Working and Careers in Water and Aquatic Science

A water treatment worker makes sure drinking water is safe to drink and wastewater is safe to return to the environment

Photo credit: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

A waste water treatment plant worker processes wastewater so it is safe to return to the environment. They run equipment that removes or destroys contaminants, bacteria, or other harmful pollutants in the water. They also control pumps and other machinery that move wastewater through the treatment processes. They may investigate sources of pollution to protect people and the environment.

A drinking water treatment plant worker makes water safe to drink. They read and adjust meters and gauges to make sure equipment is working right. Water from wells or lakes is piped to the treatment plant, where workers may add chemicals to the water. They take samples of the water and analyze them.

These jobs require special training, certification, and often a bachelor’s degree.

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Texas Aquatic Science is a cooperative education project sponsored by Texas Parks and Wildlife, The Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, and The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University. Additional project support came from the Ewing Halsell Foundation and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Sport Fish Restoration Program. Rudolph Rosen, Ph.D. wrote and edited the Texas Aquatic Science textbook. Videos were produced by Randall Maxwell. Sandra Johnson, Ph.D. served as educational consultant and authored the accompanying Teacher’s Guide.