A serene morning at the Southwestern Riverside Multi-Species Reserve.
Photo was taken by Joe Sherrock
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
ABOUT MET THIS WEEK

A weekly newsletter by and for Metropolitan employees
May 11, 2020
During Crisis, WSO Keeps the Water Flowing
Eight weeks into the COVID-19 emergency, Group Manager Brent Yamasaki is already reflecting on some of the success stories of the men and women working in Water System Operations.

All Metropolitan employees had to adjust to a new and very different way of working, but for most WSO staff, this time has been especially challenging.

“There wasn’t a playbook written for this,” says Brent . “So we harnessed the collective experience and expertise of staff throughout Metropolitan on ways to operate the system, keep employees safe and continue with our mission of providing safe and reliable drinking water.”

Staff took the initiative to find solutions, working together on everything from increased cleaning protocols, to operating the control rooms and treatment plants in new ways, and continuing safety training on virtual platforms. All the while, they met the compliance, testing and safety requirements,

Brent notes that many field staff don’t have teleworking opportunities because they need to be at the labs, plants and other facilities to keep operations reliable. “We had to come up with some unique work options including the concept of micro-teams - distinct smaller groups that work together - as well as rotating staff and prioritizing the work. "I give our WSO staff tremendous credit for quickly coming up with ideas to do work safely in new ways,” Brent says.

The stakes were raised even higher when a DWR pipeline bringing water to Riverside County needed emergency repairs two weeks ago, kicking off a three-day shutdown of the pipeline and the Mills plant. Again, Metropolitan staff stepped up and has been working with DWR and member agencies to get water flowing again.

“In terms of coordination, this whole emergency has been unprecedented,” according to Brent , “and our employees have been exceptional.”
World Water Forum Inspired Her Work Today
The hope of every educator and mentor is to inspire young people to do good work.

So imagine the thrill when Benita Horn , who has been managing Metropolitan’s World Water Forum college grant program for 16 years, saw an announcement for a major ASCE presentation on water quality given by Dr. Sarah Fischer.
 
The name caught Benita’s attention immediately.

Before she was Dr. Fischer, Sarah was part of Metropolitan's World Water Forum grant program with Occidental College. Her project on solar-powered nanofiltration membranes at Occidental College culminated with a three-week trip to France and Mali, West Africa. The three-student team met individuals from the Université de Bamako and rural communities.

“The WWF project provided my first real-world, hands-on design experience in water quality treatment. It was one of the fundamental highlights of my undergrad career, leading into my graduate and professional one,” says Sarah. “More importantly, the experience also fostered a permanent global value for working on water issues.”

Sarah Fischer is now a Post-Doctoral Research Associate in the Civil and Environmental Engineering department at the University of Colorado at Boulder. She is researching source water quality and high-resolution organic matter characterization.
 
The World Water Forum in its current form will be ending soon, the result of changes in the U.S. Bureau of Reclama-tion’s grant program criteria that provided much of the funding for colleges and universities. But Metropolitan staff is working on other college program ideas.

“When you see how many success stories came from this program, it inspires you to want to do even more,” says Benita .
Sunflower Seeds Save the Day (and Night)
With a tip of the hat to his three years at the Fontana Water Company before joining Metropolitan, Jose Uribe is now in his 12th year at the Mills plant as a Water Treatment Operator III. He may have been a trendsetter, noting that six other treatment operators have since come from Fontana Water.

“Fontana Water took the time to develop its staff,” says Jose . “The fact that I did so many things − maintenance, SCADA and the use of a number of technical instruments − gave me practical hands-on experience that I’ve been able to apply at Metropolitan.” It also helped that Jose picked up his Associate of Science degree in Water Supply Technology from San Bernardino Valley College during that same period.

Jose works seven straight 12½-hour night shifts, has a break with seven days off, and then works seven daytime shifts. “It was tough on my kids when they were young.”

In the current COVID-19 environment, he’s seen a number of protective measures taken at Mills including separate entrances and exits, separation during shift team changes, frequent disinfection of areas, separation of workstations, and use of his own keyboard. Jose remarks, “Management has been responsive to provide a safe and secure work environment.” 

The drive home after a night shift is especially grueling. “One of the old-timers suggested I start eating sunflower seeds to fight fatigue,” says Jose . “You know what - it works!”

At home, he makes it up to his wife, Cecilia, and three children, Vincent, Araceli and Ruben, with family outings, road trips and camping. They are looking forward to a Lake Mead water extravaganza soon. (The photo above is one of his favorites – taken with his daughter, Araceli, now 16.)

Metropolitan recruits from other resource agencies, as well as its four-year trade apprenticeship program to train men and women for skilled electrical and mechanical positions.
LAST CALL: PETS OF MET
Don't forget to send photos and stories of your pets to Jannine Rojo . Entries received by Wednesday, May 13 , will be featured in an upcoming WaterTalk article and other projects.
New hires, transfers, promotions & retirements are posted here each month.
NEXT ISSUE: JUNE 1
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