12/01/1978 75610

WATER QUALITY SPECIALIST

DEFINITION: This is professional work in the field of water quality management.

An employee in this class performs a variety of duties, within an assigned geographical area of the Commonwealth, involving the regulation of facilities to insure compliance with the Commonwealth's rules and regulations governing water quality management. Work requires the application of these rules and regulations during the conduct of inspections, investigations, enforcement and survey activities. Work involves inspection steel industries for discharges or treatment facilities, petrochemical plants for discharges or treatment facilities, earthmoving sites for soil erosion and sedimentation, mineral preparation industries for discharge or treatment facilities, stream encroachments, including dams, industries for discharges or treatment facilities, pulp or paper industries for discharges or treatment facilities, milk processing industries, water treatment distribution or storage facilities, and deep mines for drainage or treatment facilities. Work also involves investigating and resolving complaints involving toxic or hazardous material spills, fish kills, contaminated water supplies, industrial waste spills, soil erosion and sedimentation, stream encroachments, storm water problems, sewage spills, and mine drainage. Work includes initiating enforcement action to bring facility into compliance with the rules and regulations preparing violation letters, negotiating settlements, negotiating penalties payable to the Clean Water Fund, prosecuting cases on behalf of the Commonwealth, conducting surveys of facilities to determine compliance with the rules and regulations, and conducting sanitary surveys of public water supplies. Work involves providing advice to municipal officials and facility operators on the disposal of hazardous waste, water treatment plant and sewage treatment operators on methods to solve operational problems, industrial waste treatment operators on methods to solve operational problems, and co-workers on unusual or difficult problems. Work also involves providing information to facility operators, municipal officials, consultants and the public on Departmental programs, functions, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures. Work includes the operation, calibration, and routine preventative maintenance of a variety of test equipment. Work is assigned in the form of specific goals and objectives and the employee exercises considerable freedom in scheduling and completing the work. Work may be reviewed in progress on new or difficult assignments and is reviewed upon completion by a profession supervisor for completeness, technical accuracy and quality.

EXAMPLES OF WORK: Inspects steel industries for discharges or treatment facilities; reviews operational reports; collects water samples; conducts field tests such as pH, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity; reviews pollution incident prevention plans; and determines if facility is operating according to permit conditions.

Inspects petrochemical industries for discharges or treatment facilities; reviews operational reports; collects water samples; conducts field tests such as pH, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity; reviews pollution incident prevention plans; and determines if facility is operating according to permit conditions.

Inspects water treatment facilities to determine if they are being operated according to permit conditions; reviews operator certification and operational reports; observes equipment to determine if it is operating properly; collects samples of water before and after treatment; collects samples of distribution system for bacteriological analysis.

Inspects water distribution or storage facilities; collects water samples and conducts field tests such as pH and chlorine residual.

Inspects sewage treatment facilities to determine if they are being operated according to permit conditions; reviews operator certification properly; collects chemical samples of raw and treated waste water or treated chemical and bacteriological samples; conducts field tests such as pH, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity; investigates and resolves complaints involving sewage discharges.

Inspects earthmoving sites for measures and devices to control soil erosion and sedimentation; investigates and resolves complaints involving earthmoving sites.

Inspects mineral preparation industries for discharges or treatment facilities; reviews operational reports; collects water samples; conducts field tests such as pH, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity; reviews pollution incident prevention plans; determines if facility is operating according to permit conditions.

Inspects encroachments on streams to determine if they have been permitted and if they meet permit conditions; investigates and resolves complaints involving stream encroachments.

Inspects all industries for discharges or treatment facilities; reviews operational reports; collects water samples; conducts field tests such as pH, dissolved oxygen, and conductively; reviews pollution incident prevention plans; determines if facility is operating according to permit conditions; investigates and resolves complaints involving industrial discharges.

Inspects pulp or paper industries for discharges or treatment facilities; reviews operational reports; collects water samples; conducts field tests such as pH, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity; reviews pollution incident prevention plans; determines if facility is operating according to permit conditions.

Inspects milk processing industries for discharges or treatment facilities; reviews operational reports; collects water samples; conducts field tests such as pH, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity; reviews pollution incident plans; determines if facility is operating according to permit conditions.

Inspects slaughterhouses for discharges or treatment facilities; reviews operational reports; collects water samples; conducts field tests such as pH, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity; reviews pollution incident prevention plans; determines if facility is operating according to permit conditions.

Inspects deep mines for drainage or treatment facilities; reviews operation reports; reviews mining maps to insure mining is occurring within permitted boundaries; observes treatment facilities to insure they are operating properly and have been permitted; collects samples, including samples of receiving streams; conducts field tests such as pH, and conductivity; investigates and resolves complaints involving deep mine drainage.

Inspects dams for obvious defects, such as pronounced sags, collapsed walls or large leaks; records information; reports findings to higher authority.

Investigates and resolves complaints involving toxic or hazardous material spills, and insures clean-up of the spills.

Investigates and resolves complaints involving fish kills and insures that the removal of dead fish is accomplished.

Investigates and resolves complaints involving water supplies.

Investigates and resolves complaints involving storm water problems.

Determines violation of rules and regulations by comparing case data with rules and regulations; prepares violation letters indicating violations discovered, what must be done to bring facility into compliance, and time limitations for its accomplishment.

Testifies as a material witness before District Magistrates, the Environmental Health Board, and the courts.

Attends enforcement conferences or administrative hearings to provide background data on the case, answer questions, and assist in explaining Departmental Orders or Consent Orders/Agreements.

Prosecutes cases before District Magistrates on behalf of the Commonwealth persecuting data, examining and cross examining witnesses; recommends imposition of fines to District Magistrates.

Negotiates penalties payable to the Clean Water Fund with violators in lieu of formal enforcement action.

