Torchora
Back to Home

Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Water Quality Planner

💰 $ - $

EnvironmentalWater ResourcesPlanning

🎯 Role Definition

The Water Quality Planner is responsible for developing, implementing, and managing comprehensive water quality programs that protect and restore surface water and groundwater resources. This role leads monitoring program design, data analysis, permitting support, watershed and stormwater planning, and multi-stakeholder coordination to ensure regulatory compliance (Clean Water Act, state water quality standards) and to deliver science‑based solutions such as TMDLs, BMP selection and restoration plans. The ideal candidate combines technical expertise in water quality monitoring and modeling with strong communication skills for public outreach, regulatory negotiation, and interagency collaboration.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Environmental Technician or Water Quality Field Technician with 1–3 years of sampling/monitoring experience
  • Junior Environmental Planner or GIS Technician supporting watershed studies
  • Staff Scientist or Laboratory Analyst specializing in water chemistry

Advancement To:

  • Senior Water Quality Planner or Water Resources Project Manager
  • Watershed Program Manager or Stormwater Program Lead
  • Environmental Compliance Manager or Regional Water Quality Director

Lateral Moves:

  • Regulatory Affairs Specialist (permitting and compliance)
  • GIS/Spatial Analyst focused on hydrology and watershed management
  • Environmental Monitoring Program Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Lead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of watershed-scale water quality monitoring programs, including design of sampling frequency, station siting, analyte lists, QA/QC procedures, and chain-of-custody protocols to support regulatory reporting and trend analysis.
  • Prepare, review, and submit technical documentation for NPDES permits, MS4 stormwater permits, and other regulatory authorizations, ensuring alignment with federal and state water quality standards and permit requirements.
  • Develop and implement Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) studies and pollutant load reduction strategies, including load and wasteload allocation calculations, source tracking, and implementation schedules tied to measurable milestones.
  • Conduct complex water quality modeling and pollutant fate-and-transport simulations using tools such as SWMM, HSPF, QUAL2K, WASP, EFDC, or similar models to predict impacts of land use change, BMPs, and infrastructure projects on receiving waters.
  • Design and oversee field sampling campaigns for surface water, groundwater, stormwater, and sediments, including coordinating field crews, site safety plans, equipment calibration, sample preservation, and laboratory subcontracting.
  • Manage laboratory relationships and ensure analytical data quality by establishing method detection limits, QA/QC sample frequency (blanks, duplicates, spikes), data validation, and corrective actions in accordance with standardized protocols (e.g., EPA QA/G‑5, 40 CFR).
  • Prepare clear, defensible technical reports, memoranda, and permit application packages that synthesize monitoring results, trend analyses, statistical interpretations, and model outputs for regulators, council members, and the public.
  • Lead stakeholder engagement and public outreach activities, including facilitation of watershed advisory groups, public meetings, workshops, and presentations to translate technical findings into actionable community plans and to build consensus for implementation projects.
  • Develop and prioritize watershed restoration and BMP implementation plans (e.g., green infrastructure, detention/retention facilities, stream restoration), including cost estimates, performance metrics, funding strategies, and construction oversight.
  • Coordinate interagency planning and compliance efforts with federal, state, and local regulatory agencies (EPA, state departments of environmental protection, water boards), utilities, municipalities, and NGOs to align monitoring and remediation efforts.
  • Manage project budgets, scopes, and schedules for multiple concurrent water-quality planning projects, including contracting consultants, writing scopes of work, and providing technical oversight of subconsultants.
  • Implement and maintain water quality data management systems and databases (e.g., EQuIS, WQX, SQL-based systems), ensuring data integrity, accessibility, and interoperability for reporting and modeling needs.
  • Conduct advanced statistical and trend analyses (e.g., seasonal Kendall, time-series decomposition, load estimation) using R, Python, or specialized software to detect changes, evaluate BMP effectiveness, and inform adaptive management.
  • Review proposed development and infrastructure projects for potential water quality impacts; provide technical recommendations, permit conditions, and mitigation measures to minimize pollutant loading and hydrologic change.
  • Prepare grant proposals and support funding acquisition efforts (federal/state grants, SRF, watershed protection funds) to secure resources for monitoring, planning, and implementation projects.
  • Supervise and mentor junior planners, field staff, and technicians; develop training materials and standard operating procedures for sampling, data QA/QC, and modeling workflows.
  • Evaluate emerging contaminants of concern (e.g., PFAS, pharmaceuticals, microplastics), design targeted monitoring efforts, and advise on appropriate analytical methods and risk‑based interpretation strategies.
  • Support emergency response for water quality incidents (spills, algal blooms, sanitary sewer overflows) by coordinating sampling, rapid data analysis, reporting, and communication with responsible agencies and the public.
  • Integrate climate change and resilience considerations into water quality planning — assess vulnerabilities, model hydrologic extremes, and recommend adaptive BMPs that account for future precipitation and temperature regimes.
  • Produce GIS deliverables including pollutant source maps, watershed delineations, BMP planning maps, and geospatial analyses to support decision-making and public communications.
  • Ensure compliance tracking and performance reporting for implemented programs, including development of dashboards, permit-required reports, and metrics for adaptive management and continuous improvement.
  • Coordinate laboratory data review and validation workflows and author data quality assessment reports that support regulatory submissions and enforcement defense when necessary.
  • Provide technical input to environmental assessments and engineering designs (e.g., stormwater conveyance, wetland restoration) to ensure protection of water quality and alignment with biological and habitat goals.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc water quality data requests from internal departments, regulators, and the public; produce quick-turnaround analyses and visualization products to inform decision-making.
  • Contribute to the organization’s water quality strategy and long-term monitoring roadmap, identifying priority watersheds, data gaps, and scalable monitoring approaches.
  • Collaborate with planning, engineering, GIS, and public outreach teams to translate water quality science into implementable projects, design specifications, and policy recommendations.
  • Participate in internal and external working groups, technical advisory committees, and permitting negotiations to advocate for scientifically defensible, cost-effective water quality solutions.
  • Maintain and update standard operating procedures (SOPs) for field sampling, laboratory handling, data management, and model calibration to ensure reproducibility and regulatory defensibility.
  • Assist procurement and contract management for laboratory services, modeling software licenses, and field equipment; evaluate vendor proposals and manage performance.
  • Provide training and technical support to municipal staff and partner organizations on monitoring techniques, data interpretation, BMP maintenance, and regulatory compliance.
  • Track legislative and regulatory changes affecting water quality standards, pollutant criteria, and permitting processes; brief leadership and adapt programs as needed.
  • Support development and maintenance of public-facing materials (web dashboards, fact sheets, outreach brochures) that summarize monitoring results and planned actions in plain language.
  • Assist in the preparation and oversight of construction inspection protocols for BMP installation to ensure as-built conditions meet design specifications and performance expectations.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Water quality monitoring program design and field sampling protocols (surface water, groundwater, stormwater, sediments)
  • Regulatory permitting and compliance: NPDES, MS4, TMDL development, Clean Water Act familiarity
  • Watershed and stormwater modeling proficiency (e.g., SWMM, HSPF, QUAL2K, WASP, EFDC) and model calibration/validation
  • GIS spatial analysis and mapping (ArcGIS Pro, QGIS) for watershed delineation and BMP siting
  • Laboratory QA/QC oversight, sample handling, and data validation procedures
  • Data analysis and visualization using R, Python (pandas, matplotlib), Excel, or statistical software
  • Water quality data management systems and databases (EQuIS, WQX, or SQL-based systems)
  • BMP selection, design parameters, performance evaluation, and lifecycle maintenance considerations
  • Technical report writing, permit application preparation, and regulatory submittal drafting
  • Grant writing and funding acquisition strategies for environmental projects
  • Knowledge of analytical chemistry methods relevant to water testing (EPA-approved methods) and detection limit interpretation
  • Experience with environmental impact assessment and stormwater management planning documents

