Water/Wastewater Engineers

Certification or Licensing

Water/wastewater engineers who provide services to the public are required to be licensed. Employers may also require engineers to be licensed. There are different licenses for different levels of engineering experience. There is the engineer intern (EI) license, the engineer in training (EIT) license, and the professional engineer (PE) license. Each state issues its own licenses and requirements vary by state. Some states require engineers take continuing education courses to maintain their license. In general, to receive the PE license, engineers must have graduated from an ABET-accredited engineering program, pass the Fundamentals of Engineering exam and the Professional Engineering exam, and have four years of relevant work experience. PEs are able to supervise other engineers and sign off on projects. After licensing, environmental engineers may receive board certification in areas of specialization from the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists.