Water & Drainage Recruitment Specialists
Why Clients Choose ERSG for Water & Drainage
Full Project Lifecycle
From feasibility and design through construction, commissioning and handover, we place across every stage of water and wastewater delivery.
Utilities, Tier 1s and Consultancies
Water companies, Tier 1 contractors, civil engineering specialists and design consultancies each hire differently - we staff each one accordingly.
Built for AMP8 Delivery
AMP8 is the largest investment programme in the UK water sector since privatisation. We help clients scale project teams as programmes ramp up.
Engineering, Delivery and Commercial
Civil, MEICA and process engineers alongside site teams, project managers, quantity surveyors and planners, covering the whole project workforce.
Design and Modelling Specialists
Hydraulic modellers, hydrologists, flood risk specialists and BIM & CAD teams for the consultancies designing network and treatment upgrades.
Contract and Permanent, at Scale
Single specialist hires through to full project mobilisations, backed by ERSG's workforce solutions capability.
IR35 Guidance for UK Contractors
We handle IR35 status assessments and compliant contractor engagement for UK water programmes, reducing administrative and legal risk.
Delivering Since 2008
Eighteen years delivering infrastructure projects gives our team the client relationships, compliance processes and candidate networks to move quickly.
How can we help?
Staffing a water or drainage programme? Looking for your next water role?
Frequently asked questions
A water industry recruitment agency sources and places engineering, project delivery, commercial and design professionals for water and wastewater projects. Specialist agencies like ERSG, active since 2008, work with water companies, Tier 1 contractors, civil engineering specialists and design consultancies, placing both contractors and permanent hires across treatment works, pipelines, drainage, reservoirs and network upgrades.
Roles span four groups. Engineering covers civil, design, water and wastewater, structures, MEICA, process and temporary works engineers. Project delivery covers project and programme managers, site and section engineers, site managers, agents and commissioning engineers. Commercial and controls covers quantity surveyors, commercial and contracts managers and planners. Design covers hydraulic modellers, hydrologists, flood risk specialists, geotechnical engineers and BIM and CAD teams.
AMP8 is the asset management period that runs from April 2025 to March 2030, during which water companies in England and Wales deliver their regulated investment plans. It is the largest investment programme in the sector since privatisation, so water companies, contractors and consultancies all need to grow project teams at the same time. That makes experienced civils, MEICA, process and commercial professionals hard to find, and early planning for resourcing important.
Requirements vary by role. Engineers typically hold a degree or HNC in civil, mechanical, electrical or chemical engineering, often working towards chartership. Site-based roles usually need a CSCS card and, for supervisors and managers, SMSTS or SSSTS. Work on clean water assets requires a National Water Hygiene card, and street works roles often need NRSWA accreditation.
A MEICA engineer works on the mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, control and automation systems in water and wastewater treatment works and pumping stations. They design, install, commission or maintain the pumps, motors, control panels and telemetry that keep treatment processes running.
Contractors are engaged on a day or hourly rate for a defined project phase, such as design, construction or commissioning. ERSG manages the vetting, compliance checks and IR35 status assessment, then mobilises contractors against your programme milestones. Larger programmes can use our workforce solutions to staff whole teams under one agreement.
Yes. ERSG has offices across the UK, Europe, the US and Asia, and supports water and drainage clients delivering infrastructure, treatment and network programmes internationally.