always in a drought and legislation was passed to
maximize the potential of local water systems.
The reasons for wastewater treatment are obvious, but
why does storm water need to be treated?
MC: There is some overlap between the two. Stormwater
needs to be treated because it picks up pollutants
from the ground and the flows into bodies of water.
Our beaches are directly impacted by the storm water
that eventually makes its way down the flood channels
to the ocean. Recently, P2S was a member of an
engineering team competing for some of the first tasks
related to the Long Beach Municipal Urban Stormwater
Treatment Project (LB-MUST). The LB-MUST Project is
a an ambitious, comprehensive, and innovative project
that will intercept and treat dry weather runoff and a
percentage of the first-flush storm flows generated within
the City of Long Beach prior to discharging into the Los
Angeles River. In other words, the project will connect
water from several pump stations and treat them with
limited discharge to the sea. The LB-MUST facility is
not a traditional solution to water quality treatment,
but instead represents a creative regional approach,
which has the financial backing of Caltrans and the San
Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains
Conservancy. Unfortunately, our team wasn’t selected,
but our track record and reputation continue to grow.
Can you tell us about your Water Treatment Operator
and Water Distribution Operator certifications?
MC: Absolutely. I worked for two municipal water utilities
early in my career and became certified as a Water
Treatment Operator and Water Distribution Operator
while working there. My job as an electrician didn’t really
require these certifications, but my employer encouraged
me to pursue them. He said it would help me better
understand the water treatment and distribution systems
I was maintaining and improving. The certifications
helped me advance in my career in the industry. One
thing I didn’t know was that I had to be working at a
water utility to be eligible to sit for the certification
exams. Looking back, I really enjoyed studying for them.
I took correspondence courses from Sacramento State,
which has a drinking water program. After I completed
the courses, I applied to sit for the state of California’s
treatment and distribution operator certification exams.
It’s fascinating because we take our water quality
for granted, and most people aren’t aware of the
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requirement or the effort necessary to become a certified
operator. These certifications ensure that people know
how to safely operate water treatment and water
distribution facilities. The State also requires continuing
education to ensure that certified operators keep up-to-
date.
Water Treatment facilities are obvious to the public
because they are usually large facilities. But water
distribution is less obvious because it is usually hidden
from sight. The distribution system is a whole network
of transmission and distribution pipelines buried under
our streets; booster stations are built so that they blend
into the neighborhoods; and reservoirs are usually
found at the higher elevations in a City, tucked away
in a park or behind homes. Understanding how to
operate these systems made me more effective as an
electrician. I’m very proud of my water treatment and
distribution certifications because they were difficult to
attain. In some ways it was similar to achieving the PE
license (Professional Engineer) but not quite at the same
academic level. I keep my certifications current because
I would regret ever losing them, and I think having them
shows a level of competency and understanding when
I visit a potential utility client. I can say I am a certified
operator, that I worked full-time in the water utility field,
and that I understand their systems and their day-to-day
challenges and needs.
What are some issues that water system operators have
to contend with?
MC: Security, aging infrastructure, and contaminants.
Securing and protecting our water resources will always
be a utility’s highest priority. Frequent equipment
failure due to aging infrastructure plagues our clients
in all market segments. But water borne illnesses due
to contaminants are a particular issue for the water/
wastewater industry. The EPA continues to lower the
minimum contaminants level that we test for in water.
Contaminant levels that we once thought were low, are
now known to cause health problems later in life. There
are also new contaminants to be concerned about, and
correlations to diseases discovered recently. The EPA
works to ensure that Americans have clean air, land and
water, and continually develop and change regulations
when necessary. Operators have to react to these
changes. These regulations are a moving target and
staying up to date is a challenge.