Prepares case documentation in terms of case history, past violations, and difficulties encountered for use by legal staff or field personnel in the prosecution of cases.

Contacts legal staff to discuss cases and to seed clarification on rules and regulations.

Conducts stream surveys to determine water quality; collects water samples; conducts field tests such as pH, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity; prepares report of findings and recommendations.

Conducts surveys of discharges by facilities to determine if they meet water quality standards collects samples; conducts field tests such as pH, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity; reviews results and determines if facility is complying with water quality standards.

Provides advice to facility operators, municipal officials, and the public on the disposal and handling of hazardous waste under the Pollution Incident Prevention Program.

Provides advice to water and sewage plant treatment operators on methods to solve operational problems.

Provides advice to co-workers on unusual or difficult problems.

Provides advice to operators of industrial facilities on methods to sole discharge or treatment problems.

Provides information to facility operators, municipal officials, consultants, and the public on Departmental programs, functions, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures over the telephone or through correspondence.

Meets with governmental officials to explain Departmental programs and functions.

Provides information to reporters involving water quality cases or incidents over the telephone.

Responds to emergency situations such as spills, fish kills, or flood disasters to assist or direct clean up operations; coordinates acquisition of equipment or special services needed to clean up after emergency situations; represents the Department at Civil Defense Headquarters or area headquarters during emergency situations.

Collects samples and data for the Water Quality Network.

Assists in providing on-the-job training to Water Quality Specialists Trainees; advising management on the effectiveness of the training program and their progress.

Prepares letters, reports, and correspondence to exchange information with facility operators, municipal officials, consultants, supervisor, and the public.

Operates a motor vehicle to travel to various work sites.

Performs similar work as required.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: Knowledge of the biological, chemical, and physical sciences as related to water pollution control and water quality management.

Knowledge of the Department of Environmental Resources' rules and regulations governing water quality management.

Knowledge of the procedures and techniques utilized in inspecting steel industries for discharges or treatment facilities.

Knowledge of the procedures and techniques utilized in inspecting petrochemical industries for discharges or treatment facilities.

Knowledge of the procedures and techniques utilized in inspecting water treatment facilities to determine if they are operating according to permit conditions.

Knowledge of the procedures and techniques utilized in inspecting sewage treatment facilities to determine if they are operating according to permit conditions.

Knowledge of the procedures and techniques utilized in inspecting earthmoving sites for measures and devices to control soil erosion and sedimentation.

Knowledge of the procedures and techniques utilized in the inspection of mineral production industries for discharges or treatment facilities.

Knowledge of the procedures and techniques utilized in the inspection of stream encroachments to determine if they meet permit conditions.

Knowledge of the procedures and techniques utilized in inspecting industries for discharges or treatment facilities.

Knowledge of the procedures and techniques utilized in inspecting pulp or paper industries for discharges or treatment facilities.

Knowledge of the procedures and techniques utilized in inspecting milk processing industries for discharges or treatment facilities.

Knowledge of the procedures and techniques utilized in inspecting slaughterhouses for discharges or treatment facilities.

Knowledge of the techniques and facilities utilized in the inspection of water distribution or storage facilities for compliance with the rules and regulations.

Knowledge of the procedures and techniques utilized in inspecting deep mines for drainage or treatment facilities.

Knowledge of the procedures and techniques utilized in the inspection of dams for obvious defects.

Knowledge of the various physical, chemical, and biological treatment processes.

Knowledge of the procedures and techniques utilized in investigating complaints involving toxic or hazardous material spills.

Knowledge of the procedures and techniques utilized in investigating complaints involving fish kills.

Knowledge of the procedures and techniques utilized in investigating complaints involving storm water problems.

Knowledge of the procedures and techniques utilized in the documentation of violations.

Knowledge of the procedures, techniques, and formats utilized in the preparation of violation letters.

Knowledge of the techniques utilized in negotiating of settlements of violations.

Knowledge of the techniques utilized in the negotiation of penalties payable to the Clean Water Fund in lieu of enforcement action.

Knowledge of the procedures and techniques utilized in the conduct of stream surveys to determine water quality.

Knowledge of the procedures and techniques utilized in the conduct of surveys of discharges to determine if they meet water quality standards.

Knowledge of the safety precautions required while conducting inspections, investigations, and surveys.

Knowledge of the proper operation, calibration, and routine preventative maintenance on water quality test equipment such as pH, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity meters or comparator kits.

Knowledge of the proper application of water quality test equipment to various settings.

Knowledge of the Commonwealth's and Departmental rules, regulations, policies, and procedures governing travel, lodging, expense vouchers and reporting requirements.

Ability to apply the rules and regulations during the conduct of inspections, investigations, and surveys.

Ability to perform mathematical calculations at the GED 5 level.

Ability to read and write English at the GED 5 level.

Ability to read and understand engineering reports, drawings, blueprints and flow schematics.

Ability to operate, calibrate, and perform routine preventative maintenance on water quality test equipment.

Ability to operate, calibrate, and perform routine preventative maintenance on water quality test equipment.

Ability to meet with and secure the cooperation of facility operators, municipal officials, consultants, and the public during the conduct of inspections, investigations, and surveys.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, supervisor, municipal officials, facility operators, consultants, and the public.

Ability to operate a motor vehicle.

Eyesight and color perception to permit use of comparator test equipment.

Sufficient eye-hand motor coordination to permit use of water quality test equipment.

Sufficient physical stamina to permit carrying water quality test equipment over long distances, walking over rough terrain, and working under adverse weather conditions.

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING: Successful completion of the training program for the Water Quality Specialist Trainee;

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Any equivalent combination of experience and training which affords the applicant the required knowledges and abilities.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENT: Possession of a valid motor vehicle operator's license as issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.