“As a Principal Engineer, I oversee half of IEUA’s
Capital Improvement Program, which equates to around $200 million. I supervise
three engineering teams. Each team has three to four engineers, including the
lead Senior Engineer/ Senior Project Manager. I also oversee a total of 5
construction inspectors. I am part of what’s called the Project Management
Office (PMO) and heavily participate in long range planning for the Engineering
and Construction Management department. This includes project planning, allocating
resources, managing staff, overseeing the budget, and conducting training. I am
also involved with each of the teams’ projects and counted on as the prime
responsible for quality control and quality assurance.
Finally, I am also responsible for optimizing the
partnership relationship with design consultant and collaborate relationship
with the internal clients (including but not limited to the Operations and
Maintenance).”
Next, let’s hear from Victoria Salazar, IEUA’s Associate
Engineer.
“One of the projects I am working on is the RP-1 Aeration Basin Membrane Replacement. For this project, we are replacing over 800 aeration membranes in the RP-1 aeration basins. In this part of the wastewater treatment process, bacteria decompose the ammonia and other contaminants found in the wastewater through a metabolic process that requires oxygen. The new membranes are expected to improve the rate of oxygen transfer and the overall efficiency of the aeration process, helping reduce operational cost and improving reliability.”
You can learn more about Victoria’s role as an Associate Engineer by checking
out her Day in the Life video on our YouTube
channel!
Finally, let’s check in with Megan Trott, another one of
IEUA’s Associate Engineers.
“The Preserve Lift Station was constructed in 2017 to
pump wastewater from a new residential tract of homes to the existing Chino
Interceptor Sewer at Kimball Avenue in Chino, CA. The facility is owned by the
City of Chino and operated and maintained by IEUA under a contract with the
City. The lift station currently consists of two submersible pumps operated
through Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs), and the facility is designed to
consist of four pumps at full buildout over the next 20 years. This project
will install a third pump and VFD as flow rates begin to increase with
residential development in the area. IEUA’s goal is to have increased capacity,
increased redundancy reliability, and reduced rag build-up.”
You can learn more about the projects these engineers are
involved in by visiting IEUA’s social media channels @IEUAwater.
That’s all I have for today, friends! I’ll see you all soon
with my next drop of water wisdom!
Your friend,
Wally
