WATER RESOURCES ENGINEER

Salary
Graduate: £18,000 - £20,000
Employee with 10-15 years in the role: £25,000 - £35,000

Main Employers

Water and utility companies
Government and environmental bodies
Consultancies
NGOs e.g. RSPB and Wildlife Trusts
Civil engineering and environmental management companies
Academic and research institutions

Job Profile
Water resources engineers deal with the physical control of water to prevent floods, supply water for cities, industry and agriculture, to protect beaches or to manage and redirect rivers. They design, construct and maintain hydroelectric power facilities, canals, dams, pipelines, pumping stations, locks, seaport facilities or even waterslides.

Role and Responsibilities
Jobs will vary according to each employer; however you could expect to be involved in:

Working on river engineering projects, hydraulic modelling and flood alleviation schemes
Computer simulation of river flood flows
Urban drainage design and analysis
Assisting with recruitment, development and technical performance of staff

Qualifications
Relevant further education subjects include:
Biochemistry; Biological Science; Civil Engineering; Economics; Environmental Engineering; Fisheries; Forestry Studies; Geography; Geology; Physical Science; Soil Science

An MSc or PhD will assist with a better starting position, salary, and advancement potential. Look for an MSc that covers water resources engineering, environmental engineering, flood risk management and industrial software packages.

Water resource engineers require understanding of the local water resources market and a background in geographic information systems (GIS). To progress, you will need technical and project management experience in a selection of the following: Hydrology and Hydraulics; Hydrogeology; Watershed and River Modelling; Flood Management Studies; Storm Water Management; Integrated Water Resources Management; River Basin Planning; Flood Risk Mapping; Water Quality & TMDL Modelling; Permitting; Engineering Design; and Construction Management.

Career Development
The Environment Agency is the main public sector employer, with around 600 water resources staff. Water companies are large employers in the private sector, with 400 water resources staff in total. Consultancies also consist of around 400 people in water resources.

Water resources careers, particularly in planning and management, offer many challenges. Rapid population growth, land-use changes and climate change are placing further demands on an already stressed global fresh-water supply and will influence career directions of new professionals. Planning opportunities are available in other countries, both in developed and developing nations.