Cal-Nevada Water Resource

A place for water resource people to network or bs. You choose.

 

I have a civil PE, a T4 and just got a D3.

I started out at Tuolumne Utilities District as a water treatment operator just out of college. Worked there for 4 years or so then got a job with Hetch Hetchy in water quality.

Did sanitary engineering (compliance stuff for drinking water mostly) for about 10 years and a couple of years ago took a job in the water and power planning group. Which I would consider more a water resource/operation position.

It’s been really cool to get back into ops. Our group basically manages all the upcountry reservoirs and deliveries to San Francisco.

 

Subbed as a burned-out consultant...

 

FYI: Cal NV AWWAs spring 2020 conference is in Anaheim at the Disney resort.

I usually go to the fall conferences (just went this week actually) and next fall it’s in Las Vegas. Which I thought would be fun but the City of San Fran just put Nevada on the banned travel list...

We are banned from work related travel to 25 states now.

Anyway I might have to do the Spring conference next year. Maybe take the family so they can do Disneyland.

 

I’m a Civil PE and have my own small consulting firm in Folsom. I’ve worked with various firms over the years from small to large corporations.

We focus on water planning and analysis including project operation (hydropower, reservoirs, diversions, consumptive demands, forecasting, etc.), FERC, water rights, transfers, and more. We focus on strategic planning with our clients, litigation support, and some international work.

I also serve the US District Court as a Watermaster for an adjudicated watershed which takes a lot of my time. I work for a federal judge and like to think that my bosses boss is Donald Trump.

I love what I do. Something different everyday.

@nDub, I provided a set of California Water Resources annual reports to Hetch Hetchy W&P a couple of years ago. Didn’t happen to be you who picked them up? (Many boxes of reports).

 

Right on. Sounds like an interesting career! Water rights stuff interest me, I did a little water accounting for our agreements with TID/MID.

I just started with my current work group but I imagine someone here would have picked those up.

We just did the updates to our EAP for 5 of our dams. Pretty interesting.

 

I'm a Wildlife Biologist with SCVWD. I was a consultant prior and consulted for three different water districts, besides other clients. I absolutely love my career.

Water rights is a big complication in a couple of my projects at the moment. To the point I cant speak about it any further.

I also have my own consulting company on the side. I work on it in the evenings, weekends, and vacations from my primary gig. Wildlife research and conservation planning. Currently got two clients, both big conservation organizations, so I am proud to have them for clients.


Sub!

 

What is your subject matter expertise?

 

Anyone have a good statistic on the amount of energy spent on water here in California? (Including moving, treating {drinking and waste}, heating and irrigation)

I feel I’ve heard 50% of total usage but can’t find any sources for that. Feels high to me.

I’ve found 12% and 20%. Not sure.

I know it’s a lot.

The California water project uses 14-4 stage 80,000 hp pumps in a single lift for the pump over the Tehachapis near the grapevine pass.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmonston_Pumping_Plant


Insane.

 

Can a Northern Nevada guy join the party?
Just started working for TMWA who oversees the majority of the Reno area about six months ago in treatment/distribution ops. Got my T2/D2 OITs till I get enough ‘experience’ for the state to convert them to full. Spent the last four years prior drilling and pumping wells.

 

Nice. Thread title changed.

I’ll bet there are some water challenges on the East side of the Sierras.

 

Our system is relatively simple as far as treatment goes considering we pull from the Truckee River (Tahoe). Minus occasional rains storms or ice fighting the main plant is a 100 MGD cadillac. Distribution is a big challenge with the geography of the area and the consolidation of smaller water purveyors into our system over the years. We currently have six different operating systems which can get a little confusing at times.

 

Well I'm not currently employed in this field and do not have any experience. I have been trying to join the dwr apprenticeship for a few years now (due to no direct experience).
Hoping to get accepted as a hydroelectric electrician (because of electrical experience), but they also offer hydroelectric mechanic and hydroelectric operator positions for the apprenticeship.
Should find out by the end of the month if I've been accepted or not. Fingers crossed.

 

Have been trying to soak up as much knowledge as possible to help get my foot in the door. Subbed and thanks @nDub.

 

I’ll try and post jobs that come up too. At least for The city of SF.

I do know one thing that water utilities will see a huge turnover in employees starting now going forward for the next 5-10 years. Some agencies are already experiencing it and having a difficult time hiring to keep up with attrition (mostly self inflicted IMO).

Great fields to get into; water or waste water.

 

Were going through people retiring now. That's when I knew I had arrived, took a reduction in title with a 25% pay raise and there were lifers there that stayed until retirement (hence a good place to work).

 

Per some of my colleagues at other water districts, SFPUC, EBMUD, and Sonoma Water District are all great places to work.

I know SCVWD is from personal experience.

 

Same with us. We have eight foreman or journey operators (out of the 16 needed) retiring in the next three years with only four apprentices in the pipeline but it’s a three year apprenticeship. Anyone who gets in stays in.

 

I know were not having trouble hiring though. When I got hired I had to go up against 100+ people. Since I joined my group almost 4 years ago we have added 5 positions. Each time over 100 people applied. That said, biologist jobs with this type of pay are not too common, so I may not have the best reference point.

 

Let me know if bio positions open up. No downside in looking for better opportunities, especially regarding a place to buy a house.