Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wastewater Officer

🎯 Role Definition

The Wastewater Officer is a frontline technical and compliance lead responsible for the day-to-day operation, monitoring, and improvement of wastewater collection and treatment systems. The role combines hands-on operational oversight with regulatory reporting, industrial pretreatment enforcement, asset management and staff supervision to ensure safe discharge, reliable service delivery and full compliance with environmental permits and public health requirements. SEO / LLM keywords: Wastewater Officer, wastewater treatment, NPDES, permit compliance, sewage treatment plant (STP), collection system, process control, SCADA, industrial pretreatment, biosolids management.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Wastewater Treatment Operator II / III
Environmental Technician — Water/Wastewater
Collections System Technician / Pump Station Operator

Advancement To:

Senior Wastewater Officer / Lead Operator
Wastewater Operations Manager / Plant Superintendent
Environmental Compliance Manager or Utilities Program Manager

Lateral Moves:

Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator
Laboratory/Quality Assurance Supervisor

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Operate, monitor and optimize biological, chemical and physical treatment processes (primary, secondary, tertiary, disinfection) to consistently meet effluent permit limits, minimize bypasses and support process stability.
Conduct routine and event-driven wastewater sampling and laboratory analysis (influent, effluent, biosolids, sludge, industrial discharges), ensure chain-of-custody and laboratory QA/QC, and interpret analytical data to guide operational adjustments.
Prepare, review and submit regulatory reports including NPDES permit reports, discharge monitoring reports (DMRs), biosolids disposal manifests, and incident/overflow notifications to local, state and federal agencies.
Manage SCADA/HMI monitoring and control systems: tune alarms and trends, respond to real-time events, implement control strategies, and coordinate with IT for system integrity and cybersecurity.
Lead operations and maintenance planning for pumps, blowers, clarifiers, digesters, dewatering equipment, chemical feed systems and other treatment assets; schedule preventive maintenance using CMMS and coordinate with contractors for repairs.
Supervise, train and mentor plant operators and collection system staff; develop shift schedules, conduct toolbox talks, enforce safe work practices and maintain certification training records.
Investigate and respond to odor complaints, sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) and emergency incidents; implement immediate corrective measures and prepare incident reports and corrective action plans.
Administer industrial pretreatment program activities: review permits, inspect industrial dischargers, enforce pretreatment limits, and coordinate enforcement actions for non-compliance.
Develop and revise SOPs, emergency response plans, confined space entry procedures, and standard operating instructions to ensure regulatory compliance and worker safety.
Manage chemical inventory and dosing programs (chlorine, polymer, coagulants, pH adjustment) including procurement forecasting, safety data sheet (SDS) compliance and safe handling procedures.
Perform hydraulic and process calculations for flow balancing, retention times, sludge age (MLSS/MLSS calculations), and process capacity planning; model process scenarios and provide recommendations for optimization.
Coordinate capital improvement projects and small works contracts: prepare scope of work, participate in design review, monitor construction progress and perform commissioning/start-up support.
Maintain accurate plant logs, operation sheets and electronic records for performance metrics (BOD, TSS, ammonia, pH, chlorine residual, turbidity) and support continuous improvement initiatives.
Oversee biosolids handling and disposal operations: thickening, digestion, dewatering, hauling and land application/beneficial reuse in accordance with regulatory requirements and permits.
Conduct routine inspection and maintenance of the collection system, including manhole inspections, CCTV evaluation, grease and root control programs, and coordination of sewer line rehabilitation.
Implement health, safety and environmental compliance programs: conduct risk assessments, lead incident investigations, enforce PPE usage, and maintain training and certification compliance.
Coordinate with environmental health, regulatory agencies and external stakeholders on permitting, enforcement responses, and community engagement related to wastewater operations.
Manage budgets for operations, maintenance, chemicals and small capital projects; track expenditures, prepare cost estimates and support grant or funding applications.
Perform operator-level mechanical and electrical troubleshooting of motors, pumps, valves, and instrumentation; liaise with vendors and electrical/mechanical contractors for specialized repairs.
Conduct process performance reviews and lead data-driven optimization projects (energy efficiency, nutrient removal, chemical cost reduction) using historical data and benchmarking.
Implement and manage preventive maintenance and asset management programs (inspection schedules, lifecycle planning, spare parts inventory) to reduce downtime and extend equipment life.
Support permit renewal processes by compiling monitoring data, updating site plans, participating in stakeholder meetings and drafting technical sections for permit applications.
Maintain and update GIS and asset databases related to sewer mains, pump stations and treatment plant infrastructure; use GIS for planning and emergency response mapping.
Participate in public outreach, customer education and service coordination regarding sewer use regulations, private lateral responsibilities and industrial discharge requirements.

