When you turn on your faucet, you expect clean, safe drinking water to be there. Making that happen takes much more than turning on a tap. Behind the scenes, SJRA’s water treatment operators are monitoring, testing, and managing the treatment process around the clock to help ensure the water delivered to the community meets strict water quality standards.
Jacob is one of SJRA’s Utility Lead Operators for the Lake Conroe Surface Water Treatment Plant. In his role, he helps oversee employees and the day-to-day operations of SJRA’s surface water treatment plant, transmission system and water receiving facilities. He also serves as a subject matter expert in water treatment, laboratory practices, and the regulations that apply to surface water.
More Than Watching a Monitor
At first glance, a 12-hour shift in a water treatment facility might look like a lot of time spent sitting in front of computer screens. But those screens provide operators with critical information about what is happening throughout the treatment process.
Jacob monitors instrumentation and data through SJRA’s Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, while also reviewing laboratory results and chemical analysis. By comparing information from multiple sources, operators can identify changes or anomalies that could indicate a developing issue. When something needs to be adjusted, operators can respond to help keep the treatment process operating as it should. It is a job that requires constant attention, technical knowledge and an understanding of how individual components of the treatment process work together.
Preparing for “When,” Not “If”
Water treatment operators know that problems can happen. The goal is to be prepared to identify and address them before they can affect the quality or reliability of the water supply. That mindset is especially important in a system that operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
SJRA’s operators continuously monitor the treatment system while laboratory staff conduct around-the-clock analysis. Together, these teams provide multiple layers of oversight, helping identify potential issues and allowing operators to make adjustments when necessary. Their work is largely invisible to the people who depend on the water coming out of their faucets, but it is an essential part of protecting public health and maintaining a reliable drinking water supply.
A Purpose Behind the Work
For Jacob, one of the most rewarding parts of working at SJRA is knowing that his work has a purpose. Whether he is leading his team, sharing knowledge with new employees or helping prepare the next generation of water professionals, he sees an opportunity to make a difference. He is also proud to be part of SJRA’s larger effort to develop and maintain a sufficient and dependable water supply for the future. Providing safe, reliable drinking water takes sophisticated treatment systems, continuous monitoring and rigorous testing. But most importantly, it takes people who are committed to getting it right. Every day, Jacob and his fellow operators work behind the scenes to help ensure that when the community turns on the tap, the water they rely on is there.
