Has anyone watched that show with Mike Rowe called Dirtiest Jobs?  You know the one where he treks across the country and does some of the hardest work out there...and dirtiest? You know, the jobs we all take for granted and most likely won’t do ourselves?  Admittedly I have worked years in municipal government. Other than providing protection to threats I never really gave wastewater treatment a thought until I took over the city manager position. That being said, some of the most dedicated individuals work in this department. The knowledge they have is most certainly above par and they literally keep “IT” flowing if you get my meaning.

Admit it! Nobody really thinks about what happens once we flush that toilet. Where does the water go when it rains? Clearly from my law enforcement days and working with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency some don’t get why we don’t dump antifreeze and other chemicals into the storm sewers. It all goes to one place for a small group of individuals to test, and clean before it goes back into our rivers and waterways. Today we are talking about the individuals at the wastewater treatment plant. The people nobody likely thinks about, nor the important jobs they hold. Without them we would likely be living in a much different society.

Wastewater treatment falls under public works. The supervisor at our wastewater treatment plant is Chris Schaefer. I met Chris back in May and even prior to that, but I really got to know him and the wastewater plant back in May. I have developed a true appreciation for them, and for that matter all the people who work at these plants. Without them, things could turn to “crap” real fast, no pun intended.

As one may or may not know we have a big project coming in the very near future. Many have heard it referred to as the CSO project, or the Combined Sewer Outflow project. I asked Chris to tell me a little about this project and the significance it has for Pekin. Chris stated this will certainly help bring things in line with what they are trying to accomplish. Chris said this will create a steady flow making things more environmentally friendly. Chris said that by environmentally friendly, he is referring to the untreated sludge that could hit the river during the big rain events. This final project for the sewer plant will address that issue and keep the city compliant with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. That is in layman terms folks. I assure you that Chris had a much more complicated explanation, but honestly it is like talking to the IT folks when they explain how things work. Eyes glaze over and we go, “uh huh” as if we really understand. LOL…Yeah, I got it Chris. A pinch of this, a cup of that, and it is magic. Water is clean.

Chris Schaefer has been an employee with the City of Pekin for 12 years. He is currently the operations supervisor at the wastewater treatment plant. Chris is married with three children and he loves to hunt and fish when he is not keeping our waters clean. I asked Chris what else he enjoyed in his off time. I actually found a true friend in Chris when he openly admitted to being a die-hard Bears Fan. Yes, we both had tears in our eyes knowing the struggle we have endured these past couple of years. We became an instant support group for each other. Then, to make matters worse, Chris openly admitted he was a die-hard Cubs fan as well!  Holy Crap (excuse the pun). “Me too,” I said.  We immediately reminisced about the Cubs World Series win in 2016. We smiled. We laughed. Then reality set in, and we cried. We likely won’t see that again in our lifetime. LOL. 

Moving on, I asked Chris what some of the most challenging things we are facing with the wastewater treatment plant. Chris had to think a bit, but he said the most challenging thing that we face at the moment is that half of the life of the plant is over. Now, it is keeping up with the ever-changing EPA standards, which takes a lot of time and effort from Chris and his staff. Chris is a plumber by trade, and much of the maintenance work is completed by him and his staff. This is certainly a cost-saving measure for the city. The bigger jobs will get outsourced, but the day-to-day maintenance, much of that work, is handled by Chris and the staff.

I asked Chris what is one thing about him and his staff that people likely take for granted. Chris said that was simple with a smile. Chris said that people do not realize they have to have more “smarts” than they are likely given credit for. For example, Chris is a certified licensed plumber. He maintains that status, which is a state-tested certification. This is not an easy exam in and of itself to pass. He also has to maintain numerous other licenses, and Chris currently holds a Class 1 wastewater treatment license. This was difficult to obtain and required a lot of study, and he stated the test was certainly one of the hardest he had ever encountered. So, we aren’t dumb folks down here. I know this to be true as one of Chris’ staff worked on nuclear components in our military’s nuclear submarines. So, there are certainly some skill sets at the plant.

Chris then had a little glimmer in his eye and said, “Hey, can you mention something I am really proud of.”  I said of course. He then took me into the “lab” and was clearly very proud of this lab. Chris said that one of the things he was able to implement, that is of substantial benefit to Pekin, was this lab. Chris stated that he and his staff test our water daily. Chris said that by them doing this testing he is saving the taxpayers over $70,000 dollars in costs to send out the samples to various labs. Chris was very proud of this accomplishment, and honestly, so was I.

One thing Chris did not mention was Phosphorus. Recently the EPA was monitoring the city very closely as our levels were high. Chris initially was treating the issue chemically, which was a significant cost. Chris was able to figure out a way around the use of chemical treatment by routing the water to an unused pit where the sludge would sit, and further, there was extensive cleaning of a tank. All of this has put us well under the limits, and we no longer are utilizing chemical to treat. We are fortunate to have an “out of the box” thinking person running the plant. 

Finally, I asked Chris what the citizens of Pekin could do that would help them and the wastewater treatment plant. Chris thought for a moment and then offered this. Don’t flush the “flushable wipes” or sanitary products. Chris stated that this causes damage to the pumps and costs the citizens thousands every time they have to repair or replace a pump. Chris states it costs between $15,000 to $18,000 each time they replace a pump and approximately $5,000 to $10,000 in labor. So, it adds up quick. All in to fix, he states it costs them approximately $30,000 each time they do this, and they replace and fix several times each year.

So, Pekin the next time you flush it is not magic. There are actually people on the other end that treat that water to make it safe to go back into the river. Thank you, Chris and staff, for all you do! And Pekin you can help too. Take Chris’ advice to help out. Don’t flush those wipes and sanitary products.