If you have ever turned on the tap, flushed the toilet or wheeled your trash cart to the curb without a second thought, you have something in common with most of Roseville. Everything just works.
That is exactly how the engineers at Environmental Utilities like it.
Engineers Week is a chance to celebrate the team behind the scenes who keep the water flowing, the wastewater going and the trash trucks rolling. It is not glamorous work. It is better. It is essential.
“I look at the whole system and plan and implement improvements so recycled water and wastewater infrastructure works reliably today and decades from now,” said engineer Arashdeep Singh.
In engineer terms, that means thinking 10, 20 or even 30 years down the line. In everyday terms, it means making sure your shower still has pressure and your sink does not suddenly decide to become a fountain.
As Roseville grows, so does the need for bigger and better infrastructure. That includes expanding wastewater lines, upgrading pump stations and making sure treatment facilities can handle whatever the city sends their way.
“As the region grows, we have to expand our wastewater plants at the right pace,” Singh said. “Build too much and customers overpay. Build too little and development stalls. I’m proud that our capacity analysis helped us use what we already have more effectively.”
Wastewater may not be dinner table conversation, but it is serious business. Kyle Drury puts it simply.
“I help ensure that the City wastewater collection and treatment systems keep our communities safe, healthy, and well regulated,” he said.
Translation: what goes down must be treated properly. The team works hard to make sure everything flows in the right direction. You could say they are experts in keeping things moving.
On the drinking water side, the goal is crystal clear.
“We provide safe, clean water to drink and then take away your dirty water,” said William Montz. “That is something the community depends on every single day.”
From treatment processes to storage tanks to miles of underground pipe, it is a carefully engineered system. When it works, no one notices. When it does not, everyone does. That is motivation enough to get it right.
Then there is Waste Services, which is also part of the utility family. While residents see the trucks each week, there is a lot of planning behind the scenes to keep routes efficient, equipment maintained and operations running smoothly.
A major project now in the works is a new operations center that will support Waste Services and utility crews. Keith Schmidt is helping lead the charge.
“I say I develop rehabilitation and construction projects for water, sewer and solid waste (trash) handling facilities,” Schmidt said. “I am using my experience working at an operating materials recovery facility (mechanized trash sorting facility) to develop a newer, cleaner and better facility for the City.”
Think of it as building a home base for the people who keep everything else on track. A place where big ideas and big trucks can coexist.
For all the technical drawings and detailed plans, the engineers say their work is more human than people might expect.
“We are coming up with awesome improvements and our team is willing to work hard to make a difference,” said Tracie Mueller, Wastewater Utility Manager. “We recently had an important project go to bid and only got one bidder whose price was too high for our budget. Instead, our engineers and Wastewater Collections team performed the work, saving $1.6M.”
There are meetings, site visits, problem solving sessions and the occasional head scratcher. There is teamwork. There is pride. There is a shared mission to protect public health and the environment.
And yes, there are plenty of engineering jokes along the way.
This Engineers Week, we are celebrating the people who make sure the city’s most important systems never miss a beat. Water, wastewater and waste services may not always steal the spotlight, but without them, things would get messy fast.
Thanks to this team, Roseville residents can keep turning on the tap, taking out the trash and going about their day without a second thought.
Now that is what you call good flow control.