Environmental Pollution Specialist

The Environmental Pollution Specialist focuses on managing the discharge of non-domestic wastewater from trade premises. Controlling trade effluent is crucial to safeguarding public health, protecting our teams and infrastructure, and preserving the environment. Under the Water Industry Act 1991, sewerage companies can regulate these discharges and apply charges through the occupier's retailer.

As an Environmental Pollution Specialist, you'll work closely with Trade Effluent customers within a designated catchment area, helping to ensure compliance and promoting environmentally responsible practices.

What you will be doing as an Environmental Pollution Specialist

• Reviewing new trade effluent applications within set timelines, including visiting customer sites to gather important information on processes, volumes, pollution prevention, health & safety, and billing.
• Supporting Thames Water in meeting its Sewage Treatment Works compliance, pollution reduction, and leakage targets by managing Trade Effluent customers.
• Collaborating with operational teams and responding to incidents involving Trade Effluent customers to ensure quick and effective resolutions.
• Conducting surface water pollution risk assessments (SWPRA) to ensure that chemical levels reach the environment after sewage treatment and remain safe.
• Reassessing existing Trade Effluent discharges as required by the Urban Wastewater Directive to keep discharge consents accurate and fairly charged.

Base location: Thames Valley, hybrid format with site visits twice a week.

Working hours: Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, 36 hours a week.

Contract type: Fixed-term contract for 1 year.
Please note that the internal title for this role is Trade Effluent Technologist.
 
What you should bring to the role:

• Experience in trade effluent, pollution control, environmental protection, or wastewater-related work. (such as wastewater sampling, lab sampling, or lab technician roles)
• Familiarity with the Water Industry Act would be a bonus.
• Excellent time management skills and the ability to handle changing priorities independently.
• Readiness for a physically active role, including site and business visits. This may involve carrying equipment, lifting manhole covers, and taking samples.
• A full driving license and access to a vehicle with enough space for equipment, PPE, and other travel essentials throughout the Thames Water catchment area.

What’s in it for you?

This is a unique and exciting opportunity to join a team responsible for monitoring and controlling trade effluent discharge into the public foul sewer. You will be customer-facing and working to reduce the risk to Thames Water’s assets, people, and the environment. Additionally, you’ll be conducting operational risk, health & safety, and pollution assessments, making a real difference in protecting the environment and public health.

• Competitive salary up to £35,000 per annum depending on skills and experience, plus a car allowance of £4,500.
• Annual Leave - 24 days holiday per year increasing to 28 with the length of service.
• Generous Pension Scheme through AON.
• Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of your and your family’s health and well-being, and your finances – from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.

Find out more about our benefits and perks

Who are we?

We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people and the planet to thrive. It’s a big job and we’ve got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate and skilled people, committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come.

Learn more about our purpose and values

Working at Thames Water

Thames Water is a unique, rewarding and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you’ll enjoy fast-tracked career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.
Whether you’re interested in a role in one of our call centres or science labs, we’re looking for people like you with real passion and a burning desire to make things better.

So, if you’re looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people’s lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, we’ll be here to support you every step of the way. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region and our planet.

The real purpose, real support, real opportunities. Come and join the Thames Water family. Why choose us? Learn more.

Our overarching aim is to ensure that Thames Water is a great, diverse and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and offer extra support for those who need it throughout the recruitment process. We aim to remove any real or perceived barriers to success, so if you need assistance, we’re here to help and support you.

When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business, meet colleagues and earn some extra money along the way.

Disclaimer: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.