Environmental Compliance Inspector

City of Watsonville•Watsonville, CA

About The Position

Under general supervision, the Environmental Compliance Inspector inspects and monitors industrial and commercial wastewater sources and facilities for compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. The role supports the City of Watsonville’s Phase II MS4 NPDES Permit and the requirements of 40 CFR Part 403, including permit preparation, monitoring, inspections, enforcement, reporting, and document and data management. Duties include inspecting pretreatment systems and stormwater infrastructure, collecting samples, maintaining sampling equipment, evaluating laboratory results, and assisting with compliance reports and enforcement actions. The position also supports pollution-prevention outreach, spill and sanitary sewer overflow response, and wastewater pretreatment program objectives. The inspector works with internal departments, regulatory agencies, municipalities, permittees, businesses, and other public and private stakeholders. The role requires accurate records and reports, effective communication, and the ability to perform field sampling and analysis safely and accurately. Candidates who do not already hold a CWEA Environmental Compliance Inspector Grade I certificate may be considered if they obtain it within 12 months of employment; continued employment is contingent on completing this certification requirement. The appointment includes a 12-month probationary period.

Requirements

Training and experience that provide the required knowledge and abilities; a typical qualification is an associate’s degree or equivalent with major coursework in environmental science, biology, chemistry, or a related field, or two years of experience in environmental science, industrial water/wastewater process operations, water-quality management, or pollution control.
Valid California Class C driver’s license and a safe driving record.
Possess, or obtain within 12 months of hire, a Grade I Environmental Compliance Inspector Certificate from the California Water Environment Association (CWEA); continued employment is contingent on completing this requirement.
Knowledge of pretreatment facilities and inspections; basic chemistry, biology, and/or biochemistry; industrial wastewater properties and environmental and infrastructure effects; applicable hazardous-waste and wastewater laws and regulations; chemical characteristics and safe handling; investigation and enforcement methods; pollution-prevention and spill-planning documents; sample collection, preservation, and chain-of-custody procedures; FOG control; and office procedures and relevant software.
Ability to understand, explain, and apply regulations, codes, and ordinances; communicate effectively and tactfully; organize work around changing priorities and deadlines; work in supervised and unsupervised settings; exercise sound judgment; read engineering plans; manage concurrent tasks; maintain records and prepare technical reports; and understand basic data collection and management.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with people contacted in the course of work.
Ability to meet the physical requirements of field work, including travel between locations, prolonged standing or walking, frequent bending, kneeling, crawling, climbing, reaching, twisting, and pushing, pulling, lifting, or carrying moderate to heavy weights.
Ability to see in the normal visual range and distinguish colors, and to hear in the normal audio range, with or without correction.

Nice To Haves

Experience sampling for environmental pollutants.
Qualified Industrial Storm Water Practitioner (QISP) or Qualified Stormwater Practitioner (QSP) certification.
Bilingual English/Spanish oral skills.

Responsibilities

Evaluate industrial and commercial discharges for compliance with federal, state, and local waste-discharge regulations.
Inspect industrial and commercial businesses for compliance with waste storage and disposal requirements and 40 CFR Part 403 Pretreatment Regulations.
Inspect pretreatment facilities and systems, including grease traps, interceptors, storm catch basins, storm outfalls, and clarifiers, for proper operation, maintenance, and compliance.
Communicate pretreatment system and monitoring-equipment requirements to businesses and coordinate with permittees and potential dischargers.
Document industrial-user activities and maintain files, databases, and related computer forms.
Implement the Fat, Oils, & Grease (FOG) program at food-preparation facilities.
Prepare and maintain sampling equipment and collect samples for physical, chemical, and microbiological laboratory analyses.
Apply laboratory QA/QC concepts, including reporting limits, method detection limits, and matrix-spike and duplicate recovery.
Analyze laboratory data and interpret findings from inspections and sampling; assist with reports for supervisor review.
Assist with enforcement procedures, including Corrective Action Notices and Notices of Violations.
Inspect facilities for compliance with stormwater best management practices and the Phase II Small MS4 Permit.
Support City GIS mapping of sewer and stormwater systems.
Assist with pollution-prevention education and informational outreach to commercial and industrial facilities.
Investigate and sample stormwater outfalls and catch basins for illicit discharge detection and elimination (IDDE) and MS4 compliance.
Respond to industrial waste spills, treatment-plant upsets, emergency situations, and sanitary sewer overflows; assist with reporting and remediation of overflows.
Check plans for compliance with the local sewer-use ordinance and inspect pretreatment systems and new businesses against approved plans and specifications.
Contribute to and implement an annual program plan, including permit renewals, inspections, and monitoring.
Participate in permit writing and plan checks, and calculate sewer-usage fees and customer billing.
Attend professional group meetings and maintain awareness of pollution-prevention trends and developments.
Perform related duties as required.