Soft Skills

  • Strong written and verbal communication tailored to technical and non‑technical audiences
  • Stakeholder engagement and facilitation skills for consensus-building across municipalities, agencies, and community groups
  • Project management: scope, budget, schedule control, and multi-project coordination
  • Critical thinking and problem solving with an ability to synthesize complex datasets into actionable recommendations
  • Attention to detail and insistence on data quality and defensible methods
  • Leadership, mentoring, and team development experience
  • Adaptability to shifting priorities and emergency response scenarios
  • Time management and ability to deliver high-quality work on tight deadlines
  • Diplomacy and negotiation skills when addressing regulatory or community conflicts
  • Public speaking and presentation skills for workshops, council meetings, and technical forums

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

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

Preferred Education:

  • Master’s degree in Water Resources, Environmental Engineering, Hydrology, or related discipline is preferred, particularly for roles requiring advanced modeling or program leadership.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Environmental Engineering
  • Hydrology / Water Resources Science
  • Environmental Science / Biology / Chemistry
  • Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
  • Ecology / Watershed Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–7 years of progressive experience in water quality monitoring, watershed planning, permitting, or environmental compliance.

Preferred:

  • 5+ years of experience leading water quality programs, permit support (NPDES/MS4/TMDL), and water quality modeling.
  • Demonstrated field experience with sampling campaigns and laboratory coordination.
  • Experience managing teams or supervising consultants and delivering projects to municipal, state, or federal clients.
Explore More Careers