Water Conservation Specialist

Job Description:

Water Conservation Specialist

Description

THE POSITION

The Water Conservation Specialist’s primary duties include scheduling and conducting Water Wise House/Business Calls, as well as pre and post inspections involving incentive programs, including but not limited to the following: turfgrass conversion projects, irrigation efficiency upgrade projects and smart irrigation controller installations.
IDEAL CANDIDATE STATEMENT

The ideal candidate for the Water Conservation Specialist position will have a strong analytical skillset, can work independently, and is highly motivated to engage with customers at outreach events or by appointment to help them use water more efficiently both inside and outside the home or business. Knowledge of the City’s water conservation services and rebates is preferred in the ideal candidate.

Under general supervision, the Water Conservation Specialist performs a variety of specialized duties in support of the City's water conservation programs; promotes water conservation and monitors water consumption; conducts field inspections and investigations to assure compliance with the City's water conservation ordinances, codes, policies, regulations, and water efficient guidelines; and may assist in researching, compiling, and reviewing water efficiency data and cost-effectiveness information.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

This is a journey level class populated with multiple incumbents. Incumbents must work independently and exercise technical judgment in both field and administrative roles on a daily basis. The Water Conservation Specialist is distinguished from the Water Conservation Supervisor in that the latter is responsible for planning, directing, and supervising the employees and water conservation activities. This class is distinguished from the class of Water Conservation Representative in that the latter is responsible for investigating reports of water waste and assisting with water conservation education and outreach programs and may read water meter on assigned routes and perform duties related to reading meters.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Duties may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Monitor water consumption of commercial and residential customers; conduct field inspections and investigations to assure compliance with the City's water ordinances, codes, policies, regulations, and water efficiency guidelines; explain codes, laws, policies, and regulations pertaining to water waste to customers; issue warnings and initiate water shut-offs to correct water waste problems; and testify in court as required.
• Educate the public, businesses, landscape managers, and City customers on water efficient irrigation practices, irrigation controller programming, irrigation designs and practices, and watering requirements which may include making presentations at a variety of public events.
• Assist in the implementation of the City's water efficiency programs.
• Assist with the research, to compile, and assemble data to produce statistical, historical, and analytical documents regarding water consumption for residential, commercial, institutional, and irrigation customers.
• Resolve wasteful water complaints and irrigation problems.
• Maintain accurate records of response, description, and resolution of wasteful water calls.
• Assist in the administration and coordination of special events, trainings, programs or projects.
• Develop or assist in developing reports, presentations, correspondence, informational brochures, flyers, and promotional materials regarding water conservation.
• May provide lead direction to lower level staff.
• Provides exceptional customer service to those contacted in the course of work.
• Other related duties may also be performed; not all duties listed are necessarily performed by each individual holding this classification.

QUALIFICATIONS

Knowledge of :

• Methods, materials, tools and equipment used in water system operation and maintenance.
• Principles and practices of landscape management methods for residential, commercial, and institutional applications.
• Principles of water conservation strategies and programs.
• Pertinent water conservation rules, regulations, and policies.
• Fundamentals of irrigation systems, pumps, valves, and controllers.
• Basic principles of training.
• Methods and techniques for making formal and informal public presentations
• Fundamentals of water meters, weather stations, and transponders and other related equipment.
• Computer programs and software including word processing, spreadsheets, and database applications.
• City streets and boundaries.
• Investigative principles and practices.

Ability to :

• Maintain technical, statistical, and historical documents and databases.
• Conduct and complete research projects.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing at a level necessary for efficient performance.
• Communicate with the public on a tactful and professional level.
• Convey rules, regulations, ordinances, and laws to the public in a polite, professional manner.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
• Interpret technical information and exercise expertise in the field.
• Operate tools and equipment necessary for performance in the field.
• Understand written and verbal instructions.
• Contribute to the development and strengthening of a team environment
• Work without immediate supervision.
• Learn new computer programs and customer information systems, including automated utility billing system.
• Provide technical and functional support to staff as assigned.
• Compile and monitor a variety of data; prepare and maintain routine logs and records.
  

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Education :
Successful completion of twelve (12) semester or fifteen (15) quarter units of coursework in water conservation, irrigation technology, landscape architecture, agriculture industry, environmental sciences, or closely related field from an accredited college or university.

-AND-

Experience :
Four years of experience working with the public, including one year of irrigation scheduling, irrigation system installation, and/or maintenance or closely related fieldwork involving landscape design, industrial water processing, water distribution, water treatment, or water quality.

Substitution :
An additional year of experience in irrigation scheduling, irrigation system installation, and/or maintenance or closely related fieldwork involving landscape design, industrial water processing, water distribution, water treatment, or water quality may substitute for the required education.

PROOF OF EDUCATION

Should education be used to qualify for this position, then proof of education such as, but not limited to, university/college transcripts and degrees should be submitted with your application and will be required at the time of appointment. Unofficial documents and/or copies are acceptable.

