CORONAVIRUS HEROES | TURLOCK IRRIGATION DISTRICT
TID keeps the lights on and water flowing BY ANGELINA MARTIN Essential services like water and power have never been more important than during the current coronavirus pandemic. Thanks to the team at Turlock Irrigation District working hard behind the scenes, those staying at home can rest assured that the lights will stay on and local crops will continue to grow. “Nobody really stops to think about their power or irrigation service in times of need like this during a pandemic,” TID General Manager Michelle Reimers said. “Sometimes we’re overlooked, but there’s a lot of pride at the district in our employees who know they have that responsibility to provide our services regardless of the conditions.” Since its formation over 130 years ago, TID has evolved to transform the region through its pair of services that benefit the community day in and day out. While many who think of heroes during the coronavirus pandemic may immediately consider essential workers like first responders, healthcare workers and grocery store employees, all of whom are deserving of praise, the TID team has also remained committed to the responsibility of ensuring the community continues to run efficiently. Thanks to TID workers like power control room operator Jessie Garcia, electricity continues to surge through local hospitals. One of the most productive agricultural regions in the world will continue to grow food thanks to irrigation services provided by water distribution operators like Chris Rocha. “We are the foundation of what the community needs to function,” Reimers said. “It’s especially important to make sure our services are reliable as people shelter in place. There was a sense of fear in all of us throughout the community of not knowing the severity of the pandemic. I can tell you if the power were to go out, it would've been a lot scarier — especially at the beginning when resources were slim.” There has been an increase in the local power load when it comes to residential dwellings, she added, but commercial businesses are now using less electricity. TID employees have had to make changes in order to keep themselves and the public safe during the pandemic. For Garcia, that means less people in the control room and dispatch crews taking extra care not to come into contact with the public when repairing power infrastructure throughout the community. Weekly trainings are now conducted at home as well, Garcia said. “It’s very, very quiet now...we really have to be on our toes more so than normal,” he said. “I’ve always been proud to work for TID and especially during this time I'm proud to work for this company because we support the community. We do provide essential services and it feels good to be able to help in some way.” On the irrigation side of things, Rocha said the team of 36 at TID who are responsible for delivering water to farm-
Photos contributed
Thanks to power control room operators like TID’s Jessie Garcia, the community can rest assured that their electricity will continue to run while staying at home.
ers haven’t seen each other for weeks. The roughly 15 employees who need to communicate regularly now do so through technology, though they do occasionally run into each other while out in the field — and stay socially-distanced when it happens, of course. “I really do miss them. We’ve become really tight and close. My family are their family. It’s like a brotherhood we’ve got going on, and during the pandemic we’re not seeing each other,” Rocha said. Still, Rocha and others continue to take daily water orders for farmers who continue to grow produce. It’s Rocha’s job to make sure the water gets to its destination with no spills, which is especially important during this time as the state reenters drought conditions. “I’m fortunate to be working. Being an essential worker means a lot to me because the farmers rely on me pretty much for their livelihood to grow feed for their livestock or food that we’re going to eat,” Rocha said. “TID is community-owned, so I do have a responsibility to provide essential services no matter what’s going on around us during this pandemic. If they need the water, I’m going to deliver it to them.” Aside from the essential services they provide, TID employees also recently raised $2,400 for the United Samaritans Foundation through a virtual food drive. As their fundraising efforts flood back into the community, local residents can rest assured that their water and power will continue to be provided as well. “Our employees are community members and are always looking for ways to give back. It was empowering and I’m proud of what they did on their own,” Reimers said. “I’m very proud of how we’ve adapted.” JUNE 2020 17
CORONAVIRUSHEROES
Photos contributed
TID water distribution operator Chris Rocha continues to deliver water to local farmers who need to irrigate during the coronavirus pandemic.
