2023 Summer Water Work

Clay Valve Rebuild & Replace: This equipment is the heartbeat of our system; it controls the flow and pressure of water as it passes through the system. This is particularly important in a mountainous area like Truckee. Water builds pressure as it travels downhill, so this equipment regulates the flow and keeps the pressure from getting too high.

 

Valve Upkeep & Replacement: The crew is doing an overhaul on the older valves in the system, to ensure that they are operational and replacing aging parts where necessary. Having good working valves throughout the system means water outages can be confined to a much smaller area. So when water service has to come offline in order to repair a leak or complete other work, the outage won’t affect as many customers.

 

Meter Upkeep: TDPUD has a water meter quality control and replacement protocol that has recently been impacted by supply chain issues. The equipment we normally need was on months-long backorder. Rather than accept the delays and let our operations suffer, our water meter maintenance and water loss coordinator got creative and came up with a workaround by rebuilding meters internally with more readily available equipment.

 

Water Quality Testing: We consistently receive top marks from regulators for the quality of our water, and we have the work of our senior water quality technician to thank for that. He samples and tests water from all over the system every day, to ensure that we’re delivering fresh, clean water day in and day out. By the end of last month, he had already performed over 1,000 water quality tests this year!

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Meet the Water Crew

Recent labor studies estimate California’s water industry employs 60,000 people and needs about 6,000 new employees each year due to turnover. The water industry offers a wide variety of rewarding career opportunities in engineering, biology, finance, business administration, communications and more.

TDPUD has 18 professionals that take pride in doing this imperative work. We are featuring TDPUD professionals below. Read about what brought them into the water industry and what fuels their passion.

Clayton Wise, Water Distribution Foreman

Clayton joined Truckee Donner Public Utility District in 2004, and has worked his way up to be our Water Distribution Foreman.

Originally from Grass Valley, Clayton started his career with Kubich Lumber driving water trucks at the young age of 15. Even as a teenager he had big responsibilities; he checked to see what quality the trees were in, watered down the logs, ran the loader in the log yard and eventually logged trees in the woods. After graduating high school, he joined Neither Cutt Construction Company as a pipefitter, and then continued on to Hansen Brothers also doing pipe fittings.

Clayton first learned about the TDPUD when the District would contract out his company for water services at Donner Lake. One day an inspector told him the District was hiring, so Clayton applied and was hired as a Water Service Technician-in-Training. He commuted to Truckee for over a year, and eventually built a house in Glenshire where he and his wife would start a family.

Today, he commutes from Verdi where he and his wife are raising their two children. His oldest is currently working for the Tahoe City PUD, following in his father’s footsteps.

“I love that every day there is something new that I need to tackle in my job. It’s never repetitious,” said Clayton. “Getting to do different things and be outdoors in Truckee is what I enjoy most.”

When Clayton is not working on our water system, he enjoys camping at Bullards Bar Reservoir, boating, and side-by-side riding with his family. He also loves classic cars and attends Hot August Nights every year.

For the past 19 years, Clayton has ensured that Truckee has safe and reliable water every single day. We are so proud of Clayton and all of his hard work, dedication and commitment to protecting and preserving our precious water in Truckee! Thank you Clayton!

James Flowers, Water Service Technician-in-Training

James grew up in the small town of Janesville, near Susanville. After graduating high school he decided to leave California to attend Universal Technical Institute in Phoenix, Arizona, where he became a diesel mechanic. He began working for a drilling supply company, Jentech, and his job took him far and wide. James traveled to other countries like Russia, Mexico and Canada, where he would set up materials for companies to come in and drill. Wanting to settle down somewhere with his girlfriend, now wife, James bought his own trucking company and started transporting livestock throughout California.

After running into some of his classmates from Janesville and finding out they were TDPUD Linemen, James decided to apply to a job opening at the District. He was hired into the water department, and learned the distribution side of our water services, including installing meters, handling water leaks and installing new water service. Currently, he is now learning the operation side of water, including pump stations, chlorine residuals and wells.

