Drinking Water Specialists

Drinking Water Specialists

1. Southern New England/Connecticut

2. New Jersey/Eastern Pennsylvania

RCAP Solutions, located in Worcester, Massachusetts is a comprehensive nonprofit community development corporation providing direct services and consultation to over 300 communities throughout the northeast U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. We strive to be the first choice of small and rural communities for the kind of planning, consulting and services that in large cities would be provided by numerous staff and private entities.

RCAP Solutions has been awarded, through the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), a contract to provide technical assistance and training to rural community water systems in qualified communities. RCAP Solutions is seeking qualified candidates to join our Community Resources effort as  Drinking Water Specialists for the following states/regions: 1-So. New England/Connecticut, 2-New Jersey/Eastern Pennsylvania border area.

This position will support the organization’s goals and objectives by providing service, technical assistance and training to rural community water systems found in the assigned areas of responsibility.  This position will involve working with small public water systems including transient community, non-community, and non-transient non-community personnel in order for them to achieve and maintain compliance with the SDWA. The main responsibilities for this position will be to administer the EPA Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) Training & Technical Assistance Program for small public water systems to achieve and maintain compliance with the SDWA, as well as administer Training and Technical Assistance for small publicly-owned water systems and individual well owners to maintain and improve as necessary water quality

Objective

  • The objective of RCAP’s comprehensive, targeted training and technical assistance is to improve compliance rates and enhance operators’ and managers’ skills to maintain compliance and promote sustainability among small tribal and non-tribal public water systems, including TNCWSs and NTNCWSs. There is a strong focus on providing training and technical assistance in support of technical compliance with the Safe Water Drinking Act and providing technical assistance towards achieving and maintaining compliance.

Activities

  • The Drinking Water Specialist shall serve as RCAP Solutions’ and the RCAP network’s representative with personnel from state, federal, regional and other service delivery organizations and act as a liaison between these agencies and the community.  This interaction is a major function of the position as continuous contact, coordination and substantive dialogue with technical, regulatory and financing personnel are imperative for successful project implementation.
  • Conduct Needs Assessments in order to identify the types and causes of technical and managerial/operational compliance failures and risks and strategies for targeting assistance for compliance failures and risks
  • Develop Action Plans and Milestones that address the training and assistance needs of systems and communities to achieve compliance and system sustainability.
  • Provide compliance-based and capacity-building training and technical assistance for operators, board members and managers small community water systems (CWSs), non-transient non-community water systems (NTNCWSs), and transient non-community water systems (TNCWSs) with the objective of protecting human health by reducing exposure to contaminants in drinking water and promoting water and waste water system sustainability.
  • Work with others to adapt/develop materials and conduct face-to-face trainings for managers of systems which have been identified as high-priority in terms of compliance deficiencies.
  • Monitor and evaluate each system or community’s progress at achieving their specific Action Plans and objectives. Record all project activities and report regularly on the progress of the project as required by the organization and/or funding sources.
  • Liaison with Federal and State Primacy officials to help ensure that their system-based objectives are being met and to identify additional projects and training needs as required.
  • Actively participate in all Community Resources team meetings, trainings, and conferences and provide assistance and support to other team members with other areas of expertise.
  • Perform other duties for communities as required including but not limited to providing information at public meetings; coordinating the efforts of technical, regulatory, funding and community officials; guiding and assisting with legal & technical paperwork; selecting engineering consultants; conducting environmental assessments and income surveys; analysing technology and funding options; assisting with funding applications; organizing public meetings and providing public education; assisting communities with long range planning; assisting with financial management and other related tasks as requested by the community, funding or regulatory agencies.
  • Work on other Community Resources projects and perform other duties for the organization including identifying and helping pursue Direct Service Contracts.

Measurements

Throughout this project, RCAP will monitor and report on project progress, capturing data and collecting the data in RCAP’s database, including:

  • Number and type of training events conducted;
  • Number of board members/managers and operators receiving training directly related to their compliance challenges, through both face-to-face and web-based delivery;
  • Quantification of skills increased according to training pre-tests and post-tests;
  • Number of technical assistance activities conducted;
  • Number of priority systems receiving technical assistance directly related to their compliance challenges,  through both face-to-face and web-based delivery;
  • Number of brochures describing operator career opportunities delivered to high school and vocational school/workforce centers.
  • Number of times web-based resources were accessed, including resulting inquiries for more info or help.
  • Other measurements as appropriate and/or required.

Education and Experience Requirements

  • 5-7 years of experience in water and wastewater, project planning, community

development, infrastructure financing or related field required, with experience in more than one of these areas desirable.

  • Capacity to collaborate with primacy agencies and regional EPA to identify priority needs, making formal presentations and training in a multiple system group setting full training sessions, and work in the field providing technical assistance to small water system personnel
  • Experience with RD and EPA type work; experience in working with State and Federal Agencies
  • Experience in providing TA to small rural water and wastewater systems
  • Experience in GIS
  • Entrepreneurial in nature-self motivated
  • Engineering experience in Decentralized WW Management; Septic systems
  • Experience in writing environmental reports
  • Experience with QuickBooks software
  • The position some travel requiring both daily and overnight trips  and frequent evening meetings. Approximately 50% of time is likely to be spent out of the office in local, and/or overnight travel, and at meetings in other locations

RCAP Solutions offers an excellent compensation and benefit package including health, dental, 403b, 3 weeks of vacation, 13 paid holidays, STD/LTD, etc. Please send samples of previous work with resume, cover letter and salary requirements to:  hr@rcapsolutions.org EOE M/F