Secondary Functions

Assist with stormwater monitoring and cross-connection control as needed to protect receiving waters.
Support grant reporting, regulatory audits and environmental compliance inspections by preparing documentation and hosting agency site visits.
Provide subject-matter input for environmental policy reviews, bylaw updates and rate-setting processes in collaboration with finance and regulatory teams.
Coordinate with laboratory personnel to implement new analytes, validate methods and maintain proficiency testing programs.
Help develop performance dashboards and key performance indicators (KPIs) to communicate plant performance to stakeholders and leadership.
Support community engagement events, public information campaigns and technical outreach to local businesses on pretreatment requirements.
Contribute to capital planning by providing operational perspectives during feasibility studies and pilot testing of new treatment technologies.
Back up related wastewater or water utility tasks during staff shortages, including coverage at remote pump stations or treatment plants.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Wastewater treatment process knowledge (activated sludge, sequencing batch reactors, trickling filters, lagoon systems, clarification, filtration, disinfection).
Regulatory compliance and reporting experience with NPDES/DMRs, state permits and biosolids regulations.
Sampling and laboratory QA/QC skills including chain-of-custody, sample preservation and interpretation of analytical results (BOD, TSS, TKN, NH3, TP, metals).
SCADA/HMI operation and basic troubleshooting; experience with alarm management and trend analysis.
CMMS and asset management software proficiency (e.g., Cityworks, Maximo, Lucity) for scheduling and tracking maintenance.
Industrial pretreatment program administration and source control inspection experience.
Mechanical and electrical troubleshooting of pumps, motors, mixers, valves and chemical feed systems.
Confined space entry, fall protection and general safety certifications/knowledge (OSHA or local equivalent).
Process control and optimization skills including MLSS control, sludge age (SRT) management and chemical dosing optimization.
GIS mapping and spatial asset management for collection systems and infrastructure.
Basic PLC logic understanding and instrumentation calibration (flow meters, level sensors, ORP, pH, DO probes).
Data analysis and reporting skills, including experience with Excel, SCADA exports and basic SQL or data visualization tools for KPI tracking.
Budgeting and contract management experience for O&M and small capital projects.
Knowledge of odor control techniques and technologies and SSO prevention best practices.

Soft Skills

Strong verbal and written communication for regulatory correspondence, technical reports and community interaction.
Leadership and people management: ability to supervise and mentor operators and field crews.
Analytical problem solving and decision-making under pressure during upsets and emergency responses.
Attention to detail for sampling, recordkeeping and permit compliance.
Project coordination and stakeholder management across interdisciplinary teams.
Time management and prioritization to balance routine operations and unplanned incidents.
Customer service orientation when handling public complaints and industrial discharge inquiries.
Continuous improvement mindset and openness to lean/process improvement methodologies.
Integrity and ethical judgment in enforcement and reporting situations.
Adaptability to changing regulations, technologies and operational demands.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Associate Degree in Environmental Technology, Wastewater Technology, Water/Wastewater Science, or related technical discipline.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Environmental Science, or related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Environmental Engineering / Environmental Science
Civil Engineering (water resources emphasis)
Water & Wastewater Technology / Operations
Chemistry / Microbiology (for laboratory-heavy roles)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3 to 8 years of progressive experience in wastewater operations, collection systems or environmental compliance.

Preferred:

5+ years experience with demonstrated supervisory or lead operator responsibilities, permit compliance track record, and hands-on experience with SCADA, CMMS and regulatory reporting.

Certifications (highly desirable): State Operator Certification (Class II/III or equivalent), Confined Space, H2S awareness, OSHA 10/30, First Aid/CPR. Familiarity with local and federal wastewater regulations (EPA/NPDES) and experience managing pretreatment programs are strong advantages.