Environmental Compliance Specialist I

About the role

Aqua, an Essential Utilities company, seeks individuals to join our team of professionals who contribute to the reliability and sustainability of water and wastewater services in eight states. This role involves conducting leak detection investigations, supporting water loss control initiatives, and responding to customer complaints.

Responsibilities

• Conducts leak detection investigations and system surveys to identify water losses and potential infrastructure failures.
• Performs or supports acoustic, pressure, flow, and meter data analysis to assist with leak location, verification, and prioritization of repairs.
• Collaborates with Operations, Engineering, and outside contractors during leak detection surveys, field investigations, and corrective actions.
• Documents findings from leak detection activities and prepares summary reports.
• Assists with investigation and response to customer complaints related to leaks, pressure concerns, or unexplained water usage.
• Supports water loss control initiatives by collecting field data used for audits, system evaluations, and infrastructure improvement planning.
• Issues work orders or repair recommendations based on identified leaks or system deficiencies and tracks corrective actions to completion.
• Participates in field work associated with emergency response, system failures, or regulatory inquiries related to water loss or distribution system integrity.
• Schedules sampling for all systems at the appropriate times and assists operators and managers with sampling issues.
• Records and monitors test results on Excel or database spreadsheets.
• Contacts the state to correct any discrepancies.
• Ensures compliance with sampling requirements by reviewing chain of custody forms, checking sample codes, and working with labs to ensure complete and accurate paperwork for each sample.
• Ensures that all monthly and quarterly samples are collected and reviews data.
• Reviews the test results for compliance and reports any exceeding amounts to the responsible departments.
• Drafts compliance reports and compiles data for reports.
• Organizes and tracks compliance work for inclusion in reports, including field data.
• Ignores data plotting and graphing tasks as they are not part of the responsibilities listed.
• Issues work orders and schedules for additional compliance work.
• Plots and graphs data, and tracks compliance.
• Ensures timely preparation and filing of all compliance reports and permits.
• Reviews inspection reports and regulatory correspondence.
• Shares information with others electronically and drafts response letters.
• Issues work orders for compliance repairs.
• Meets with operators and managers to discuss inspection reports.
• Works with engineer and managers to draft responses.
• Coordinates, drafts, and issues any public notices as required working with management, engineering, and staff.
• Assists in the resolution or response to compliance.
• Prepares and maintains sampling plans including monthly bacteriological, lead and copper, disinfection by-products, and others for all systems and updates sample sites as needed.
• Ensures all samples are collected and reviews data.
• Answers customer inquiries regarding analysis results and distributes copies of results if needed.
• Provides administrative support to Engineering Department.
• Processes invoices, copies, routes, and files documents as needed.
• Prepares reports and tracks progress of budgeted project work.
• Participates in meetings and other activities of Aqua as required.
• Collects data from flow recorder data recorders and pressure recorders.
• Downloads data to PC and plots data.
• Assists in the development of operating and capital budgets.
• Assists with permit reviews, renewals, and special or new monitoring requirements.
• Provides input and assistance with preliminary design, project management, and contractor coordination for compliance-related capital projects, as needed.
• Communicates urgent information to supervisors and operators and customers regarding water quality inquiries.
• Serves in an advisory/training capacity towards plant staff on sampling and proper test procedures to ensure compliance.
• Performs other assignments as required.

Qualifications

• Education: Associate Degree; Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Specialized Knowledge, Skills And Abilities: Knowledge of water distribution systems, leak detection principles, and water loss control concepts preferred.
• Ability to interpret flow, pressure, and acoustic data from field monitoring equipment.
• Ability to perform field investigations under varying weather and site conditions.
• Professional Certification and Licenses: Ohio EPA Water Distribution II license or the ability to obtain the license within 2 years of employment.
• Experience Level: 1–2 years of related experience (environmental compliance, water distribution, leak detection, or utility field work preferred).
• Office Technology Level: Competent to use Microsoft Office suite: Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
• Communication Skills: Uses skills needed to obtain or provide routine information and answer some routine and technical questions.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Activities, duties and responsibilities may change at any time with or without notice.