Direct answer
Water and wastewater construction recruiting is its own discipline. Treatment plants, lift stations, pipelines, and pump stations are built under public procurement, tight specifications, and delivery methods (hard bid, design-build, CMGC) that demand leaders who have actually built this work. Amundson Group is a veteran-owned, construction-only firm with water and wastewater as a core heavy civil practice, placing superintendents, project managers, estimators, engineers, and executives with the contractors who build treatment and conveyance infrastructure.
Why water and wastewater talent is scarce
Municipal growth across the Sun Belt has water and wastewater programs funded years ahead, while the pool of leaders with real plant and pipeline experience stays small. A commercial PM cannot step into a treatment plant expansion: the mechanical complexity, the shutdown sequencing around live utilities, the inspection regime, and the public-owner relationship are learned on this work and only on this work. The best people are mid-program and fully employed, which is why postings fail and direct outreach works.
Roles AG places in water and wastewater
- Field: Superintendents and general superintendents (plant and pipeline), foremen for pipe, mechanical, and structures crews.
- Office: Project managers, project engineers, estimators with WTP/WWTP bid history, preconstruction leaders.
- Executive: Division leaders and operations executives for water/wastewater business units.
Proof
- Recent placements include a WW Mechanical Superintendent and a WTP Estimator with self-performing treatment contractors.
- Water and wastewater sits inside AG’s heavy civil core: 191 permanent placements across 86 client companies in the trailing 12 months, ~38-day median time-to-fill.
- 1,200+ lifetime placements, 90,000+ candidate network, veteran-owned, construction-only.
How the search works
- Intake. Plant vs pipeline, delivery method, owner type, schedule pressure, pay band, and an honest read on the market.
- Targeted outreach. Direct and discreet, to leaders on comparable treatment and conveyance work nationwide, including relocation candidates.
- Screened shortlist. Verified project history on comparable work, references, genuine interest.
- Offer and close. Managed to the day, counteroffer defended.
- Guarantee. Written replacement guarantee.
Fees follow the market norms on the fees and pricing page: contingency typically 20 to 25 percent of first-year base, retained 25 to 33 percent for senior searches.
FAQ
Do you place both treatment plant and pipeline people?
Yes. Plant (WTP/WWTP mechanical, structures, process) and conveyance (pipelines, lift stations, pump stations) are related but distinct profiles; AG scopes which one your project actually needs at intake.
Can you find leaders with design-build or CMGC water experience?
Yes. Delivery-method history is a standard intake and screening question, alongside owner references and shutdown experience on live systems.
How fast can a water/wastewater role be filled?
AG’s overall median is about 38 days; niche treatment-plant leadership can run longer because the pool is small, and AG quotes a realistic range up front.
Next step
Hiring for a treatment plant or pipeline program? Book a call with Amundson Group or hire talent now. Related: best heavy civil construction recruiters.