Water/Wastewater Engineers

What the job really is

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.

At a glance

• Sector: Architecture & Engineering
• O*NET-SOC code: 17-2051
• O*NET job zone: 4 — considerable preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• 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.

Tools and technology

Autodesk AutoCAD, Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D, Autodesk Revit, Bash, Bentley MicroStation, ESRI ArcGIS software, HEC-HMS, HEC-RAS, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Water Resource Specialists
• Environmental Engineers
• Civil Engineers
• Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers
• Petroleum Engineers
• Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar
• Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health
• Chemical Engineers

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 4 (considerable preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Water/Wastewater Engineers — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.