Keeping the water flowing.
Gary has taken advantage of EBMUD's tuition reimbursement.
Gary works in the Central Valley Delta, supervising the facilities that EBMUD’s three large aqueducts pass through to carry snowmelt from the Sierra Mountains to the East Bay. Gary is not only able to start the treatment process before the water arrives at primary treatment facilities, but he’s also able to move water from one of these massive pipes to another.
Considering these pipes have circumferences of 65, 67 and 87-inches, that takes a great deal of coordination – “like bringing a train into a transfer station.”
“It’s a bigger responsibility than most people think to keep the water flowing on a daily basis,” Gary says. “At any time, there could be a failure and we have to be able to adapt and respond quickly. A pipe break out here isn’t an everyday repair job; you don’t slap a clamp on these pipes. Every repair is coordinated with aqueduct specialists and engineering experts to ensure success.”
Gary’s career with EBMUD has included such job titles as paving raker, heavy equipment operator, maintenance specialist, water distribution crew foreman, and now maintenance supervisor. Having taken advantage of EBMUD’s tuition reimbursement program, he is nearing the completion of a degree in management and supervision.
“There are many ways to broaden your scope of knowledge and gain new opportunities here.”