Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wastewater Program Coordinator

🎯 Role Definition

The Wastewater Program Coordinator is responsible for planning, implementing, and managing municipal or regional wastewater and stormwater compliance programs. This role ensures adherence to NPDES and state permits, coordinates monitoring and inspection activities, administers pretreatment/FOG/MS4 programs, manages data and reporting, supports capital and operating programs, and leads community and interagency outreach. The ideal candidate blends technical wastewater knowledge, regulatory interpretation, data management skills, and stakeholder engagement experience to maintain a compliant, resilient wastewater system.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Environmental Technician / Wastewater Technician
Stormwater Inspector or Field Sampling Technician
Civil/Environmental Engineering Assistant

Advancement To:

Wastewater Program Manager / Stormwater Program Manager
Environmental Compliance Manager
Utilities Operations Manager

Lateral Moves:

Pretreatment Program Specialist
Asset Management / CMMS Coordinator
GIS Analyst (Water & Wastewater)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop, manage, and execute the municipality’s NPDES and state wastewater/stormwater permit compliance program, including planning, monitoring schedules, corrective actions, and permit renewals to ensure continuous regulatory compliance and risk mitigation.
Coordinate and conduct routine and special permit-required field inspections of sanitary sewer systems, stormwater outfalls, industrial dischargers, and collection system infrastructure; prepare detailed inspection reports, track deficiencies, and ensure corrective actions are assigned and completed.
Design and manage wastewater and stormwater sampling programs (grab, composite, wet-weather, dry-weather), ensure proper chain-of-custody procedures, coordinate third-party laboratories, review analytical results, and enforce corrective measures for exceedances.
Prepare, compile, and submit accurate and timely regulatory reports (e.g., DMRs, WRAs, MS4 Annual Reports, SPDES/NPDES reports) to state agencies and EPA using required electronic reporting systems and maintain audit-ready documentation.
Lead the municipality’s FOG (Fats, Oils & Grease) and pretreatment programs, including permitting, inspections of food service establishments, enforcement, outreach, and tracking of categorical industrial users to prevent sewer blockages and industrial violations.
Administer the industrial pretreatment program: permit issuance and renewal, pollutant source control reviews, sampling and analysis, compliance schedules, and enforcement actions to ensure compliance with local and federal pretreatment standards.
Manage sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) response planning and reporting: coordinate emergency response, field sampling, public notification, containment and cleanup activities, and prepare SSO incident reports and corrective action plans.
Maintain and update Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), sampling protocols, quality assurance/quality control plans (QA/QC), and Standard Technical Specifications to support laboratory and field operations and meet accreditation and permit requirements.
Oversee contract procurement and management for laboratory services, monitoring equipment, flow metering and CCTV inspection services, ensuring scopes of work, deliverables, budgets, and performance metrics are met.
Coordinate flow monitoring and hydraulic assessments (including I&I studies and peak flow monitoring), analyze results to inform capital improvement plans for sewer rehabilitation and capacity improvements.
Use SCADA and supervisory data to review treatment and collection system performance trends, identify anomalies, and collaborate with operations staff to recommend and implement operational adjustments.
Maintain environmental compliance databases (CMMS, GIS, permit tracking systems), input inspection and sampling data, generate compliance dashboards and KPI reports, and support data-driven decision-making for the utility.
Support capital improvement planning by providing regulatory context, review of proposed projects for permit impacts, development of scopes for rehabilitation projects, and participation in design reviews for sewer and stormwater infrastructure.
Develop and manage program budgets and grants: prepare grant applications, track expenditures, manage reimbursements, and report on program financials to senior management and funding agencies.
Provide technical guidance and training to operations staff, field crews, and external stakeholders on sampling techniques, spill response, permit requirements, and pollution prevention best practices.
Lead public outreach and education campaigns for illicit discharge detection and elimination (IDDE), stormwater pollution prevention, and community engagement; prepare materials, present at public meetings, and coordinate volunteer monitoring programs.
Review development proposals and building permits for potential impacts to wastewater/stormwater systems; coordinate conditions of approval, environmental controls, and inspection requirements with planning and engineering departments.
Ensure cross-departmental coordination with engineering, public works, planning, and legal teams on regulatory enforcement, enforcement referrals, ordinance updates, and municipal code revisions related to wastewater and stormwater control.
Maintain inventory and calibration records for field monitoring equipment (flow meters, samplers, probes), schedule preventative maintenance, and ensure field teams are trained and equipped to collect defensible data.
Conduct desktop and field-level source investigations for illicit discharges and non-compliant dischargers, coordinate enforcement (notice of violation, consent orders), and track resolution timelines until compliance verification.
Monitor state and federal regulatory changes, interpret new permit requirements and guidance, update internal policies, and brief leadership on programmatic impacts and implementation timelines.
Prepare presentations, technical memos, and executive summaries for elected officials, advisory committees, and the public; clearly translate technical compliance issues into actionable recommendations and policy options.
Support laboratory QA/QC oversight: review lab SOPs, participate in data validation, evaluate quality control samples, and coordinate corrective actions for analytical discrepancies or out-of-specification results.
Facilitate interagency cooperation with watershed groups, neighboring jurisdictions, state environmental agencies, and EPA for coordinated monitoring, pollution source control, and watershed-scale planning.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests, generate custom compliance and trend analyses, and present findings in accessible formats to operations, engineering, and leadership teams.
Contribute to the organization’s data strategy and roadmap by recommending improvements to permit-tracking systems, CMMS workflows, and reporting automation to increase transparency and reduce manual work.
Collaborate with business units to translate regulatory and field data needs into implementable IT and engineering requirements for sensors, SCADA, databases, and mobile inspection tools.
Participate in sprint planning, agile ceremonies, and cross-functional project teams to deliver prioritized enhancements to compliance tracking, GIS asset layers, and public-facing dashboards.
Mentor junior staff and interns on sampling techniques, regulatory reporting, inspection protocol, and use of compliance software applications.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

