Help Wanted: Seeking The Next Wave Of Water Professionals

Water Online's "Peer Perspectives" is a Q&A series that provides unique insight into the issues facing water professionals by speaking directly to you, the reader. For this installment we spoke to Phillip Holderness, a water purification plant superintendent at the Kern County Water Agency (KCWA) in Bakersfield, CA. KCWA participates in a wide range of water management activities to preserve and enhance the county's water supply. During our conversation, Holderness related some of the challenges and successes he has experienced in the face of today's changing water landscape.

Currently, what is your main concern as a water facility superintendent?

The biggest issue that we're facing is getting qualified, motivated people into the water field as operators and distribution system workers. I think this industry has been in stealth mode for so long that people really don't think about careers in water. Like many people in this industry, I got into it quite by accident. I have a degree in soil science and forestry, and I end up in the water business for over 30 years. It's a field that has a lot of opportunity, but very few people know about it. It's one of the best-kept secrets.

What are you doing to overcome this obstacle of workforce development?

We're working with outside entities — the Cal-Nevada American Water Works Association, for example — and coming up with apprenticeship-type programs to get students some real-world experience in the field. But that is slow to develop and will probably take at least a half-dozen years before we start to see any fruit from it. It takes time to make someone an operator, both from a regulatory point of view — because we have to get them certified — and just simply getting them to understand the industry and the job. And the pool of qualified, certified personnel is not large. There are a lot of people retiring.

What do you think is the biggest issue for the water industry as a whole?

Money. That is a very big issue. As a nation, we have aging infrastructure — at least most utilities do — and how do you fund improvements? If they had forethought, utilities built that into their rate structure and have reserves that will help them replenish their water system. But that's not universal.

What is the state of infrastructure in Bakersfield?

Actually, it's fairly good at this point. We just went through a construction project where we doubled the size of our facility and rehabbed the existing plant. We had a 45-million-gallon/day surface water treatment plant, and then we built another one right next to it. We've taken the older plant, which is 33 years old, and completely rehabbed it.

What insight can you share regarding the cost of infrastructure improvements?

Ours was about $120 million. We had to float a bond in order to do that, but it's being repaid by the ratepayers and the retailers who purchase wholesale water. We planned for 10 years before we actually pulled the trigger and started the expansion and rehab work. We got everyone on board, and their rate structures were built up in such a way that they could meet the debt schedule.

On the other hand, I know that there are a lot of utilities out there that are not as fortunate. There's only so much you can do with the rate structure, especially with some of the regulations that have come down. Arsenic removal, for example, is expensive — both the removal part, and also what you do with the residuals after you've removed it. It's getting to be a very expensive venture for some of these smaller communities, especially if they have low-income residents. How can they support that kind of infrastructure? It's very difficult.

Are these new regulations, coupled with outdated infrastructure, driving up costs for the customer?

It's not only that, but also the cost of fuel. As the cost of fuel goes up, the cost of chemicals go up. It's the cost of electricity as well — the cost of pumping. The water moves by pumps, of course, and we have to pressurize those systems. All those play a role, and rates will continue to go up as electrical and fuel rates go up. We chew up a lot of power in the water business.

What can utilities do to keep water rates and usage down?

Meters have been the best water conservation tool out there for a long time. You pay for what you use, and there's no such thing as a flat rate. By doing that, it helps with conservation. People will begin to self-regulate and economize as much as they can.

What is your outlook for the next generation of water professionals? Who should the industry target to help ensure future water quality, and how do we recruit them? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below...

(To participate in your own Peer Perspectives Q&A, please e-mail editor@wateronline.com.)