The Town of Blacksburg’s Department of Engineering & GIS is seeking a Water & Wastewater Engineer. The primary responsibilities of this role are to oversee improvements to the town’s water and wastewater infrastructure, to provide reliable service to its citizens, and to plan future system expansions to serve future development areas that are consistent with the town’s comprehensive plan. This individual will work collaboratively with Public Works staff to maintain safe, reliable, and efficient delivery of potable water and effective collection of wastewater in compliance with all applicable regulations and environmental standards.
Work will be performed under the general direction of the Director of Engineering & GIS.
Blacksburg is a beautiful town located in the New River Valley of Virginia. Established in 1798, Blacksburg has grown from a town of a few dozen families to a population of over 42,000 people, making it the largest town in Virginia. The town is comprised of a healthy, highly educated, and diverse population, making it a very progressive community with a high quality of life. Blacksburg has activities that appeal to young professionals, families, and seniors. There are numerous parks to choose from, making the town an excellent venue for the outdoors lover.
Downtown Blacksburg contains a unique collection of specialty retail and dining establishments, art galleries, and performance halls. Wide brick sidewalks line streets flanked on each side by decorative street lamps, hanging flower baskets, and park benches.
At the core of Blacksburg’s vibrant and engaging downtown is Virginia’s largest land-grant university, Virginia Tech. The university continues to position itself as a major research institution. The presence of Virginia Tech and its approximately 30,000 students, 7,500 faculty and administrators, brings significant advantages to the economy of the town.
The Town of Blacksburg is part of the Montgomery County School System. Blacksburg’s public school system is made up of four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. The public school system enjoys a reputation for graduating well-prepared students and has a low teacher-to-student ratio, offering each child an opportunity to obtain the best education possible.
In 2011, Blacksburg was named one of the “Best Places in the U.S. to Raise Kids” by Bloomberg Businessweek. The Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metro area was ranked the 7th “Most Secure Small Place to Live in the U.S.” by Farmers Insurance Group in 2014. Blue Ridge Country named Blacksburg a “Best Mountain Town” in 2013. U. S. News & World Report named Blacksburg a Top Ten “Best Affordable Mountain Town for Retirement” in 2010.
Engineering services are provided to support the public infrastructure of the Town of Blacksburg. These activities support the assurance of safe and reliable drinking water and fire protection, the provision of safe, reliable, and environmentally compliant sanitary sewer systems, the protection of stream water quality, and the provision of safe, efficient, and reliable transportation systems. In addition, engineering provides oversight of private development activities as they relate to extensions of or impacts on the public infrastructure.
The Town of Blacksburg owns, operates, and maintains the public wastewater collection system within the town limits. Wastewater service to the citizens of Blacksburg is a team effort between the Engineering/GIS and the Public Works Departments. The Engineering & GIS Department is responsible for: review and management of capital construction projects; hydraulic capacity evaluations; condition assessments; and construction plans and specifications. The Public Works Department is responsible for: operation, maintenance, and construction activities associated with the existing system. These two departments work together to achieve the common goal of maintaining a reliable, cost-effective, and responsive wastewater collection system.
The town is undertaking several approaches to evaluate more effective ways to operate the wastewater infrastructure as it ages and demands increase. A wastewater work group meets monthly to discuss issues associated with the wastewater infrastructure and seek alternative approaches to providing utility service in the most cost-effective and environmentally progressive way.
Water Distribution System
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The New River Valley Regional Water Authority treats and sells wholesale water to the Town of Blacksburg
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The Town’s water distribution system consists of 177 miles of water mains, 4 pump stations, and 7 water tanks with a total capacity of 6.5 million gallons
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There are 2 primary water distribution systems known as the ‘high’ and ‘low’ systems
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The low system provides water to approximately 75% of the Town of Blacksburg and the entire Virginia Tech campus
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Virginia Tech owns and maintains its own distribution system
Wastewater Collection System
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Wastewater is treated by the Blacksburg-VPI Sanitation Authority treatment plant, located seven miles southwest of the town limits
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The town’s wastewater collection system infrastructure includes more than 165 miles of conventional gravity collection lines ranging in diameters from 8 to 24 inches, several miles of force mains, and 23 conventional sewer pumping stations
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The public system also includes Septic Tank Effluent Gravity (STEG) / Septic Tank Effluent Pumped (STEP) alternative collection systems
If you are a community and team-oriented Engineer who is looking for an opportunity to provide leadership and technical expertise to assist with the planning, design, operation, and maintenance of the town’s water and wastewater infrastructure, we are excited for you to apply.
The Town of Blacksburg is an EEO Employer M/F/D/V