NPDES/MS4 permit management and regulatory reporting (DMR, eDMR, NetDMR, state equivalents).
Wastewater sampling methodology, chain-of-custody, and field QA/QC procedures.
Industrial pretreatment and FOG program administration, permitting, and enforcement.
Laboratory coordination and data validation, familiarity with EPA-approved analytical methods (e.g., 40 CFR methods).
Sanitary sewer overflow response planning and SSO reporting protocols.
Proficiency with CMMS and asset management systems (e.g., Cityworks, Lucity, Infor, Maximo) for inspection and work-order tracking.
GIS mapping and spatial analysis for outfall and sewer network management (ArcGIS or QGIS).
SCADA data interpretation, flow monitoring equipment, and basic telemetry troubleshooting.
Data analysis and visualization: advanced Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP), SQL querying, and dashboarding tools (Power BI/Tableau).
Knowledge of hydraulic modeling basics and experience coordinating I&I investigations and flow monitoring campaigns.
Grant writing, budget preparation, contract administration, and procurement for professional services and equipment.
Familiarity with safety and environmental certifications: HAZWOPER, confined space awareness, or wastewater operator certifications (Grade I/II preferred).
Technical writing: development of SOPs, permit applications, technical memos, and regulatory correspondence.
Experience with electronic reporting systems and environmental databases (EPA ICIS, state data portals).

Soft Skills

Clear and persuasive oral and written communication for technical and non-technical audiences.
Strong project management skills: task prioritization, timeline management, and multi-stakeholder coordination.
Problem-solving and analytical mindset with attention to detail and quality control orientation.
Stakeholder engagement and consensus-building: effective at managing contractors, regulated businesses, elected officials, and the public.
Ability to work independently in the field and as part of a cross-functional team.
Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple regulatory deadlines concurrently.
Conflict resolution and enforcement diplomacy — firmness with fairness when achieving compliance.
Continuous learning orientation to stay current with evolving environmental regulations and technologies.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Associate degree in environmental science, water resources, civil technology, or related field; or equivalent experience in wastewater/stormwater program work.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Civil/Environmental Engineering, Biology, Chemistry, or related technical field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Environmental Science
Civil or Environmental Engineering
Water Resources Management
Chemistry or Microbiology
Public Administration (for program management roles)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

2–5 years of experience in municipal wastewater or stormwater programs, environmental compliance, or related field-level monitoring and enforcement.

Preferred:

3–7 years of progressively responsible experience administering NPDES/MS4 permits, pretreatment programs, FOG programs, or regulatory compliance in a public utility or environmental consulting context.
Demonstrated experience with field sampling, laboratory coordination, CMMS, GIS mapping, and producing regulatory reports and permit renewals.
Certifications or training such as state wastewater operator certification, HAZWOPER 8/24, Certified Public Manager (CPM), or relevant stormwater/NPDES training preferred.