Paul, Associate Civil Engineer

A leader in removing lead

One of the most memorable moments in Paul’s career came via text message. When he began his career as an associate civil engineer at EBMUD in 2003, Paul’s first major assignment was to help the District develop a state assembly bill that took on one of the most significant water quality issues of our time: the Get the Lead Out campaign. That bill later became the federal standard for safe plumbing to eliminate lead contamination in tap water, and Paul remembers this as a formative moment in his life’s work.

“It was Friday afternoon and the Governor had all these bills on his desk, including our AB 1953, and we didn’t know what he was going to do,” Paul recalls. “For hours I would respond to all sorts of technical questions about the bill, and then it all went quiet. The next morning, my boss called me at home and he said ‘I received one text message: Bill signed.’ It was very awesome. Definitely one of those moments you don’t forget.”

Now his work has shifted to supporting EBMUD’s interests as they pertain to the Water Fix Delta tunnels project, which involves monitoring how other agencies are reacting to and influencing the proposal. Paul says the work is so important that he has doubled-down on his commitment to EBMUD.

“My role gives me some good perspective about what you choose to do with your life,” Paul said. “I feel good about the work I do here, and I don’t ever feel like I have to apologize to my kids for what we’re doing to the environment. This organization is efficient and effective and it feels like we’re always on the right side of things.”