Environmental Specialist

Essential Utilities, Inc.; Lower Merion Township (Montgomery County); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Aqua PA, part of Aqua (Essential Utilities), is hiring an Environmental Specialist to join the Water Quality & Environmental Compliance group. You will contribute to state-wide operations to prevent and remediate contamination, identify pollution sources, and prepare compliance reports.

This role involves fieldwork, data analysis, reporting to leadership and regulators, and occasional after-hours responses. Travel to various sites is expected.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, biology, or a related field.
• An Associate degree with 2+ years in environmental or water/wastewater roles.

Responsibilities

• Identify and photograph pollution sources in Company watersheds or near groundwater supplies.
• Monitor watershed health and seek pollution sources while implementing pollution mitigation activities.
• Conduct property interviews to educate on proximity and importance of streams, rivers, and wells; document interviews and follow-ups.
• Investigate spills, leaks, discharges, or contamination; report to leadership and regulators; may require after-hours work.
• Take groundwater-level and streamflow measurements; perform field water tests and collect samples for lab analyses.
• Prepare reports on inspections, tests, incidents, and remediation; maintain maps, files and records.
• Document regulatory compliance for projects and coordinate with agencies as needed.
• Draft compliance reports and compile data for submissions; track and file assigned reports and permits.

Skills

Environmental regulations

Watershed concepts

MS Office

GIS

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Customer service

Multitasking

Education

Bachelor’s degree in environmental science or related field

Associate degree + 2+ years experience in environmental/water/waste-water roles

Job description

Aqua, an Essential Utilities company, employs people in a variety of roles within our eight-state footprint, ranging from field workers and customer service representatives who are on the front lines working with customers, to scientists and engineers who help ensure we’re delivering reliable water and wastewater services to our communities. If you’re looking for a rewarding career helping improve our environment and protect our natural resources, we encourage you to join our team!

About Essential Utilities

Essential Utilities, Inc. delivers safe, clean, reliable services that improve quality of life for individuals, families, and entire communities.

Operating as the Aqua (water and wastewater services) and the Peoples and Delta (natural gas) brands, Essential serves approximately 5.5 million people across 10 states. We are committed to sustainable growth, operational excellence, a superior customer experience, and premier employer status - including a competitive and comprehensive benefits package as well as a commitment to career growth opportunities.

We are advocates for the communities we serve and are dedicated stewards of natural lands, protecting more than 7,600 acres of forests and other habitats throughout our footprint.

Our company is one of the most significant publicly traded water, wastewater service and natural gas providers in the U.S.

We are hiring for an Environmental Specialist to join Aqua PA as part of our Water Quality & Environmental Compliance group. This person will contribute to state-wide operations to ensure that we prevent and remediate contamination issues in an effective manner; this involves seeking sources of pollutants which have entered (or could enter) Company surface water and/or groundwater supplies while also working proactively to protect our water supplies. This also involves writing compliance reports, plotting data, and responding to regulatory correspondence (with assistance from Engineering and Management).

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Identify, inspect, and photograph potential pollution sources in Company watersheds or near Company groundwater supplies.
• Monitor watershed health / conditions, and seek sources of pollution while implementing activities to mitigate pollution.
• Conduct interviews at properties on which potential sources of contamination might exist; this involves educating people on the proximity & importance of various streams, rivers, and wells (as well as filling out reports of interviews and conducting routine follow-up inspections).
• Investigate spills, leaks, discharges, and/or occurrences of pollution and report to Leadership and appropriate government agencies; this involves observing / inspecting remediation and clean-up (which does involve responding to these events after-hours, weekends, and/or holidays).
• Take groundwater-level and streamflow measurements; this involves making field water tests & stream surveys, as well as collecting environmental samples for laboratory analyses.
• Prepare reports on routine inspections, tests / surveys, incidents of contamination, and their clean-up / remediation; this involves maintaining related maps, files, and records.
• Document regulatory compliance for specific projects, as assigned.
• Contact other agencies & organizations to obtain or share information on water resources.
• Draft compliance reports and compile data for reports; this involves organizing and tracking compliance work for inclusion in reports (including field data plot(s) & graph data), and tracking compliance while ensuring timely preparation / filing of assigned compliance reports & permits.
• Review inspection reports and regulatory correspondence; this involves sharing information with others electronically and drafting response letters after meeting with Facility Owner(s) & Operators to discuss observations & issues (you will be expected to work with Engineering and Leadership in order to draft responses).
• Prepare and maintain sampling plans for watershed sampling studies as well as updating sample sites, as needed; this involves ensuring that all samples are collected and reviewed (which requires data analysis).
• Attend Compliance, Engineering, and Operational meetings; this person will also assist with planning & budgeting for upgrades that are necessary for compliance.
• Assist in the administration of ongoing programs such as regulatory compliance and sampling.
• Assist with compliance related field investigations and projects, as assigned.
• Work with local organizations and partners to implement water supply protection projects & activities.
• Answer customer inquiries regarding analyses / results (and distribute copies of results, if needed); this person may also provide support to our Engineering Department by processing invoices as well as copying, routing, and filing documents, as needed.
• Assist with other tasks or projects (as assigned).

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant science-oriented discipline (e.g.: Environment Science, Biology, Chemistry, Hydrology, etc.), OR
• Associate’s degree in a relevant discipline as well as 2+ years of professional experience working in environmental, water, and/or waste-water oriented role(s).

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Possess (or be able to develop) a thorough working knowledge of relevant environmental regulations enforced by multiple state and federal agencies.
• Knowledge of watershed concepts as well as the ability to work independently in the field.
• Above-average proficiency with computer programs, especially with MS Office (e.g.: Outlook, Word, Excel, etc.).
• Experience using GIS applications is a plus!
• Proven analytical skills, especially with the development of data-driven reports.
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills; this person must be able to communicate effectively (clearly, concisely, and professionally) with internal customers.
• Strong customer service skills.
• Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously and adapt to changing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

WORKING CONDITIONS / PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• May be subject to extreme temperatures, noise, wet and/or humid conditions, mechanical, electrical, gas exposure hazards, fumes, dusts, mists, gases, and/or poor ventilation atmospheric conditions.
• Working conditions include travel to work sites of Essential Utilities and/or other constituents.

Aqua, an Essential Utilities company is an Equal Opportunity / Affimative Action employer. Equal employment opportunity is provided to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to the following legally protected characteristics: race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions, including medical conditions related to lactation), physical or mental disability, covered-veteran status, genetic information (including testing and characteristics),sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or any other characteristic protected by applicable local, state or federal law. To maintain the integrity of the recruitment process and to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest due to employment and/or assignment of family members and personal referrals, specific guidelines apply to the hiring and assignment of these individuals including, but not limited to:

• Family members cannot result in a supervisor/subordinate reporting relationship
• Family members cannot work in the same department.