Water Quality Technician

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Join a team that has the environment down to a science.

Stantec is seeking a full time Water Quality/Science Technician to provide field support for the South Florida Water Management District’s (SFWMD) Water Quality Bureau. This position is based at the SFWMD Field Station in West Palm Beach, FL, within a team that monitors water quality to comply with permit requirements and legal mandates, and to provide information in support of management decisions and strategies for restoration.

The selected candidate will be hired by Stantec and will serve as an onsite staff member to the SFWMD. The position will support routine compliance water quality monitoring, groundwater, atmospheric deposition (rain), fish, soil/sediment, vegetation and other biological sample collections.

The Technician will accompany SFWMD staff on field trips to remote project sites for water quality and multi-parameter field sample collections. The majority of work will be the collection of surface water samples by land, boat or helicopter, at various field locations. Field efforts often include exposure to hot, humid, and wet conditions in areas occupied by animals such as alligators, snakes, and stinging/biting insects.

The position will work four 10-hour days, Monday thru Thursday of each week. Field days start in West Palm Beach, FL and occur throughout the SFWMD network.

The Water Quality/Science Technician is expected to a) follow FDEP SOPs (DEP-SOP-001/01) and the WQM Quality System Requirements; b) operate, calibrate and maintain field instrumentation and equipment including automatic water sampling equipment, multi-parameter water quality instruments, boats, vehicles, and Global Positioning System (GPS); c) collect field data and samples; d) document field conditions and/or data utilizing the Horizon Data Field Management (HFDM) application on field computers;

e) troubleshoot instrument problems; f) perform specialized sampling, such as ultra-trace mercury and pesticide sampling following SOPs; and g) prepare samples for laboratory analysis. The Water Quality/Science Technician position will also be required to perform manual labor such as organize field supplies and equipment, load/unload vehicles, set up/take down equipment and may perform site management.

In addition to the above, this position will include:

• Preparation for field trips.

• Collection of in-situ surface water quality field measurements using multi-parameter water quality sondes (e.g., Hydrolab, YSI, or equivalent).

• Collection of surface water samples using automatic water samplers and surface water sampling equipment such as Van Dorn (a.k.a. Niskin) samplers.

• Collection of soil/sediment samples using PONAR dredges, corers, or other appropriate sampling devices.

• Collection of all appropriate QC samples.

• Performing all field sample and data collection activities in strict compliance with sampling protocols and quality assurance requirements.

• The documentation of all maintenance (e.g., autosampler) activities.

• Data reporting of site and field conditions, in-situ surface water parameters from continuous monitoring equipment, blue-green algae status and observations, among others.

• Documentation will be performed using portable field computer, field data collection software, and related software.

• Cleaning and decontamination of sampling equipment, as well as cleaning vehicle, laboratory, and warehouse space.

• This position may be required to provide support before, during and after major storm events and emergency situations, such as hurricanes or other declared emergencies, depending on assigned emergency response role.

• Exertion plus travel:
  Composition of office and…