Wastewater Pretreatment Inspector III

Salary : $106,225.60 - $128,710.40 Annually
Location : City of San Diego, CA
Job Type: Varies by Position
Job Number:
Business Area: 2000 - Public Utilities
Opening Date: 10/23/2026
Closing Date: 11/2/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

JOB INFORMATION
See NOTE(S) below for future wage increases and/or additional compensation opportunities.
Wastewater Pretreatment Inspector III positions in the Industrial Wastewater Control Program perform or assist in the inspections of the most complex facilities or categorical industries; coordinate and manage special investigations; assist with enforcement procedures and actions; provide technical guidance and assist with the training of assigned inspectors; interpret and determine impact of more complex regulations; administer Best Management Practices (BMP's) programs; develop data and perform assigned data system management tasks; review standard sewer quality determinations and recommendations for billing adjustments; assist in preparation of presentations and reports; and perform other duties as assigned.
NOTES:

• Employees in job classifications represented by Municipal Employees Association (MEA) are scheduled to receive the following general wage increases:
  • 3.5% effective 7/1/27
  • 2% effective 7/1/28
  • 2% effective 1/1/29
• Eligible benefitted employees originally hired on or after July 10, 2021, will be automatically enrolled in the San Diego City Employees Retirement System (SDCERS).

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

You must meet the following requirements on the date you apply, unless otherwise indicated.

EDUCATION: Bachelor's Degree in Chemical or Environmental Engineering, Chemistry, Biology or a closely related field. Closely related degrees MUST include the completion of at least 18 semester/27 quarter college-level units of chemistry, including lecture and laboratory classes in both organic and general chemistry.

NOTE:

• Additional qualifying professional experience may be substituted for education lacked on a year-for-year basis. One year of full-time experience = 30 semester/45 quarter college-level units.

EXPERIENCE: You must meet ONE of the following options:

1. Three years of full-time professional-level industrial waste pretreatment inspection experience applying regulations at industrial facilities which must include ALL of the following:
   • Identifying and classifying processes subject to local regulations and/or federal pretreatment standards.
   • Determining whether pretreatment technology in place meets or exceeds model technology for the applicable category and standards.
   • Performing water use and loss audits.
   • Drafting permits that apply federal pretreatment standards and establishing monitoring requirements.
   • Developing manufacturing processes and pretreatment process flow diagrams.
   • Calculating limits using the Combined Wastestream Formula (CWF).
2. Two years of full-time professional-level industrial waste inspection experience as stated in Option 1 AND one additional year of full-time professional-level experience in ONE of the following options, as a primary job function:
   • Chemical, environmental, or sanitary engineering experience in the design, operation, and inspection of wastewater and/or pretreatment processes.
   • Chemical wastewater laboratory experience in an industrial waste program including the sampling and analysis of toxic pollutants.
   • Environmental regulatory experience conducting site evaluations and determining compliance with environmental regulations.

NOTES:

• A Master's Degree in Chemical or Environmental Engineering, Chemistry or Biology may be substituted for the required one additional year of experience cited in Option 2. It may NOT substitute for the required industrial waste inspection experience.
• City of San Diego employees using Out-of-Class Assignment (OCA) experience to qualify must submit written documentation signed by their appointing authority or payroll specialist, detailing the work performed, dates, and total number of qualifying OCA hours. OCA experience without the required documentation will NOT be considered.

LICENSE: A valid California Class C Driver License is required at the time of hire.
NOTE:

• Candidates will generally be required to show proof of the driver license within about two weeks of receiving a conditional job offer.

HIGHLY DESIRABLE(S):

• Experience applying production-based standards.
• CWEA Environmental Compliance Inspector Certification Grade 2 or higher.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS (MUST SUBMIT WITH APPLICATION):

• Proof of degree/transcripts, if utilized to meet the minimum requirements.
• Proof of transcripts showing completion of the required course work, if utilized to meet the minimum requirements.
• For City of San Diego employees, proof of Out-of-Class Assignment (OCA), if utilized to meet the minimum requirements.

Required documents should be attached electronically to your application. If you are unable to attach at the time of application submittal, you must submit them as soon as possible via fax: (619) 533-3337; or to the Employment Information Center: City of San Diego Personnel Department, 1200 Third Avenue - Suite 300, San Diego, CA 92101. Include your name and the title of the position for which you are applying.
SCREENING PROCESS

Please ensure all information is complete and accurate as the responses you provide on the supplemental questions will be reviewed using an automated evaluation system. If you are successful in this initial screening process, your application will be reviewed for applicable education, experience, and/or training to ensure all minimum requirements have been met. Successful candidates will be placed on a list which will be used to fill position vacancies during the next six months (180 days). For each vacancy, only those candidates with the most appropriate qualifications will be contacted by the hiring department for an interview.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

City employees may be eligible to participate in a benefit program including holidays, vacations, savings and retirement plans, health programs, and other benefits.

