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Water/Wastewater Engineers

SOC 17-2051.02Job Zone 4 · Considerable Preparationv.26.05

Context coveredThis framework covers the full career arc of water and wastewater engineers working in consulting, municipal, and industrial settings on treatment plant design, collection and distribution system engineering, water quality investigations, and regulatory compliance — from entry-level project support through executive technical leadership.

Sources:O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.SkillsCrosswalkSkillsCrosswalk — O*NET enrichment + adjacency index. Opens in new tab.
Emerging
Entry / Apprentice
  1. Water quality study data — collect and organize under direct supervision during field sampling campaigns at municipal treatment facilities.
  2. Engineering drawings and CAD software — produce basic layouts of water distribution or wastewater collection components following established templates and senior engineer direction.
  3. Technical reports and design plans — read and summarize key provisions under close guidance to support proposal review cycles.
  4. Regulatory standards and government compliance requirements — identify applicable codes for equipment selection with assistance from a licensed project engineer.
  5. Pumping system schematics — interpret and annotate under supervision to support design documentation for force mains or lift stations.
  6. Mathematical calculations for hydraulic loading rates — perform using standard formulas and spreadsheet tools under direction on routine treatment plant sizing tasks.
  7. CAD and geographic information system (GIS) tools — apply basic functions to draft pipeline alignments and map wastewater collection networks under senior oversight.
  8. Operations and maintenance logs from water or wastewater systems — review and flag anomalies for engineer evaluation during routine efficiency assessments.
  9. Engineering meeting notes and project correspondence — draft clearly and accurately using office suite software to support project team communication.
  10. Treatment plant unit process concepts such as SBR, UV disinfection, and aerobic digestion — recognize and describe functions when assisting senior engineers on plant design projects.
Developing
Mid-level / Established
  1. Water or wastewater treatment plant components — design routine elements including headworks, surge overflow basins, and sludge lagoons with reduced oversight on mid-scale municipal projects.
  2. Proposal documents and preliminary design plans — review and provide written critique identifying technical gaps or regulatory deficiencies as part of a structured peer-review process.
  3. Pumping stations, force mains, and gravity sewer alignments — design and size using hydraulic modeling software for standard collection system improvement projects.
  4. Water pollutant source characterization — conduct water quality studies, analyze laboratory results, and prepare findings reports for municipal or industrial clients.
  5. Equipment selection for wastewater processing — evaluate vendor submittals and specify compliant equipment using knowledge of federal and state discharge standards.
  6. Potable and non-potable water distribution systems — design pressure zones, pipe sizing, and storage configurations for community-scale service areas.
  7. Efficiency improvement recommendations — develop for existing water or wastewater operations by analyzing performance data and benchmarking against industry metrics.
  8. Junior engineers and CAD technicians — coordinate daily task assignments and provide technical guidance on design deliverables within defined project scopes.
  9. Analytical and scientific software tools — apply to model treatment processes and predict effluent quality outcomes under varying influent loading conditions.
  10. Project schedules and technical deliverable timelines — manage using standard project tracking methods to meet client milestones on water infrastructure assignments.
Proficient
Senior / Expert IC
  1. Advanced water or wastewater treatment plants incorporating SBR, membrane bioreactors, UV disinfection, and aerobic digesters — design autonomously from conceptual layout through construction documents for complex municipal or industrial clients.
  2. Domestic and industrial pumping systems including high-head force mains and multi-stage lift stations — design and specify fully across varied site and regulatory conditions without routine oversight.
  3. Comprehensive water distribution systems for potable and reclaimed water service — engineer including hydraulic network modeling, storage sizing, and pressure management for large service territories.
  4. Water quality investigation programs — lead from study design through pollutant source identification, applying scientific and statistical analysis methods to support regulatory compliance actions.
  5. Full design and equipment compliance review packages — prepare and certify for government permitting, ensuring all treatment plant specifications meet NPDES, Safe Drinking Water Act, or equivalent standards.
  6. Technical proposals, engineering reports, and regulatory submittals — author with clarity and precision to convey complex system designs to diverse audiences including regulators and public stakeholders.
  7. Multi-disciplinary project teams of engineers, technicians, and subconsultants — direct and integrate technical work across civil, mechanical, electrical, and process disciplines on water infrastructure projects.
  8. Non-routine operational failures and performance deficiencies in water or wastewater systems — diagnose root causes and engineer corrective solutions using systems analysis and operations evaluation methods.
  9. Design review sessions for proposals submitted by junior staff or subconsultants — lead with substantive critique addressing technical accuracy, code compliance, and constructability concerns.
  10. Risk and feasibility evaluations for alternative treatment technologies — perform independently, applying engineering judgment to recommend optimal solutions under capital and regulatory constraints.
Advanced
Lead / Principal / Executive
  1. Organizational engineering standards and design guidelines for water and wastewater infrastructure — develop and institutionalize across a practice or firm to ensure technical consistency and regulatory rigor.
  2. Strategic direction for large-scale water resource programs — set by integrating infrastructure master planning, capital improvement priorities, and long-term regulatory compliance trajectories for client agencies.
  3. Mentorship and professional development programs for junior and mid-level water and wastewater engineers — design and lead to build firm-wide technical capability and accelerate licensure attainment.
  4. Novel or precedent-setting treatment plant configurations — guide from concept through commissioning, applying authoritative expertise to resolve unprecedented technical challenges at the organizational level.
  5. Cross-sector partnerships with regulators, research institutions, and industry groups — cultivate to advance emerging treatment technologies and position the organization as a sector leader.
  6. Enterprise-wide quality assurance and peer-review systems for engineering deliverables — establish and oversee to ensure all proposals, designs, and reports meet the highest professional and regulatory standards.
  7. Multi-project portfolios of water and wastewater infrastructure programs — oversee simultaneously, allocating engineering resources, managing risk exposure, and ensuring schedule and budget accountability at the executive level.
  8. Policy positions and technical testimony on water quality regulation and infrastructure investment — develop and present to government bodies, industry forums, and public stakeholders on behalf of the organization.
  9. Organizational adoption of advanced digital tools including GIS integration, hydraulic modeling platforms, and CAD automation workflows — champion and direct to elevate efficiency and analytical rigor practice-wide.
  10. Succession planning and senior technical leadership pipelines for the water and wastewater engineering practice — architect in alignment with long-term business strategy and workforce development objectives.

