WEAT Outstanding Operator of the Year

OUTSTANDING OPERATOR OF THE YEAR

...recognizes a wastewater treatment plant operator (municipal or industrial) in the State of Texas who has demonstrated outstanding professionalism at his/her facility and has performed his/her duties tirelessly and with dedication to the betterment of the water environment.

Victor Riels

Throughout Victor Riels’ tenure of 43 years of service, he has become one of the most reliable, hardworking, knowledgeable, and strong leaders in the Wastewater Operations Branch at the City of Houston.

He is highly knowledgeable of the overall operations process at several plants in the South Central area. He was involved in bringing the new Sludge Drying Facility at Almeda Sims online in 2008.

Regardless of any recognition and hard hits from Tropical Storms Allison and Imelda, and Hurricanes Rita, Ike and Harvey, Victor continued to perform his duties with the highest degree of honor and integrity. The freeze that occurred in February 2021 caused several power outages, broken pipes, and equipment failures that affected the operation of the treatment process. Victor used his expertise to overcome these harsh conditions and maintain the Almeda Sims Treatment Plant in compliance. He has been behind the city consistently and devotedly. His leadership has created positive recognition for the Wastewater Operations Branch. Victor is an employee who leads by example. Several facilities under his watchful direction have received award honors from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies for consistently meeting the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit limits, which has created a safe, productive, and professional environment. A true team player, Victor works very well with his staff and support groups to achieve the best possible outcome for his area of responsibility. His staff often consult with him to resolve issues and problems before they get out of hand. Victor provides clear direction, valuable performance feedback, and he dedicates considerable effort to developing the skills of his subordinates to perform at their full potential. He is a very effective problem solver and quickly overcomes any obstacles. He is very proactive at getting on top of problems and solving them quickly. He became a member of the Water Environment Association of Texas to broaden his wastewater knowledge. Houston Public Works is very grateful to have him as a dedicated employee in the Houston Water Department.

Gavel Passing Ceremony San Antonio Botanical Garden Wednesday, April 6, 6 :15 p.m.

OUTSTANDING OPERATOR OF THE YEAR

...recognizes a wastewater treatment plant operator (municipal or industrial) in the State of Texas who has demonstrated outstanding professionalism at his/her facility and has performed his/her duties tirelessly and with dedication to the betterment of the water environment.

Bill Champion

Bill Champion has worked for the City of Fair Oaks Ranch for 13 years as the chief wastewater treatment operator. His dedication and service to the wastewater field extends 50 years, spanning four states, beginning in Colorado as an Armed Forces Veteran at the Air Force Academy in 1970. His experience, knowledge, and commitment have resulted in 13 years of success for the City of Fair Oaks Ranch, running a 0.5 MGD plant constructed in 1976 with limited upgrades. Bill currently holds a State of Texas TCEQ Class B Wastewater License and continually strives to further his education and keep up with the latest technologies in the field. He is currently a member of WEAT, WET, TRWA, and annually attends conferences, such as Texas Water. He also reads the latest publications sent by industry organizations. Bill is very involved with the Fair Oaks Ranch community and surrounding municipal wastewater teams. With the recent explosion of population growth in Fair Oaks Ranch, the city was mandated by the TCEQ to increase plant capacity in the coming years, which will involve upgrading the existing plant or constructing a new plant at a separate location. In addition to the expansion, the city was forced to change the waste process from drying beds to sludge truck hauling because of resident odor complaints. Bill has been instrumental in this process, taking tours of surrounding municipal plants with similar challenges to bring some ideas to the table, and hosting tours at the plant to residents, council members, and engineers to educate them on the city’s challenges. Due to all this research, the Fair Oaks Ranch City Council recently approved purchasing a sludge dewatering press, eliminating odor complaints and saving the city over $300,000 per year in sludge hauling costs. Also, the last two years have been an extraordinary challenge with the pandemic and the unprecedented Texas freeze in February 2021. During the freeze, and despite having a family to worry about at home, Bill worked tirelessly and slept at the city campus for a week to monitor and address any issues that arose with record-high wastewater inflow, power outages, and pump station failures.

When it comes to daily routine and activities, Bill’s attention to detail and process control has led to 13 years with zero TCEQ violations despite aging infrastructure and technology. He closely examines all state lab reports as they come in, examines sludge microorganisms under a microscope on a daily basis, and performs on-site tests not required under the permit so as to perfect the treatment process. He truly takes the success of CFOR’s wastewater plant to heart. In an industry struggling to find experienced wastewater operators, he has made himself available to train newly hired operators and share his vast knowledge with whoever is chosen to carry the torch as chief operator of the wastewater plant. In addition, Bill is certified as a TCEQ Class C Groundwater operator, assisting the water department. He serves as the primary 24/7 on-call operator every six weeks.

OUTSTANDING OPERATOR OF THE YEAR

...recognizes a wastewater treatment plant operator (municipal or industrial) in the State of Texas who has demonstrated outstanding professionalism at his/her facility and has performed his/her duties tirelessly and with dedication to the betterment of the water environment.

Edgar Tijerina

The first day Edgar Tijerina walked into the McAllen Public Utility South Wastewater Treatment Plant he was met with the smell of anaerobic bacteria that would typically make someone run away. Ten years later, he does not regret it one bit as he genuinely enjoys his profession. During his tenure at MPU, Edgar moved up the ranks. He began as an operator, then safety officer, to supervisor and now manager of the largest biological nutrient removal plant in the Rio Grande Valley for over a year. He achieved this by dedicating to better himself as a knowledgeable WWTP operator. Edgar obtained his Bachelor of Science in biology while working 40 hours a week doing shift work at the SWWTP. A few years later, he became a Certified Public Manager and obtained his master’s degree in public administration. He is most proud of obtaining his TCEQ Wastewater “A” License. It has been an exciting time at MPU with a BNR plant going online in November 2017. This brought upon new equipment throughout the facility along with new challenges. Edgar learned the ins and outs of each BNR process, how to work the new equipment, and wrote out standard operating procedures for the operators. When something malfunctioned, it became a unique learning experience on why it occurred and how it was resolved. Information is discussed in daily morning meetings with his supervisor, assistant systems director, and director. He also has one-on-one sessions with operators concerning the operation of equipment, TCEQ permits, safety issues, operation of SCADA, and lab results. He schedules webinars where he and his operators can learn about new ideas in the industry, new technology, and new equipment. Edgar is instrumental in teaching the BNR process to high school students and college students who visit the plant throughout the year; furthermore, MPU takes great pride in knowing that TCEQ will contact them to help train and show new TCEQ inspectors how a WWTP works. MPU also has a yearly event known as MPU Annual Night. At this event, Edgar and his staff engage with the public about the utility. They have a booth that focuses on wastewater with a 3D WWTP model staff built.

Recently, a state inspection was conducted at the South Wastewater Treatment Plant. The TCEQ inspector shared with MPU that the inspectors at TCEQ all want to visit the plant because of how well it is being managed. During the exit interview, the TCEQ inspector stated, “I rarely do this, but I found no violations.” This comment was a compliment to the operators, but especially to Edgar because he manages and operates the plant. Edgar enjoys what he does and continues to better himself in every aspect of the profession. He is someone to admire. He continues to give back to his operators by teaching them what he knows for them to enrich their knowledge.