Case studies: Hydrologist: Katie Cheetham

Katie has a degree in physical geography from Nottingham Trent University and works as a hydrologist/environment planning officer (hydrology) for the Environment Agency.

My physical geography degree was quite varied, covering subjects such as drylands, glaciers, environment law, soil science, climate change and hydrology. A particularly beneficial part of my degree was being given the opportunity to do an optional year placement. I applied to the Environment Agency (EA)  and, after a few interviews, I was offered two posts. I decided to join the Groundwater, Contaminated Land and Geotechnical team to gain a more rounded view of hydrology.

On completion of my degree I applied for several permanent positions at the Environment Agency and consultancy firms. After several rejections I ended up working at the Environment Agency on a temporary contract, in the same role I hold now. After a few months I was given the opportunity to interview for my job on a permanent basis and was successful in getting the position.

I feel that my degree is relevant to my current position, especially as it covered several aspects of the physical environment. However, as my role also has a planning aspect to it I think those without hydrology-related experience could also get this position.

Although no two working days are ever the same, one of my main responsibilities is to provide colleagues or external customers with data (flow, river level or rainfall) and reservoir storage or groundwater levels. These requests often require some analysis too. I am involved with reporting on these elements on a regular basis to provide an overview of the regional water situation. As I am technically a low-flow hydrologist, I do a lot of monitoring and report work on droughts. I also get involved with various projects.

As I have gained more experience I have been increasingly involved with more technical sides of the business. I am also encouraged to become more involved with water resources-type work rather than pure hydrology.

What I enjoy most about my job is that it’s very varied. As well as the day-to-day activities that I am required to do, which in themselves can be quite different, I am also involved with a range of different projects, such as catchment abstraction management strategies, water level management plans and naturalisation. The best thing about this sector is that we have the means to really make a difference to the environment and people.

The most challenging aspect of the role is managing people’s expectations in terms of the limitations of the data we have. Often we are asked to provide flow estimates for ungauged catchments, and whilst we can sometimes use models to provide estimates, the margin of error is extremely high. The other main challenge is that there are just not enough hours in the day.

In terms of career progression, I’d like to develop my hydrological knowledge and hopefully use this knowledge and apply it to another function, such as licencing or flood-related work.

If you’re interested in pursuing a career in hydrology I would recommend getting involved with a relevant work placement or volunteering scheme. The experience of being in a workplace environment is very valuable and also helps to develop key skills valued by employers.