Geo-Environmental Specialist at Essential Utilities

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. 

Key Responsibilities:

- Investigate and assess sources of potential contamination affecting groundwater supplies, utilizing geoscientific methodologies.

- Prepare detailed compliance reports, analyze groundwater data, and respond to regulatory inquiries, collaborating closely with engineers and management.

- Monitor groundwater quality and health, conducting assessments to identify pollution sources and developing mitigation strategies.

- Ensure regulatory compliance documentation for assigned projects, adhering to relevant environmental regulations.

- Support the reliability of groundwater supply systems, including developing and implementing drought response plans.

- Participate in compliance, engineering, and operational meetings, contributing to the planning and budgeting for necessary upgrades to meet compliance standards.

- Assist in the administration of ongoing environmental programs, including regulatory compliance and groundwater sampling initiatives.

- Assist in field investigations and projects related to groundwater compliance as assigned.

- Collaborate with local organizations and partners to implement projects aimed at protecting groundwater resources.

This position is ideal for a candidate with a strong foundation in geoscience, particularly in groundwater hydrology and environmental compliance.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

- Identify, inspect, and document potential pollution sources within Company watersheds and near groundwater supplies, including taking photographs for records.

- Conduct property interviews to assess potential contamination sources, educating property owners on the significance of nearby streams, rivers, and wells; prepare interview reports and perform routine follow-up inspections.

- Investigate spills, leaks, discharges, or pollution incidents, reporting findings to supervisors and relevant government agencies, and overseeing remediation and cleanup efforts. Availability for after-hours and weekend response is required.

- Measure groundwater levels and streamflow, perform field water tests, conduct stream surveys, and collect environmental samples for laboratory analysis.

- Prepare reports on routine inspections, tests, surveys, and contamination incidents, maintaining associated maps, files, and records.

- Collaborate with other agencies and organizations to gather and share information regarding water resources.

- Draft compliance reports, compile and organize data, and ensure timely preparation and submission of assigned compliance reports and permits, including plotting and graphing field data.

- Review inspection reports and regulatory correspondence; electronically share information and draft response letters. Engage with facility owners and operators to discuss observations and concerns, collaborating with engineers and management on responses.

- Develop and maintain sampling plans for watershed studies, updating sample sites as necessary; ensure sample collection, review, and analysis of data.

- Address customer inquiries regarding analysis results, distributing copies as needed, and provide support to the Engineering Department, including processing invoices and managing documents.

- Assist with additional tasks or projects as assigned.

Aqua, an Essential Utilities company is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative 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.
Aqua is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities.  If you have a condition that may prevent you from applying for a job online or need to request an accommodation during the interview process, please call (1-877-271-9012).  
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.