AI-at-Work Competency Framework

Sources:Anthropic Economic IndexAnthropic Economic Index — release_2026_03_24. Opens in new tab.Jadhav & Danve, 2026Skill Automation Feasibility Index — Jadhav & Danve, 2026 (arXiv:2604.06906). Opens in new tab.WEF Skills TaxonomyWEF Skills Taxonomy 2021 — Building a Common Language for Skills at Work. Opens in new tab.

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Sources:Pathsmith™ Durable SkillsPathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
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Source anchors that ground each statement

Related titles
Consulting Engineer · County Engineer · Dimensional Engineer · Engineer · Hydraulics Engineer · Hydrologic Modeler · Project Development Engineer · Remediation Engineer · Remediation Project Engineer · Wastewater Design Engineer · Wastewater Engineer · Wastewater Process Engineer
RAPIDS apprenticeships
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O*NET skills
Critical ThinkingReading ComprehensionWritingJudgment and Decision MakingComplex Problem SolvingActive ListeningSystems AnalysisMathematicsSystems EvaluationTime ManagementSpeakingMonitoringScienceOperations AnalysisActive LearningManagement of Personnel ResourcesCoordinationLearning StrategiesInstructingSocial PerceptivenessPersuasionNegotiationService Orientation
Knowledge domains
Engineering and TechnologyDesignEnglish LanguageMathematicsBuilding and ConstructionAdministration and ManagementMechanicalPhysicsChemistryCustomer and Personal ServiceLaw and GovernmentBiologySales and MarketingComputers and ElectronicsEconomics and Accounting
Abilities
Inductive ReasoningDeductive ReasoningWritten ComprehensionOral ComprehensionOral ExpressionInformation OrderingWritten ExpressionMathematical ReasoningFluency of IdeasProblem Sensitivity
Work styles
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Technology
Computer aided design CAD softwareOperating system softwareAnalytical or scientific softwareOffice suite softwareGeographic information systemInternet browser softwareMap creation softwareData base user interface and query softwareSpreadsheet softwareElectronic mail software
Tasks · seed anchors for statements
  1. Provide technical direction or supervision to junior engineers, engineering or computer-aided design (CAD) technicians, or other technical personnel.
  2. Review and critique proposals, plans, or designs related to water or wastewater treatment systems.
  3. 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.
  4. Evaluate the operation and maintenance of water or wastewater systems to identify ways to improve their efficiency.
  5. Design or select equipment for use in wastewater processing to ensure compliance with government standards.
  6. Design pumping systems, pumping stations, pipelines, force mains, or sewers for the collection of wastewater.
  7. Design water distribution systems for potable or non-potable water.
  8. Conduct water quality studies to identify and characterize water pollutant sources.
CIP education codes
14.080114.080214.080314.080414.080514.089914.3301

Sources: O*NET v30.2 (CC BY 4.0), SkillsCrosswalk.com, LER.me®, Anthropic Economic Index, SAFI (Jadhav & Danve, 2026), WEF Skills Taxonomy 2021, Pathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework. © 2026 EBSCOed.