Also called: Membrane Treatment Engineer, Water Reuse Engineer
Designs plants that turn seawater or sewage into clean drinking water.
You tour a plant where giant pumps push seawater through membranes at 1,000 psi. Pressure is creeping up, meaning the membranes are clogging, so you test a new cleaning chemical and redesign the pretreatment filters.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 5 years after high school. Bachelor's or master's in environmental, chemical or civil engineering.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering.
Growing faster than average. Water shortages in the West are driving new plants.
Low risk for 10 years. AI optimizes membrane cleaning and energy use; designing, building and running big water plants stays human.
Classes: AP Chemistry, Physics, Environmental science, AP Calculus.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2081.
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