Forensic Water/Wastewater Engineer

HKA; United States; On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Collaborative culture

Career development opportunities

Inclusive work environment

Job summary

A global expert services firm is seeking a Forensic Water/Wastewater Engineer to lead forensic investigations involving treatment plants and utility infrastructure across the United States. The role requires 10–15 years of engineering experience, a PE license, and expertise in forensic investigation and expert testimony. This position emphasizes a strong collaborative culture and offers opportunities for career development, showcasing an individual’s capabilities in complex engineering challenges.

Qualifications

• 10–15+ years of experience in water/wastewater engineering.
• Minimum 1+ year experience serving as an Expert Witness.
• Experience with plant design and hydraulic analysis.

Responsibilities

• Lead forensic investigations involving water and wastewater infrastructure.
• Prepare litigation-ready expert reports for arbitration and court proceedings.
• Provide expert witness testimony in depositions and arbitration.

Skills

Water and/or wastewater engineering

Forensic investigation

Expert testimony

Client relationship management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Civil or Environmental Engineering

Professional Engineer (PE) license

Tools

SCADA/controls records

CCTV

Job description

HKA is a global leader in risk mitigation, dispute resolution, and expert witness services. We tackle complex challenges with our multi-disciplinary expertise.

As trusted consultants and advisors, we deliver solutions in uncertain and disputed situations, ensuring the best outcomes for clients worldwide. Our experts have testified globally on major cases spanning across a wide range of industries and sectors.

As Part Of The HKA Team You Can Expect

• A strong collaborative culture with a mutual pursuit of your success alongside the success of our teams.
• The opportunity to solve problems creatively, contribute to our innovative direction, and be valued as an individual
• The ability to leverage HKA’s strong network and presence in various industries and reputation for exceptional expert witnesses to accelerate career development and connections.

The Opportunity

HKA is seeking a Forensic Water / Wastewater Engineer to investigate failures and disputes involving treatment plants, conveyance systems, pump stations, and utility infrastructure throughout the United States. This role combines technical depth in water systems with forensic investigation and expert testimony responsibilities.

You will work directly with legal counsel and utility owners to assess causation, standard of care, and responsibility in contested matters. This position is ideal for an experienced water or wastewater engineer interested in applying operational and design expertise in a consulting and expert witness capacity.

Responsibilities

Forensic & Litigation Consulting

• Lead forensic investigations involving water and wastewater infrastructure, including treatment facilities, pump stations, pipelines, storage, valves, and collection/distribution systems.
• Conduct site inspections and evidence collection following failures, service disruptions, flooding events, equipment malfunctions, and construction or operational disputes.
• Determine cause, origin, extent, and contributing factors, including assessment of design intent, construction practices, commissioning, operations, maintenance, and lifecycle performance.
• Prepare independent, litigation-ready expert reports (and supporting exhibits) for arbitration, mediation, and court proceedings, addressing causation, standard of care, and responsibility.
• Provide expert witness testimony in depositions, arbitration, and/or court, including testimony under cross‑examination.
• Collaborate with attorneys, insurers, owners, contractors, and other technical experts to develop coordinated expert opinions and respond to opposing expert positions.
• Advise clients on remediation options, risk mitigation, operational changes, and dispute resolution strategy.

Technical Water/Wastewater Expertise

• Review and analyze drawings, specifications, calculations, O&M manuals, SCADA/controls records, commissioning documentation, maintenance logs, and incident/failure history.
• Evaluate hydraulic performance and capacity constraints (e.g., HGL issues, surge/water hammer considerations, pump curves, system head, I/I impacts) and identify design or operational deficiencies.
• Assess treatment process performance and compliance considerations, including unit process selection, process control, reliability, and failure modes.
• Perform or direct field diagnostics and data analysis, such as flow testing, pressure testing, CCTV/condition assessment, pump station performance evaluation, and equipment failure analysis.
• Develop technically sound repair and mitigation recommendations, including prioritization of corrective actions and constructability considerations.

Skills And Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil or Environmental Engineering; advanced degree preferred.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license required.
• 10–15+ years of water and/or wastewater engineering experience, including treatment, conveyance, or utility operations.
• Experience with plant design, hydraulic analysis, and system performance evaluation.
• Demonstrated forensic engineering and dispute consulting experience.
• Minimum 1+ year of experience serving as an Expert Witness, with formal testimony provided in depositions, arbitration, and/or court proceedings.
• Strong client delivery and relationship management experience.
• Experience contributing to business development, proposal support, and client relationship expansion.

What We Offer

At HKA we recognize that our people are critical to our ongoing success. Our priority is to provide an inclusive and collaborative culture aimed at providing the best opportunities for our people to thrive and develop in their chosen career path.

Fairness And Equality At HKA

HKA works hard to provide a welcoming environment for all of our employees. We are committed as a business on the continued improvement of our fairness and equality strategy. All HKA employment decisions shall be made in accordance with controlling laws and based on merit.