“Because I went to school to be a mechanic, the best thing about my job is working with my hands,” said James. “I enjoy being faced with new challenges every day.” James said he likes working for a locally-owned utility District, and he takes pride in his job every day knowing he can help keep the water flowing to all of our customers. James said he is also excited to obtain his Water Tech Certificate, which can take up to three years.

James currently lives in Verdi with his wife and two sons, ages 10 and 8. His oldest son plays the piano, while his youngest loves football. They enjoy camping as a family, and James is particularly fond of older cars.

We appreciate James and all he brings to the District. His background knowledge combined with his hard work and dedication to his job allows the District to provide and protect our precious water in the Truckee area. Thank you, James!

TJ Dwyer, Water Operations Leadman

Training: T2 Water Treatment, D3 Distribution, Grade 2 Wastewater Treatment License

Starting his career at Donner Summit PUD, TJ worked through the ranks for 12 years until securing a job with TDPUD.  TJ, said he always dreamed of serving the community he was raised in. Coupled with the water operation profession, the TDPUD provided both the water operations/distribution and the public service for TJ.  Through TJ’s six years at the TDPUD, he has rose in the ranks from a Water Technician in training to Water Operations Leadman.  TJ said “The District has provided opportunities for advancement on a team that are like a second family”.

As a participant in Truckee youth sports through college, TJ still plays baseball and supports youth sports.  Furthermore, TJ and his wife Crysta live and raise their two children in Truckee enjoying all Truckee has to offer in outdoor activities.  Asking TJ what he values, “I believe in honesty and treating others how you want to be treated”. Thank you TJ for being part of the TDPUD and community, while bringing the Best Water From Your Tap!

Mike Hatch, Water Operation Foreman

Training: Technician D3; T1 (distribution; treatment), Foreman D4; T2

Mike Hatch is the TDPUD’s Water Operation Foreman and has worked for the District for almost 20 years. He was hired with no certification but plenty of experience which has led him to work his way from the bottom up.

Mike grew up in the Bay Area, outside of Concord. His love for snowboarding led him to Truckee when he was 18. He worked for Mt. Rose and Boreal in the winters where he began to learn about heavy equipment. In the summer he worked for the Forest Service fighting fires in the hand crew. This eventually led to him to a job with SNR, where he was taught about snow removal and excavating and pipeline replacement, mostly contracted from the TDPUD. After working for SNR for about 6 years he was encouraged to apply with the PUD. Mike took the challenge and knew he wanted to become the Water Operation Foreman. Once hired, he went for the opportunity of advancing to his D4 and T2 certifications.

Mike thinks the best part about his job is constantly learning and being challenged. “Every day is a challenge. You can plan your whole week out, but when you come in Monday morning everything can be different. A clay valve can break or an electric motor can stop working and then we need to get our electricians involved. There are a lot of moving parts.” When asked how he looks at his work/life balance Mike stated, “I hope I can improve from the day before and learn from it.” Mike enjoys snowboarding in the winter and Mountain Biking in the summer.

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Water Professionals Appreciation Week

Truckee Donner Public Utility District is proud to honor its hard-working water department employees as part of California’s seventh annual Water Professionals Appreciation Week. Please help us in celebrating the people who provide safe, plentiful water to our community.

“The District extends its sincere gratitude and appreciation to its dedicated employees who work 24/7 to provide critical services to our community every day. Water Professionals Appreciation Week is a great opportunity to feature our employees and honor all of the water professionals working hard to ensure everyone receives clean, safe drinking water.” - Brian Wright, General Manager, Truckee Donner PUD

TDPUD is proud to be in partnership with Truckee Sanitary District (TSD) , and Tahoe-Truckee Sanitation Agency (TTSA) in celebrating all water professionals. 

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Water Professionals Appreciation Week was established by the California State Senate in 2017. The measure was sponsored by a coalition of water associations led by the Association of California Water Agencies, WateReuse California, California Municipal Utilities Association, California Association of Sanitation Agencies, and California Water Association. The annually designated week begins on the first Saturday of October and ends on Sunday of the following weekend.

For more information on water careers, please visit:
www.cawaterjobs.org/career-paths
www.acwa.com/careers

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