| AWWA Member Spotlight – Paul Reinsch, Saginaw, Mich.
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AWWA Member Spotlight – Paul Reinsch, Saginaw, Mich.

Job title and employer: Acting Deputy Director of Water and Wastewater Treatment Services, City of Saginaw

Education: Bachelor of Science, Earth Science, Western Michigan University; Certified Operator Treatment F-1 and Distribution S-1 (Photos courtesy of Paul Reinsch)Paul Reinsch

Job duties: Manage the city’s water treatment plant and seven remote pumping stations. Includes water quality control, pumping, repumping, storage, distribution testing, and personnel management for a water system serving 175,000 customers in three counties.

How did you get into the water industry? After graduating, I worked as a field technician in geotechnical engineering for eight years. My neighbor, Jerry Neering (now retired chief operator for the City of Bay City’s water treatment plant), suggested I apply for an operator position with Bay City. I was there for three years, then worked as a Utility Person I with the City of Midland for seven years. To gain supervisory experience, I spent a year as an operating foreman for the City of Saginaw. I was promoted to assistant superintendent, then superintendent for water treatment, then superintendent of water treatment and field operations. I’ve been in my current position for a couple of months.

Becoming a water professional has been the most rewarding and best move I could have made. I enjoy serving and working with wonderful people. I am very happy with my career choice and recommend it to others.

What is an interesting project you’ve worked on? A $15.5 million project to relocate two miles of 48-inch raw transmission line and 36-inch transmission main out of a road bed. This was due to potential impacts from an upcoming road construction project and was interesting and challenging on many fronts. It took a lot of long days and nights.

What is one of your challenges? Managing the new regulations that have occurred in Michigan over the past few years. These include asset management plan development, the Michigan Lead and Copper Rule, the AWIA 2018 vulnerability assessment and emergency response plan requirements, and upcoming PFAS rules.

Paul Reinsch fishingWhy did you join AWWA, and how have you benefited from your membership? My first supervisor supported my membership in AWWA and I have maintained and valued my membership since 1990. I’ve been impressed with Michigan Section training events and the other members I’ve met. Previously, I chaired the Research and Technical Practice Committee, was a member of the Education Committee, and was a Section Trustee from 2010 to 2013. This September I became Section Chair.

Family and interests: I’ve been married to my awesome wife, Linda, for 38 years. Our son, Ben, works for the Saginaw Midland Municipal Water Supply Corp., which supplies water to Saginaw, Midland and other smaller communities. My daughter, Katie, is parts manager at Team Wieland International Dealerships in Michigan.

What would surprise people to know about you? I’ve been singing in choirs since I was 10 years old. The closest I came to professional experience was belonging to Western Michigan University’s vocal jazz group, Gold Company. I still sing in my church choir.

 

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