements for required analytes.
Review and prepare technical permit applications, variance requests, and sampling waivers; develop supporting engineering and technical documentation to support regulatory submissions.
Coordinate and conduct pilot studies and process evaluations (e.g., chemical dosing trials, plant upgrades, nutrient removal strategies) and translate findings into scalable operational improvements.
Maintain accurate records of influent loads, treatment efficiencies, and biosolids mass balances to support annual reports, regulatory filings and internal performance reviews.
Work with IT and data teams to ensure wastewater operational data is integrated into asset management systems, dashboards and reporting tools to drive data-informed decisions.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests, prepare custom compliance reports, and contribute to dashboards that visualize treatment performance and compliance risk.
Assist procurement and contract administration for laboratory services, equipment repair and capital projects; track vendor deliverables and service-level agreements.
Participate in public outreach and customer service activities, responding to sewer-related complaints, coordinating investigations and providing technical explanations to the public and stakeholders.
Contribute to the development and continuous improvement of the utility’s wastewater strategy, including sustainability initiatives, nutrient reduction plans and resiliency planning.
Coordinate with finance and grants teams to prepare and manage grant applications and reporting for wastewater improvement projects.
Help maintain and update the wastewater emergency response plan, including tabletop exercises, after-action reports and corrective action implementation.
Participate in interdisciplinary project teams (engineering, operations, public works) to ensure permit requirements are considered in design, construction and operations.
Support the implementation of digital transformation initiatives (SCADA upgrades, IoT sensors, data loggers) by coordinating field deployment and validation of instrumentation.
Maintain inventory records for chemicals, sampling supplies and PPE; forecast needs and recommend cost-saving alternatives without sacrificing compliance.
Provide backup support for wastewater billing, industrial user invoicing, and compliance fee tracking where applicable.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

NPDES permit management and DMR preparation/submission, including familiarity with EPA and state online reporting systems (NetDMR, eDMR).
Wastewater sampling techniques and chain-of-custody procedures; knowledge of EPA-approved sampling and analytical methods (e.g., 18xx methods).
Basic laboratory QA/QC oversight: understanding of method detection limit (MDL), calibration, blanks, replicates and corrective actions.
SCADA and PLC monitoring experience; ability to interpret alarm logs, historical trends and real-time process variables.
CMMS and asset management software proficiency (e.g., Maximo, Cartegraph, Cityworks) for work orders, preventive maintenance and inventory control.
GIS mapping for sewer collection and asset location documentation; competency with ArcGIS or QGIS.
Process control and troubleshooting: understanding of biological treatment processes (activated sludge, aeration, clarification), chemical dosing and nutrient removal strategies.
Biosolids handling and regulatory requirements; experience coordinating testing and disposal/land application contracts.
Familiarity with pretreatment program enforcement, industrial discharge permitting and sampling of industrial users.
Contract management and procurement skills for laboratory services, contractors and equipment purchases.
Confined space entry program knowledge and OSHA safety standards relevant to wastewater operations.
Data analysis and reporting using Excel and basic database/query skills; experience building compliance dashboards is a plus.

Soft Skills

Strong written communication for preparing regulatory reports, SOPs and permit applications.
Clear verbal communication and stakeholder management with field crews, regulators, contractors and the public.
Problem-solving and analytical thinking to diagnose process upsets and propose corrective actions.
Attention to detail and strong organizational skills to manage multiple reporting deadlines and documentation.
Leadership and training ability to mentor junior staff and coordinate multi-disciplinary teams.
Customer service orientation when responding to sewer complaints and industrial user inquiries.
Project management skills with the ability to track scope, schedule and budget for capital or pilot projects.
Adaptability and calm decision-making during emergencies such as overflows or equipment failures.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or GED with additional technical certifications (wastewater operator certification, confined space, HAZWOPER) and 3+ years of relevant wastewater experience.

Preferred Education:

Associate or Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Civil/Environmental Engineering, Chemistry, Biology, or related field; preferred with wastewater operations or environmental compliance coursework.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Environmental Science or Environmental Technology
Civil or Environmental Engineering
Chemistry or Microbiology
Water Resources Management
Public Administration with utilities focus

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3 to 7 years of combined wastewater collection, treatment, laboratory, or environmental compliance experience.

Preferred:

5+ years of wastewater operations or regulatory compliance experience, including direct experience with NPDES permits, pretreatment programs, SCADA systems and supervisory or coordination responsibilities. Certification as a Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator (Grade II/III or equivalent) and prior experience managing contractors and regulatory inspections is highly desirable.