Water Resource Specialists
Design or implement programs and strategies related to water resource issues such as supply, quality, and regulatory compliance issues.
$167,220 a year (for the broader BLS group this job sits in).
of the working time. Estimate.
- 95%
- 4%
- 1%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 1%. Today's estimate: 1%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 21 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conduct, or oversee the conduct of, investigations on matters such as water storage, wastewater discharge, pollutants, permits, or other compliance and regulatory issues.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 9% | 2.1 work days5 h to 1.3 work weeks | 1%Half by Apr 2028 | |
| Perform hydrologic, hydraulic, or water quality modeling.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 9% | 2.5 work days6.7 h to 1 work week | 0%Half by Mar 2028 | |
| Develop strategies for watershed operations to meet water supply and conservation goals or to ensure regulatory compliance with clean water laws or regulations.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 9% | 2.5 work days6.7 h to 1.7 work weeks | 0%Half by Jun 2028 | |
| Conduct cost-benefit studies for watershed improvement projects or water management alternatives.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 9% | 3.3 work days6.7 h to 1.7 work weeks | 0%Half by Sep 2028 | |
| Develop plans to protect watershed health or rehabilitate watersheds.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 9% | 1.3 work weeks1.7 work days to 3.3 work weeks | 0%Half by Feb 2029 | |
| Write proposals, project reports, informational brochures, or other documents on wastewater purification, water supply and demand, or other water resource subjects.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 8% | 1.7 work days3.3 h to 4.2 work days | 2%Half by Feb 2028 | |
| Provide technical expertise to assist communities in the development or implementation of storm water monitoring or other water programs.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 7% | 1.7 work days3.3 h to 4.2 work days | 2%Half by Feb 2028 | |
| Recommend new or revised policies, procedures, or regulations to support water resource or conservation goals.Done yearly or less by most who do it. | 7% | 1.7 work days3.3 h to 4.2 work days | 2%Half by Feb 2028 | |
| Conduct technical studies for water resources on topics such as pollutants and water treatment options.Done yearly or less by most who do it. | 6% | 3.3 work days6.7 h to 1.7 work weeks | 0%Half by Sep 2028 | |
| Analyze storm water systems to identify opportunities for water resource improvements.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 5% | 1.3 work days3.3 h to 3.1 work days | 3%Half by Oct 2027 | |
| Review or evaluate designs for water detention facilities, storm drains, flood control facilities, or other hydraulic structures.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 5% | 1.7 work days3.3 h to 4.2 work days | 2%Half by Feb 2028 | |
| Develop or implement standardized water monitoring and assessment methods.Done yearly or less by most who do it. | 4% | 3.3 work days6.7 h to 1.7 work weeks | 0%Half by Sep 2028 |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025). Counts are for the broader BLS group this job sits in.
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025). Counts are for the broader BLS group this job sits in.