An applicant with a college degree obtained outside the United States must have education records evaluated by a credentials evaluation service. Evaluation of education records will be due at time of appointment.

SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS

Driver License:

Possession of a valid California Class C Driver License is required at the time of appointment. Individuals who do not meet this requirement due to physical disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Certification:

• Must possess or obtain during probationary period, Irrigation Association Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor (CLIA) certification.
• Possession of or ability to obtain, by the end of twelve month probationary period, a Water Use Efficiency Grade 1 Certification issued by the California-Nevada American Water Works Association is desirable.

PROBATIONARY PERIOD

Employees must complete twelve (12) months probation at a satisfactory performance level prior to gaining permanent status.

THE SELECTION PROCEDURE

Please note, the City of Sacramento's preferred method of communication with applicants is via e-mail. As such, please ensure you verify the e-mail address on your application, and check your e-mail frequently, including your spam and junk folders. All e-mail notifications can also be accessed through the governmentjobs.com applicant inbox.

1. Application: (Pass/Fail) - All applicants must complete and submit online a City of Sacramento employment application by the final filing deadline ;

• Employment applications must be submitted online; paper applications will not be accepted.
• Employment applications will be considered incomplete and will be disqualified:
  • If applicants do not list current and/or past job-related experience in the duties area of the "Work Experience" section. Note: Qualifying experience is based on full-time experience (40 hours per week). Qualifying experience is calculated to the full-time equivalent (pro-rated if less than 40 hours/week).
  • If "see resume" is noted in the "Work Experience" section; a resume will not substitute for the information required in the "Work Experience" section.
• Proof of education such as, but not limited to, university/college transcripts and degrees should be submitted online with your application. Proof of education will be required at time of appointment.
• Position/job titles will not be considered in determining eligibility for meeting the minimum qualifications for this position.
• If you’re requesting Veteran’s credit, a copy of your DD214 must be submitted online with your application or emailed to the Employment Office by the final filing deadline. Information regarding the use of Veteran’s credit can be found in the Civil Service Board rules under rule 4.9C.
• Applicants are responsible for attaching a copy of their DD214 to each position for which they apply.

2. Training and Experience Exam: (Weighted 100%) - The questions located at the end of the application are the Training and Experience (T&E) Exam. Responses to the T&E questions will be rated and scored. This exam will evaluate the relevance, level, and progression of a candidate's education, training and experience. The exam score will determine your ranking on the eligible list for this job. When completing the T&E questions, please note:

• Responses to the T&E questions must be submitted online; paper questionnaires will not be accepted.
• A resume will not substitute for the information required in the T&E questions.

3. Eligibility: Candidates who pass the Training and Experience Test will be placed on the eligible list. The hiring department may contact candidates for interview at any time during the life of the one-year list. Candidate’s eligibility expires one year from the date of notification of a passing score for the Water Conservation Specialist examination.

4. Screening Committee: (Pass/Fail)- All candidates that pass the examination and are in one of the top three ranks will have their application forwarded to the hiring department for review. The hiring department will select the most competitive applications for further consideration. Human Resources will only evaluate employment applications for the minimum qualifications, as stated on the job announcement, for applications selected by the hiring department.

5. Conditional Hire: Upon receipt of a conditional offer, the selected candidate must complete and pass Live Scan/fingerprinting. If applicable, candidates may also need to pass a pre-employment medical exam, controlled substance and/or alcohol test, and possess any required licensure or certification prior to receiving a start date from the Department. Failure to meet these prerequisites will be grounds for withdrawal of your conditional offer of employment.

QUESTIONS:
For questions concerning this job announcement and the application process:

• Please visit https://www.governmentjobs.com/Home/ApplicationGuide for a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to the application process.
• For technical support between 6 AM - 5 PM PT, contact Live Applicant Support at (855) 524-5627.
• Visit the City of Sacramento Human Resources Department website at https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/HR/employment ;
• Send an email to [email protected] ; or
• Call the Human Resources Department at (916) 808-5726

Bilingual Pay
Did you know that the City offers bilingual pay? That's right, most labor agreements offer the option of providing employees with bilingual pay if the department deems it to be operationally necessary.

Pension Reform Act
The City of Sacramento is covered by the California Public Employees' Retirement System, and as such, must adhere to the California Public Employee's Pension Reform Act (PEPRA) of 2013. Please note that the provisions within this act may affect or impact an applicant's eligibility and/or selection for open vacancies at the City of Sacramento.

Equal Opportunity Employer
The City of Sacramento is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

Additional Information
Civil Service Rules: https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/content/dam/portal/hr/documentlibrary/CivilServiceBoardRules62012.pdf

Union Contracts: https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/HR/labor-agreements.html

Salary Schedule: https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/content/dam/portal/hr/documentlibrary/SalarySchedule.pdf

Closing Date/Time: 7/26/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Salary:

$51,989.33 - $73,154.21 Annually