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Water/Wastewater Engineers

$95,890 Median Wage (2023)

22,900 Projected job openings (2023-2033)

6.50% Projected growth (2023-2033)

Design or oversee projects involving provision of potable water, disposal of wastewater and sewage, or prevention of flood-related damage. Prepare environmental documentation for water resources, regulatory program compliance, data management and analysis, and field work. Perform hydraulic modeling and pipeline design.

Experience Requirements Overview

Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Education, Training and Experience

Required Level of Education: Bachelor's Degree

Related Work Experience: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year

On-Site or In-Plant Training: N.A.

On-the-Job Training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year

Detailed Work Activities

Prepare technical or operational reports.
Evaluate designs or specifications to ensure quality.
Advise others regarding green practices or environmental concerns.
Supervise engineering or other technical personnel.
Provide technical guidance to other personnel.
Recommend technical design or process changes to improve efficiency, quality, or performance.
Develop technical methods or processes.
Prepare detailed work plans.
Select tools, equipment, or technologies for use in operations or projects.
Design civil structures or systems.
Investigate the environmental impact of projects.
Create models of engineering designs or methods.
Analyze operational data to evaluate operations, processes or products.
Direct environmental development activities.
Research advanced engineering designs or applications.
Analyze costs and benefits of proposed designs or projects.
Analyze physical, survey, or geographic data.
Design structures or facilities.
Design industrial processing systems.
Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency.
Evaluate characteristics of equipment or systems.

Work Values

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

Independence

Tasks

Provide technical direction or supervision to junior engineers, engineering or computer-aided design (CAD) technicians, or other technical personnel.
Review and critique proposals, plans, or designs related to water or wastewater treatment systems.
Design domestic or industrial water or wastewater treatment plants, including advanced facilities with sequencing batch reactors (SBR), membranes, lift stations, headworks, surge overflow basins, ultraviolet disinfection systems, aerobic digesters, sludge lagoons, or control buildings.
Evaluate the operation and maintenance of water or wastewater systems to identify ways to improve their efficiency.
Design or select equipment for use in wastewater processing to ensure compliance with government standards.
Design pumping systems, pumping stations, pipelines, force mains, or sewers for the collection of wastewater.
Design water distribution systems for potable or non-potable water.
Conduct water quality studies to identify and characterize water pollutant sources.
Analyze and recommend chemical, biological, or other wastewater treatment methods to prepare water for industrial or domestic use.
Identify design alternatives for the development of new water resources.
Design water runoff collection networks, water supply channels, or water supply system networks.
Design water or wastewater lift stations, including water wells.
Conduct cost-benefit analyses for the construction of water supply systems, runoff collection networks, water and wastewater treatment plants, or wastewater collection systems.
Provide technical support on water resource or treatment issues to government agencies.
Conduct feasibility studies for the construction of facilities, such as water supply systems, runoff collection networks, water and wastewater treatment plants, or wastewater collection systems.
Analyze storm water or floodplain drainage systems to control erosion, stabilize river banks, repair channel streams, or design bridges.
Oversee the construction of decentralized or on-site wastewater treatment systems, including reclaimed water facilities.
Develop plans for new water resources or water efficiency programs.
Perform hydrological analyses, using three-dimensional simulation software, to model the movement of water or forecast the dispersion of chemical pollutants in the water supply.
Perform hydraulic analyses of water supply systems or water distribution networks to model flow characteristics, test for pressure losses, or to identify opportunities to mitigate risks and improve operational efficiency.
Write technical reports or publications related to water resources development or water use efficiency.
Design water storage tanks or other water storage facilities.
Analyze and recommend sludge treatment or disposal methods.
Design sludge treatment plants.
Gather and analyze water use data to forecast water demand.
Conduct environmental impact studies related to water and wastewater collection, treatment, or distribution.
Analyze the efficiency of water delivery structures, such as dams, tainter gates, canals, pipes, penstocks, or cofferdams.
Perform mathematical modeling of underground or surface water resources, such as floodplains, ocean coastlines, streams, rivers, or wetlands.

Work Styles

Achievement/Effort

Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.

Persistence

Initiative

Leadership

Cooperation

Concern for Others

Social Orientation

Self-Control

Stress Tolerance

Adaptability/Flexibility

Dependability

Attention to Detail

Integrity

Independence

Innovation

Analytical Thinking

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 28.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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