What Does an Environmental Engineer Do? Careers in Science & Engineering

Tamar Losleben, an environmental engineer, highlights the public's often-taken-for-granted access to clean water. Environmental engineering bridges public health and environmental needs, focusing on preventing and cleaning up contamination in air, soil, and water to protect health and the environment.

Tamar specializes in water engineering, particularly water treatment. She conducts fieldwork, like testing for lead in old houses, and works on diverse projects including water storage, disinfection, and upgrading water facilities. She's currently involved in a project at Bay Park Sewage Treatment plant to meet stricter regulations for wastewater treatment, monitoring dissolved oxygen and chlorine levels.

Working for an engineering firm offers opportunities for various projects and outdoor activities, which Tamar enjoys. She often starts her day with running, surfing, or biking, and her work environment is a mix of office and field days, typically a 40-hour week. She tests water turbidity at Meadow Lake, noting that while it's higher than drinking water standards, it's suitable for recreational purposes.

Having lived in large international cities in India, Kenya, and Egypt, Tamar emphasizes the importance of balancing urban growth with environmental protection. She volunteers with Engineers Without Borders, where she's led projects in El Salvador to construct water storage, distribution, and purification systems for small villages. She highlights that almost half the population in developing countries lacks proper sanitation and one in six lacks improved water sources.

Tamar feels a direct impact on people's lives through her work, especially abroad, where access to clean water dramatically improves health. She often finds herself enjoying water activities like surfing and biking. Environmental engineers are optimists, seeing issues and devising solutions to mitigate damage to the environment and people, constantly striving for improvement.

Environmental engineers specialize in areas like pollution control, hazardous waste, water management, and public health, working in diverse settings. A strong interest in science, people, and math is essential for this career, involving chemistry, calculations, dosages, and flow rates. While historically male-dominated, Tamar sees positive changes, with more women entering the field. Her dream is to work on international water projects, recognizing the global need for clean water and the ongoing role of environmental engineers.