MANAGER PROFILE
Maintaining the West's Oldest Retail Water Provider: Laura Briefer of Salt Lake City Public Utilities Many of our nation’s public utilities face the challenge of adaptability. Aging infrastructure, increases in storm intensity, and the need to ensure a ready workforce are hurdles utility managers have to overcome to provide reliable services. Salt Lake City, Utah, deals with each of these challenges as it provides water, wastewater, and storm water services to its booming population. Tyler Young, writer for Municipal Water Leader, had the opportunity to speak with Laura Briefer, director for Salt Lake City Public Utilities. Appointed by Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski in 2016, Ms. Briefer is the first woman to serve as director of the Department of Public Utilities in its 142-year history. Ms. Briefer discusses Salt Lake City Public Utilities’ challenges and the plan of action it has undertaken to address them. Tyler Young: Please tell us about your background and your time at Salt Lake City Public Utilities.
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After, I became a water resources manager; my role was to manage a portfolio of water resources in terms of water rights administration, water quality, source water protections, and the water treatment and distribution process. I then became the deputy director of the department, which is a position appointed by the mayor, and eventually was appointed director of the department. Prior to being in the water industry, I spent some time as an assistant city manager for a small city in Utah, and before that, I was an environmental consultant working on several regulatory environmental projects across the country. Tyler Young: Can you tell us a bit about Salt Lake City Public Utilities and its founding? Laura Briefer: Salt Lake City Public Utilities is the oldest retail water provider west of the Mississippi. The water department for Salt Lake City began prior to statehood. The water supply operation has been in operation for more than 170 years. We can trace our history to the arrival of Brigham Young and the Mormon pioneers who came to settle in the Salt Lake Valley. Over time, it became part of city government, and we also were given additional municipal utilities to manage, such as sewer, storm water, and street lighting. MUNICIPAL WATER LEADER
PHOTOS COURTESY OF LAURA BRIEFER.
Laura Briefer: My background in the water industry started 10 years ago when I was hired as a special projects manager at Salt Lake City Public Utilities. I have a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and a master’s degree in public administration. My first role for the department was to manage the initiatives that required extensive stakeholder involvement, such as climate vulnerability assessments or large-scale watershed management planning.
Laura Briefer, Director of Salt Lake City Public Utilities.
