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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wastewater Program Specialist

💰 $ - $

Environmental ServicesWastewaterCompliance

🎯 Role Definition

The Wastewater Program Specialist is responsible for administering and enforcing municipal and industrial wastewater programs to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local water quality regulations (including the Clean Water Act and NPDES permits). This role combines field inspections, laboratory coordination, regulatory reporting, permit review, stakeholder outreach, and program development to protect public health and sensitive aquatic resources. The ideal candidate brings technical wastewater knowledge, strong communication skills, and experience managing compliance-driven programs such as pretreatment, FOG, and sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) response.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Environmental Technician or Field Sampling Technician
  • Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator (Level II/III)
  • Laboratory Analyst / Environmental Lab Technician

Advancement To:

  • Wastewater Program Manager / Supervisor
  • Environmental Compliance Manager
  • Senior Regulatory Affairs Specialist or Regional Compliance Lead

Lateral Moves:

  • Stormwater Program Specialist
  • Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator
  • Asset Management or CMMS Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Develop, implement, and manage municipal and industrial pretreatment programs to reduce pollutant discharges to wastewater collection and treatment systems in compliance with EPA and state regulations.
  • Administer and manage NPDES permit requirements for municipal wastewater treatment facilities, including reviewing permit conditions, tracking permit milestones, and advising operations on compliance strategies.
  • Conduct routine and complaint-driven field inspections of wastewater treatment plants, industrial contributors, grease control devices (FOG), and sewer collection systems; document findings and follow up on corrective actions.
  • Design and manage wastewater sampling programs (grab and composite sampling), including chain-of-custody procedures, field quality control, and coordination with accredited laboratories to ensure defensible data.
  • Prepare, review, and submit required regulatory reports such as Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMRs), biosolids reports, SSO/SSOC notifications, and state regulatory compliance submittals in electronic and paper formats.
  • Investigate potential sanitary sewer overflows, illicit discharges, and cross-connections; coordinate emergency response, source tracking, and remediation activities with operations and public works.
  • Perform technical review of engineering plans, sewer extension applications, and wastewater-related development proposals; provide permit conditions and recommendations to protect collection and treatment system integrity.
  • Conduct industrial user inspections and sampling to evaluate compliance with local limits, categorical pretreatment standards, and permit conditions; document noncompliance and issue enforcement actions when necessary.
  • Draft, revise, and administer wastewater program policies, standard operating procedures (SOPs), sampling protocols, and enforcement ordinances to maintain legal defensibility and program consistency.
  • Manage wastewater program data using environmental databases, GIS, CMMS, and spreadsheets to track inspections, permits, violations, corrective actions, and trending analysis.
  • Provide technical support and training to operations staff, maintenance crews, and external stakeholders on sampling techniques, permit requirements, emergency response, and pollutant reduction best practices.
  • Lead public outreach and education efforts for FOG prevention, residential/industrial pollution prevention, and community engagement through workshops, materials, and social media campaigns.
  • Coordinate interagency and cross-departmental activities with state environmental agencies, health departments, utility billing, planning, and legal teams to streamline permit review and enforcement proceedings.
  • Manage compliance monitoring budgets, grant administration, and procurement for laboratory services, monitoring equipment, and contractor support for investigatory work.
  • Evaluate and recommend upgrades to monitoring instrumentation, automated samplers, and field data collection systems; oversee calibration, maintenance, and vendor relationships.
  • Prepare and present technical reports, briefing materials, and regulatory updates to senior management, municipal boards, and public stakeholders in clear, non-technical language.
  • Develop and implement corrective action plans and negotiated settlement agreements for significant noncompliance; monitor implementation and verify performance through follow-up inspections and sampling.
  • Maintain current knowledge of federal and state wastewater regulations, toxic pollutant standards, analytical methods, and emerging contaminants to advise program strategy and permit development.
  • Support laboratory QA/QC programs by reviewing method detection limits, holding times, laboratory certifications, and quality assurance plans to ensure data integrity for compliance purposes.
  • Use GIS mapping and spatial analysis to track sewer system features, illicit discharge sources, inspection histories, and geographic trends in pollutant loads and system failures.
  • Coordinate pretreatment and industrial user permitting activities including issuing permits, permit renewals, compliance schedules, and fee assessments.
  • Conduct root cause analysis and data-driven investigations of recurring violations or treatment performance issues and implement continuous improvement measures.
  • Participate in emergency preparedness and response planning for wastewater incidents, including spill response, public notification, and mutual aid coordination with neighboring utilities.
  • Evaluate FOG control programs, including inspections of commercial food service establishments, plan review for grease interceptors, and programmatic enforcement to reduce blockages and SSOs.

