Improving the water highway.
Raffi works to improve EBMUD's water transmission pipes and aqueducts.
Raffi is part of the team that specializes in maintaining and improving EBMUD’s system of large transmission pipelines and aqueducts that keep water flowing from Pardee Reservoir to and throughout the District’s service area. “It’s like a water highway. It’s a lot of water, and travels long distances,” says Raffi.
Raffi works on projects like relining two of the three 90–mile long Mokelumne Aqueducts that traverse the Sierra foothills and the Delta. Those aqueducts are above and below ground and cross earthquake faults. “Our team is looking at possible designs for tunnels to ensure even more reliability during emergencies,” says Raffi. Raffi works to keep these large pipes as leak-free as possible with inspections and fixes when needed. He has also worked on designs to update important pipes like those that cross the Oakland estuary to Alameda, and the MacArthur Davenport Pipeline Replacement, a key transmission pipeline project that began this summer in Oakland.
Raffi planned to be a teacher, but his good math skills put him on a path to engineering. “I didn’t think I’d be an engineer. But my dad and my grandfather on my mom’s side were engineers. ”
"I’m happy to be here, and grateful to those who have mentored me. It takes a special person to take the time to share their nuggets of wisdom with newbies."