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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Water Quality Engineer

💰 $ - $

🎯 Role Definition

The Water Quality Engineer is responsible for designing, implementing and managing water and wastewater monitoring programs, assessing pollutant sources and fate & transport, supporting treatment process selection and optimization, preparing regulatory permit applications (NPDES and state permits), ensuring laboratory QA/QC and chain-of-custody, performing hydrologic and water quality modeling, and coordinating with clients, regulators and field crews to maintain compliance and protect public and environmental health. This role blends field sampling, lab oversight, technical report writing, environmental permitting, data analysis, and stakeholder engagement.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Water Quality Technician / Field Sampling Technician
  • Environmental Scientist or Environmental Technician
  • Junior Water Resources or Civil Engineer

Advancement To:

  • Senior Water Quality Engineer / Senior Environmental Engineer
  • Project Manager / Permitting Lead
  • Water Resources Manager or Environmental Program Manager
  • Principal Environmental Engineer / Regional Technical Lead

Lateral Moves:

  • Environmental Compliance Specialist / Permit Writer
  • Stormwater or Watershed Program Manager
  • Laboratory or QA/QC Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Develop, implement and manage comprehensive water quality monitoring programs for surface water, groundwater, stormwater and wastewater that include sampling protocols, frequency, location design, QA/QC procedures, and chain-of-custody documentation aligned with NPDES and state permit requirements.
  • Prepare and submit regulatory permit applications and supporting technical documentation (NPDES permit renewals, WDRs, stormwater permits, industrial wastewater discharge permits), including effluent limits analyses, mass balance calculations, and reasonable potential analyses for permit limits.
  • Design and optimize drinking water and wastewater treatment processes and pilot studies (coagulation, filtration, disinfection, biological nutrient removal, membrane systems), including process flow diagrams, chemical dosing strategies, and energy/operational cost assessments.
  • Perform fate and transport and water quality modeling using EPA and industry-standard tools (QUAL2K, WASP, SWMM, EFDC, CE-QUAL, Hydrologic Modeling) to support TMDL studies, assimilative capacity assessments, and effluent mixing zone evaluations.
  • Lead field sampling campaigns for nutrients, metals, organics, microbiological indicators, and emerging contaminants; oversee sample collection, field QA/QC, on-site measurements (pH, DO, conductivity, turbidity), and coordination with contract laboratories.
  • Oversee laboratory testing programs and vendor labs, review analytical methods (EPA 200.7, 602/625, 1623, 1603, 353.2, GC-MS, ICP-MS, LC-MS/MS), ensure method detection limits meet project objectives, review chain-of-custody and lab QA/QC reports, and resolve data qualification issues.
  • Develop and implement Quality Assurance Project Plans (QAPP), Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and laboratory SOPs to ensure data defensibility and regulatory compliance for monitoring and permitting projects.
  • Conduct statistical evaluation and interpretation of water quality data using statistical packages (R, Python, Excel, MATLAB) to identify trends, loadings, exceedances, and to support adaptive management decisions and compliance reporting.
  • Prepare clear, concise technical reports, permit narratives, memoranda, and regulatory submittals for internal stakeholders, clients, and regulatory agencies; present findings at technical meetings and public hearings.
  • Provide technical support for compliance monitoring, including sample scheduling, limit tracking, exceedance investigation, corrective action plans, and communications with regulatory agencies to resolve non-compliance issues.
  • Design and evaluate source water protection and watershed management measures, including best management practices (BMPs), green infrastructure, stormwater retrofits, and pollutant source control strategies to reduce contaminant loadings.
  • Lead and coordinate multidisciplinary project teams including field crews, laboratory partners, civil engineers, hydrogeologists and GIS specialists to deliver projects on schedule and within budget.
  • Manage project budgets, scopes, schedules and client communications; prepare proposals, scopes of work, and cost estimates for water quality studies, monitoring contracts, and engineering design services.
  • Perform site inspections, facility audits and compliance assessments for industrial dischargers, municipal treatment plants and stormwater systems; document findings and recommend corrective actions to achieve permit compliance.
  • Design and implement pilot testing, bench-scale testing and troubleshooting for treatment upgrades, source removal technologies, and innovative treatment methods for emerging contaminants (PFAS, cyanotoxins, organic micropollutants).
  • Develop and implement monitoring and response plans for algal blooms, HABs, drinking water contamination events and emergency spill responses; coordinate with public health officials and emergency response teams as needed.
  • Use GIS and spatial analysis to map monitoring locations, watershed boundaries, land use impacts, pollutant source inventories and to support targeted monitoring and remediation planning.
  • Maintain and calibrate field instrumentation (multiparameter sondes, flow meters, autosamplers), manage instrument logs, and ensure field safety and H&S compliance during field operations (confined space, lockout/tagout, PPE).
  • Provide training and mentorship to junior engineers, technicians and interns on sampling techniques, lab QA/QC, data management, permit compliance and field safety best practices.
  • Support sediment and benthic assessments, bioassessment programs and ecological risk screening for contaminants to inform remediation priorities and permit conditions.
  • Prepare grant applications, technical justifications and technical appendices to secure funding for monitoring programs, watershed restoration projects and innovative pilot studies.
  • Review and apply evolving federal and state water quality regulations, guidance documents and criteria (EPA, state water boards, USGS, local agencies) to ensure program compliance and to implement best-available science in designs.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis for interdisciplinary teams, including developing dashboards and visualizations to communicate water quality trends and compliance metrics.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy for environmental monitoring, including metadata standards, data validation rules and integration with GIS and asset management systems.
  • Collaborate with business units, permitting teams and client stakeholders to translate monitoring needs into engineering requirements and actionable work plans.
  • Participate in project planning, budgeting, and agile-style progress reviews; help prioritize tasks and allocate field and lab resources for high-impact projects.
  • Maintain relationships with regulators, labs, vendors and subcontractors; evaluate vendor proposals, scopes, and technical competency for monitoring and analytical work.
  • Help develop business development materials, including case studies, technical capabilities summaries and thought-leadership content focused on water quality engineering and regulatory compliance.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Water quality monitoring program design and implementation (surface water, groundwater, stormwater, wastewater sampling plans).
  • Regulatory permitting and compliance: NPDES, state discharge permits, stormwater (MS4), drinking water regulations, and TMDL development.
  • Water quality and hydrodynamic modeling: EPA SWMM, QUAL2K, WASP, EFDC, CE-QUAL, and other fate-and-transport tools.
  • Laboratory analysis knowledge and methods: ICP-MS, GC-MS, LC-MS/MS, EPA methods (e.g., 200.7/200.8/1623/353.2), microbiological methods and QA/QC review.
  • Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) and SOP development, data validation and analytical data qualification.
  • Statistical data analysis and visualization: R, Python (pandas, numpy), Excel (pivot, trend analysis), and basic machine-learning familiarity for trend detection.
  • GIS mapping and spatial analysis for watershed assessment, monitoring location optimization and pollutant source mapping (ArcGIS, QGIS).
  • Treatment process design and pilot testing: physical, chemical and biological treatment processes, membrane systems, nutrient removal strategies.
  • Instrumentation, calibration and field equipment operation: multiparameter sondes, autosamplers, dissolved oxygen probes, turbidimeters, flow meters.
  • Permit writing, technical report preparation and technical communication for regulators and the public.
  • Project management fundamentals: scope development, schedule control, budgeting, and subcontractor oversight (MS Project, Primavera a plus).
  • Environmental health & safety and field safety certifications: HAZWOPER, confined space entry, PPE standards and field emergency response.
  • Experience with stormwater BMP design and Low Impact Development (LID) practices and green infrastructure solutions.
  • Familiarity with wastewater treatment plant operations, process control parameters and troubleshooting.
  • Chain-of-custody and sample logistics management for field-to-lab integrity.

