Day in the Life of a Saco Wastewater Operator

City of Saco
City of Saco
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Published 2021-01-26
“I do like to say that when things are going well, we’re just a glorified janitor. When things aren’t going well, we’re the guys who have to clean up the mess before it hits the fan.” – James Ferguson, a 10-year veteran operator at the Saco Water Resource Recovery Division.

In this video, the first of our day-in-the-life series focusing on the team that handles Saco’s wastewater, we present you with an in-depth feel of what it’s like to keep a treatment plant running smoothly. You’ll learn why they enjoy their work, too.

“I’ve heard stories and telltale of when the tannery was still [upriver], and you could tell what color they were dyeing the leather that day,” James said. “There were no fish, there were no paddleboarders, you didn’t have people going and swimming in the river, because that was unheard of.”

“To be able to kind of give back and make sure that we can use the river for fishing and swimming, and people can come up and enjoy the Saco Bay area, that’s just a feather in the cap for what we do.”

You can learn more about Saco’s WRRD team by visiting sacomaine.org/WRRDworkforce
All Comments (21)
  • @RonanTetsu
    Ah, the underrated heros of civilization.
  • @emmanuelnikiti348
    I am a Water Treatment Plant Operator in Wewak, Papua New Guinea 🇵🇬. What a great Water Treatment Plant 👍 Thanks for this video. Appreciated 🙏
  • @larslover6559
    Find this immensely interesting. Great and funny guy. Water treatment is a bedrock of modern society.
  • @06SteveO
    It is a thankless job. People don’t realize how important it is. I refer to us at the offensive linemen of public works. If we aren’t being singled out then we are doing our job.
  • @pokej8942
    Thank you for your service. Much respect!
  • @juanfranmar1225
    Muy buena plática para los que nos dedicamos a las PTAR. Felicidades !!
  • @scummyrobins6299
    Wish I worked in a nice clean plant like this. My waste water plant is a disaster lol.
  • @user-hr6lo8yt6x
    I've been thinking about maybe applying for a job in wastewater for a couple months now. I think it's something I would enjoy.
  • @glst1974
    I did NOT know about the flushable wipes. Good to know. Sorry guys.
  • @corvette4923
    This man is the Paul Rudd of the wastewater world.
  • @unicornscandab7980
    Does this require a college degree? Or is it just certification thing???
  • @jakejones2927
    I have no experience, high school diploma, how hard is it to get a job as a water operator?