Secondary Functions

  • Support grant writing, funding proposals, and progress reporting to secure external funding for pilot projects, monitoring upgrades, and infrastructure improvements.
  • Provide technical input for capital improvement projects, collection system rehabilitation plans, and upgrades to treatment facilities from a regulatory compliance perspective.
  • Mentor junior staff, interns, and seasonal field technicians; develop training modules and on-the-job competency assessments.
  • Participate in cross-functional process improvement initiatives to optimize sampling logistics, data entry workflows, and reporting timelines.
  • Serve as subject matter expert for emerging contaminant screening initiatives (PFAS, pharmaceuticals) and coordinate targeted monitoring pilots.
  • Represent the municipality/utility at regulatory stakeholder groups, industry conferences, and technical workgroups to stay aligned with best practices.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Thorough knowledge of NPDES program requirements, Clean Water Act regulations, state discharge permits, and municipal wastewater rules.
  • Pretreatment program administration including industrial user inspections, permit drafting, categorical standards, and Local Limits development.
  • Field sampling expertise: composite and grab sampling, ISCO/Hach samplers, sample preservation, chain-of-custody, and field QC procedures.
  • Laboratory coordination and QA/QC: familiarity with EPA-approved analytical methods, lab accreditation processes, and data validation.
  • Proficient with regulatory reporting systems (eDMR, state portals), environmental databases, and data management best practices.
  • Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for mapping sewers, tributary monitoring, and spatial analysis.
  • Hands-on experience with sewer system asset management software and CMMS (e.g., Cartegraph, CityWorks) and basic SQL or database query skills.
  • Ability to read and review engineering drawings, wastewater process flows, interceptor designs, and consent decrees.
  • Incident response and emergency management knowledge specific to wastewater events, SSO response, and public notification requirements.
  • Familiarity with stormwater/wet-weather flow concepts, inflow & infiltration (I&I) investigations, and cross-connection control programs.
  • Competence in preparing technical reports, permit language, enforcement letters, and legal defensible documentation.
  • Basic budgeting, grant administration, and procurement experience for monitoring programs and consultant contracts.

Soft Skills

  • Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to translate technical information for non-technical audiences and present to elected officials.
  • Excellent organizational skills with attention to detail for recordkeeping, compliance timelines, and investigative documentation.
  • Analytical and problem-solving mindset with the ability to interpret complex monitoring data and recommend corrective actions.
  • Effective stakeholder engagement and negotiation skills for working with industrial users, contractors, and regulatory agencies.
  • Project management capability: prioritize tasks, manage concurrent projects, and deliver on deadlines.
  • Team-oriented with demonstrated ability to mentor, train, and collaborate across departments.
  • Adaptability and resilience in field conditions and during emergency response situations.
  • Ethical judgment and the ability to make enforcement recommendations consistent with legal and community standards.
  • Conflict resolution skills to handle noncompliant facilities and manage sensitive enforcement actions.
  • Continuous learning orientation to stay current with regulatory changes and technical innovations.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Civil or Environmental Engineering, Chemistry, Biology, or a closely related field.

Preferred Education:

  • Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, Public Administration, or related field; or relevant professional certifications (e.g., Wastewater Operator license, Certified Environmental Professional).

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Environmental Science
  • Civil or Environmental Engineering
  • Biology, Chemistry, or Microbiology
  • Environmental Policy or Public Administration
  • Water Resources Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–7 years of progressive experience in wastewater compliance, pretreatment, industrial inspections, or environmental permitting.

Preferred:

  • 5+ years administering wastewater or pretreatment programs for municipalities, utilities, or regulatory agencies.
  • Demonstrated experience with NPDES permit compliance, DMR reporting, field sampling programs, and enforcement processes.
  • State wastewater operator certification or professional engineering licensure is a plus.

Keywords: wastewater program specialist, NPDES compliance, pretreatment, industrial user inspections, DMR reporting, sanitary sewer overflow, FOG program, wastewater sampling, environmental compliance, permit administration.

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