Soft Skills

  • Clear technical writing and presentation skills for reports, permit submittals and public outreach.
  • Strong verbal communication and stakeholder engagement with clients, regulators and community groups.
  • Analytical problem-solving with attention to detail and strong data interpretation skills.
  • Team leadership and mentorship ability to develop junior staff and coordinate cross-functional teams.
  • Time management, prioritization and the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously.
  • Adaptability and continuous learning mindset to keep up with evolving regulations, methods and technologies.
  • Negotiation and vendor management skills for overseeing laboratory and field subcontractors.
  • Client-focus and business development aptitude for proposal support and relationship building.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Environmental Science, Chemistry, Hydrology or closely related technical field.

Preferred Education:

  • Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering, Water Resources Engineering, Environmental Science, or a related discipline.
  • Professional Engineer (PE) license or relevant state licensure is highly desirable.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Environmental Engineering
  • Civil / Water Resources Engineering
  • Environmental Science / Chemistry
  • Hydrology / Hydrogeology
  • Microbiology / Environmental Toxicology

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–7 years of progressive experience in water quality monitoring, permitting, treatment design, or related environmental engineering roles.

Preferred: 5–10+ years of experience including direct experience with NPDES permitting, water quality modeling, laboratory QA/QC, project management, and client/regulator interface. Experience in municipal wastewater, industrial discharges, watershed planning, or consulting environments is a strong plus. Certification examples: PE, HAZWOPER 40-hour, Certified Water Professional (CWP) or equivalent.

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