People Behind the Pipes

1. Describe your job. 

As a Capital Improvement Project Engineer at Dublin San Ramon Services District, I work to maintain and improve the infrastructure of the local water, wastewater and recycled water systems. This includes installing new assets to our utility network, such as pumps, valves and motors. I also work to maintain and repair existing infrastructure such as pipeline replacements and manhole rehabilitation. My goal each day is to improve the reliability of our systems, which provide necessary services to our customers and community.  

I am currently working on a sanitary sewer pipeline replacement project at the Federal Correction Institution (FCI) in Dublin’s on-site housing facility for their guards. The pipes in this part of Dublin are some of the oldest in our system. They are made of vitrified clay which has cracked and allowed rainwater to leak into the pipes from the surrounding soil. Dublin San Ramon Services District is working to replace these pipelines with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) which is a stronger and more flexible material.

 

2. What do you like best about your job? 

What I like the most about my job is knowing that we are helping the public. Our customers depend on us to ensure reliable water service, removal of sewage and production of recycled water for plant/lawn irrigation. We are always focused on making sure we can provide our customers with the best service for the lowest cost. 

3. How did you get into the industry? 

After receiving a degree in Civil Engineering at Cal Poly, I worked in the private sector for five years constructing high-end residential homes on the Peninsula. However, I knew that I wanted to work on projects that had a greater and positive impact on the community, so I began applying for positions at government agencies. 

My first public sector position was working for the City of Hayward. When I first applied, I assumed that I would be working on roadway and building projects since that aligned with my background. However, they needed an engineer to work on water and wastewater projects, and I jumped at the chance to learn something new. 

One of the most memorable projects that I worked on at the City of Hayward was a pilot project placing approximately 500 feet of an earthquake-resistant pipeline across the Hayward Faultline in the Hayward Hills. Fires often break out in the aftermath of an earthquake, and the new pipeline ensures that firefighters will have the water supply they need to stop any blazes.  

 

4. What are the biggest challenges of your job?  

The biggest challenge of my job is adapting to constantly changing and evolving regulations. State and federal regulations in this industry are important because they are designed to protect public health and the environment. However, if you don’t keep track of them, you could complete a project and then a new regulation comes into play that immediately makes it obsolete! We always try to predict which regulations are coming down the line and incorporate them into the project design ahead of time.  

One regulation that we are currently tracking is the San Francisco Bay Nutrient Watershed Permit, which will affect all treatment plants that release treated wastewater into the San Francisco Bay. Wastewater contains low levels of nutrients, such as nitrogen, which are not entirely removed during treatment. The purpose of the permit is to reduce the amount of nitrogen entering the Bay which may contribute to algal blooms and potentially impact aquatic life. Dublin San Ramon Services District has a project outline for this permit, but we need to wait to see what the nitrogen limit will be before finalizing our plan. 

 

5. What do you like to do in your free time? 

I just had my first child, so she takes up most of my free time! However, I love to run and enjoy half marathons. I also enjoy hanging out with my friends and family.