Discovering the Value of Wastewater Engineering

By Amy Gralapp, Project Manager | Water Systems

I love my job as a wastewater engineer. However, telling people about it often gets an “ew” reaction. I laugh and acknowledge that it isn’t always glamorous. I grew up as a tomboy on an Iowa farm. My dad and grandpa raised livestock and crops, and my siblings and I raised hell running around the farm. Perhaps becoming a civil engineer felt natural because getting a little dirty on construction sites felt like an extension of home. As a kid if I commented on the smell of livestock on particularly pungent days on the farm, my dad would say, “That’s smell of money, Amy.” At the time I’m sure I rolled my eyes, but his joke reminds us that wastewater is valuable.

Water, in any form, is unquestionably one of the most valuable resources we have. It’s one of our fundamental needs, and something so precious must be guarded carefully. We need to preserve water quality for our health and recreation as well as to sustain the balance of the ecosystem in creeks, rivers, lakes and oceans of the world.

Wastewater engineers focus on all aspects of the wastewater cycle to not only keep our communities safe, but also to minimize our environmental impact and conscientiously use our economic resources. We consider each step starting from collecting wastewater from our homes to the point it’s discharged back into waterways. We work to use gases from wastewater for power. Wastewater engineers strive to find creative and alternative ways to collect and treat wastewater that leave smaller footprints on Earth.

When faced with career choices, wastewater engineers looked at the engineering and STEM fields, and saw past the “ew” reaction. They bravely said, “Wastewater may be dirty and smelly, but it’s important. That’s the career for me.” There will probably never be a superhero for wastewater. However, wastewater engineers are working to save the world’s resources all the same, armed with their big, nerdy-cool calculators and steel-toed work boots.

The next time you see a wastewater engineer at a conference or a party, buy them a drink. They’ll take a glass of water–a safe and clean water.