Water engineer

Water engineer job description: Typical employers | Qualifications and training | Key skills | Useful links | Find jobs and courses

Water engineers work on projects such as flood defence schemes, sewer improvement programmes etc at all stages – from conception and planning to completion and handover. Typical responsibilities include:

• producing designs - initial outlines or full plans
• presenting project details and technical information to colleagues/clients
• writing reports
• managing project budgets
• keeping up-to-date with changes in regulatory legislation, guidelines etc
• writing and advertising tender documents and managing contracts
• liaising with clients, contractors, government agencies, local authorities and suppliers
• monitoring flood levels
• supervising staff and site workers
• using a variety of specialist computer applications/simulation software
• managing and maintaining water and sewerage infrastructure operations
• ensuring that projects keep to budgets and timescales
• maintaining awareness of current environmental issues.

Typical employers of water engineers

• privately owned water companies
• regulatory bodies
• The Environment Agency
• local authority environmental health departments
• British Waterways
• private consultants or contractors
• charities such as WaterAid.

Job vacancies are advertised via the internet, by careers services and recruitment agencies, in newspapers and publications such as New Scientist, ICE Recruit and New Civil Engineer. Directories such as Consultant Engineers, Technologists 500 and Who’s Who in the Water Industry may be useful for contact information and speculative applications.

Qualifications and training required

A degree in a subject such as geology, geography, geotechnology/geophysics, mechanical engineering, environmental science or civil engineering is essential for entry into the profession. To become chartered it is necessary to hold a Masters level degree accredited by a relevant professional body (either an MEng or a BEng/BSc together with an MSc). Specialist postgraduate qualifications are viewed favourably by employers, and are particularly of benefit for graduates without relevant first degrees.

Key skills for water engineers

• excellent analytical skills
• team work
• problem solving
• time management
• IT skills
• communication skills
• able to demonstrate a genuine knowledge and interest of the water industry and environmental issues