Environmental Compliance Specialist I

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.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Conducts leak detection investigations and system surveys of Aqua‑owned water and wastewater facilities, distribution mains, service lines, hydrants, valves, and related infrastructure to identify real water losses, unaccounted for water, and potential infrastructure failures.
• Performs or supports acoustic, pressure, flow, and meter data analysis to assist with leak location, verification, and prioritization of repairs.
• Coordinates with Operations, Engineering, and outside contractors during leak detection surveys, field investigations, and corrective actions.
• Documents findings from leak detection activities, prepares summary reports, and enters results into tracking systems or databases to support asset management and regulatory reporting.
• Assists with investigation and response to customer complaints related to suspected leaks, pressure concerns, or unexplained water usage.
• Supports water loss control initiatives by collecting field data used for water 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 and track sample results. Ensures that all monthly and quarterly samples are collected. Reviews the test results for compliance. Reports any exceeding amounts to the responsible departments (internal managers).
• Drafts compliance reports and compiles data for reports. Organizes and tracks compliance work for inclusion in reports, including field data. 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 distributing copies of results if needed. Provides administrative support to Engineering Department. Processes invoices, copy, route and file 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.

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.

Qualifications

Education Requirements

• 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; communication often requires some interpretation (e.g. dealing with inquiries).

Driver's License Required

• Yes

Overall Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, use hands to finger, handle or feel and reach with hands and arms.

Field work may require extended walking, standing, and working in uneven terrain, roadway environments, vaults, or excavation areas while performing leak detection surveys and investigations.

Equal Opportunity / Affidavits

Aqua, an Essential Utilities employer is an Equal Opportunity / affirmative action employer. Equal employment opportunity is provided to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to 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 View phone number on click.appcast.io).

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.