The Northwest River is a fresh water source, and we're discharging to a different location. The plant employs 29 fulltime people, although not that many work at any given time. The recent upgrade brought extensive automation and controls, allowing for a skeletal crew in off hours of only three people. Besides Harr and Walski, a production superintendent, bacteriologists, chemists, operators, maintenance supervisors, and several other technicians round out the staff. As part of their job, facility operators routinely deal with the public.
Consumers call regularly to report line breakages and voice complaints, concerns or questions.
We like to address any issues upfront with the public. If you hide behind a wall, their imagination becomes the truth. We see and taste water on a daily basis, and engineers working with it must be aware of taste preference and its confusion with water quality. Consumer concerns must be balanced with requirements of regulators. Chesapeake's Northwest River Treatment facility has come to master such a balance.