SANITARY ENGINEER III

City of Chicago; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 81,000 - 99,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Chicago is seeking two Sanitary Engineer III professionals to support the Water Quality Division of the Department of Water Management. Under supervision, you will perform sanitary engineering work related to water quality control, sterilization, and water system installations.

Minimum qualifications include a Bachelor's degree in sanitary, chemical, civil, or environmental engineering and one year of professional sanitary engineering experience, plus a Illinois driver's license.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in sanitary, chemical, civil or environmental engineering.
• Plus one year of professional sanitary engineering experience.
• A valid State of Illinois driver's license is required.

Responsibilities

• Inspect plumbing lines and appurtenances; select water samples for testing.
• Sterilize pumping stations, tunnels, water mains, and other structures.
• Collect and analyze water samples for river/lake surveys and other projects.
• Review laboratory data and prepare reports on water quality for agencies.
• Oversee disinfection and sampling of new/repaired mains before service.
• Investigate customer complaints and water distribution emergencies with timely responses.
• Assist in engineering studies to develop more efficient equipment/procedures.
• Inspect and maintain equipment and supplies for water quality monitoring.

Skills

Sanitary engineering

Field inspection

Water quality testing

Education

Bachelor's degree in Sanitary, Chemical, Civil, or Environmental Engineering

Tools

Water sampling equipment

Job description

BID/JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Sanitary Engineer III, G07

Chicago Department of Water Management

Water Quality Division

Number of Positions: Two (2)

(Additional vacancies possible pending budget approval)

Starting Salary: $90,144.00

This position is open to the public and all current City employees covered under the City's collective bargaining agreement with AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE, COUNTY, AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES (AFSCME) - BARGAINING UNIT 1, 3, 4 & 5. Only employees in City job titles in this bargaining unit are eligible to bid.

Applications for this position will be accepted until 11:59pm CDT on August 28, 2026.

Under supervision, performs fully functional professional sanitary engineering work in connection with water quality control and sterilization and the installation of City water systems, and performs related duties as required.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

• Works in the field inspecting plumbing lines and appurtenances and selects water samples to test for chemical residuals, clarity, odor, and taste.
• Participates in the sterilization of pumping stations, tunnels, water mains, and other structures of the City's water intake and distribution systems.
• Collects and analyzes water samples in connection with river and lake pollution surveys, dead end main surveys, and other assigned projects.
• Reviews and compiles laboratory data and prepares reports and charts on water quality for submission to federal and state regulatory agencies.
• Oversee the disinfection and sampling of new and repaired mains prior to placing in service.
• Investigates consumer complaints, large main breaks, pumping station shutdowns, and water distribution system emergencies, in a timely and effective manner while providing good customer service, to determine the impact on the City's potable water and makes recommendations to maintain integrity and purity.
• Participate in engineering studies involving the development of more efficient equipment or procedures for the operation and maintenance of water systems.
• Inspects and maintains equipment and supplies used in water quality monitoring and water main disinfecting activities.
• Maintains records of inspections, water samples, correspondence, and related documentation.
• Orders equipment and supplies used in monitoring and disinfecting activities.
• Assists in training and providing guidance to lower-level staff, as required.

Additional duties may be required for this position.

CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF AVIATION

Location: Varies

Division: Bureau of Water Supply

Shift: Varies ("On Call" duty as required)

Hours: Varies ("On Call" duty as required)

THIS POSITION IS IN THE CAREER SERVICE

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education, Training, and Experience

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree or higher in Sanitary, Chemical, Civil, or Environmental Engineering or a directly related field of engineering, PLUS one (1) year of professional sanitary engineering experience.

NOTE: A valid State of Illinois driver's license is required.

Selection Requirements: This position requires bidders/applicants to successfully complete an interview. The interviewed candidate(s) who possess the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position will be selected. Bidders will be selected by seniority order.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to stand and walk for extended or continuous periods of time.
• Ability to operate an automotive vehicle.
• Ability to collect water samples from lakes, tunnels, pumping stations and water mains
• Ability to open a fire hydrant

For Information on our employees benefits please visit our benefits website at: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/fin/benefits-office.html

For Information on our salary and title structure visit our classifications website at: https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/dhr/supp_info/JobClassification/2025_Classification_and_Pay_Plan.pdf

APPLICATION EVALUATION: Initial evaluation will be based on information provided on the application and the documents submitted. Department of Human Resource staff will review applications after the final posting date. Staff will follow any and all required Employment/Hiring Plan provisions, federal, state and local laws, and Collective Bargaining Agreements when applicable. Staff will apply hiring preferences as required by the municipal code. Placement on an eligibility list is not an offer or guarantee of an interview nor employment with the City of Chicago.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY:

To further our commitment to hiring applicants with diverse experience the City of Chicago has adopted the following ordinances 2-74-020 and 2-74-075. The ordinances provide a preference to applicants who meet minimum qualifications and who are veterans of the Armed Forces, and/or residents of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Areas (SEDA) and/or Chicago Public School (CPS) high school graduates to be referred to departments for consideration. These hiring preferences do not apply to bidders, as Collective Bargaining Agreements define the hiring process for bidders. For positions covered by a collective bargaining agreement, bidders will be considered before external candidates.

ALL REFERENCES TO POLITICAL SPONSORSHIP OR RECOMMENDATION MUST BE OMITTED FROM ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR CITY EMPLOYMENT.

The City of Chicago is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Military Friendly Employer.

City of Chicago

Brandon Johnson, Mayor