Eligible City employees initially hired or assuming office on or after July 10, 2021, with the exception of Police Recruits participating in the City's Police Academy, will participate in the City's Defined Benefit Plan administered by the San Diego City Employees' Retirement System (SDCERS).

Benefits may change due to employer-employee contract negotiations.

or review the
01

I understand that failure to respond to the following questions in the spaces provided may result in the rejection of my application. In addition, I may miss out on employment opportunities. Resumes are NOT reviewed for assessing the minimum requirements, qualifications will be determined from the answers provided to the supplemental questions.

• Yes
• No

02

Are you a current or former City of San Diego government/municipal employee?

• Current city employee
• Former city employee
• Current & former city employee
• None of the above

03

If you have previously worked or are currently working for the City of San Diego, please enter your PERNR.
04

The minimum age for this job is 18, unless you are 17 and a high school graduate. Do you meet the minimum age requirements for this job?

• Yes
• No

05

Which of the following do you possess? NOTE: Attach proof of degree/transcripts to your application.

• Bachelor's Degree in Chemical or Environmental Engineering, Chemistry or Biology.
• Bachelor's Degree in a closely related field AND the completion of at least 18 semester/27 quarter college-level units of chemistry, including lecture and laboratory classes in both organic and general chemistry.
• Master's Degree or higher in Chemical or Environmental Engineering, Chemistry, or Biology.
• None of the above.

06

If you are using a combination of experience and education to qualify, which of the following best describes your level of education?

• 0 to 29 semester/44 quarter units
• 30 semester/45 quarter units to 59 semester/89 quarter units
• 60 semester/90 quarter units to 89 semester/134 quarter units
• 90 semester/135 quarter units to 119 semester/179 quarter units
• 120 semester/180 quarter units or more

07

Specify the total number of years of full-time professional-level industrial waste pretreatment inspection experience you have in applying regulations at industrial facilities.

• None
• Less than 1 year
• 1 year to less than 2 years
• 2 years to less than 3 years
• 3 years to less than 4 years
• 4 years to less than 5 years
• 5 years to less than 6 years
• 6 years to less than 7 years
• 7 years or more

08

In which of the following areas do you have full-time professional-level industrial waste pretreatment inspection experience applying regulations at industrial facilities?

• Identifying and classifying processes subject to local regulations and/or federal pretreatment standards.
• Determining whether pretreatment technology in place meets or exceeds model technology for the applicable category and standards.
• Performing water use and loss audits.
• Drafting permits that apply federal pretreatment standards and establishing monitoring requirements.
• Developing manufacturing processes and pretreatment process flow diagrams.
• Calculating limits using the Combined Wastestream Formula (CWF).
• None of the above.

09

Describe your full-time professional-level industrial waste pretreatment inspection experience applying regulations at industrial facilities in the following areas: a. Identifying and classifying processes subject to local regulations and/or federal pretreatment standards; b. determining whether pretreatment technology in place meets or exceeds model technology for the applicable category and standards; c. performing water use and loss audits; d. drafting permits that apply federal pretreatment standards and establishing monitoring requirements; e. developing manufacturing processes and pretreatment process flow diagrams; f. calculating limits using the CWF. For each area, specify from which employer the experience was gained, your title, level of responsibility, percent of time spent on each area and the total length of your experience. If you do not have any experience in a specific area, write "None."
10

In which of the following areas do you have at least ONE year of full-time professional-level experience as a primary job function?

• Chemical, environmental or sanitary engineering experience in the design, operation and inspection of wastewater and/or pretreatment processes.
• Chemical wastewater laboratory experience in an industrial waste program including the sampling and analysis of toxic pollutants.
• Environmental regulatory experience conducting site evaluations and determining compliance with environmental regulations.
• None of the above

11

Describe your full-time professional-level experience as a primary job function in the following areas: a. Chemical, environmental or sanitary engineering experience in the design, operation and inspection of wastewater and/or pretreatment processes; b. chemical wastewater laboratory experience in an industrial waste program including the sampling and analysis of toxic pollutants; c. environmental regulatory experience conducting site evaluations and determining compliance with environmental regulations. For each area, specify from which employer the experience was gained, your title, level of responsibility, percent of time spent on each area and the total length of your experience. If you do not have any experience in a specific area, write "None."
Required Question