| Member Spotlight: Kristin Rehg
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Member Spotlight: Kristin Rehg



Job:
Utilities Management/Project Manager

Employer: City of Evanston, Illinois

Educational background:  B.S. in environmental engineering from Northwestern University. Licensed professional engineer in Illinois.

Years in water: 12

Daily duties: I work on design engineering and construction management for small projects, such as water and sewer main lining, and coordinate with consultants on larger projects. I also follow up on resident service requests that come in via Evanston’s 311 system, manage internal projects and programs and participate in public outreach programs.

What is the most exciting project you’ve worked on?
When I was a couple years out of college, I was assigned to do a water and sewer rate study for a small community in northeast Illinois. In the course of my work, it became apparent that the community was experiencing bacterial contamination in their shallow wells. Soon after, fecal coliform bacteria was detected in a distribution sample. This triggered follow-up from the Illinois EPA, which determined the wells had come under the influence of surface water and needed additional treatment beyond chlorination. UV disinfection was selected because the equipment could easily fit into existing well houses, but this technology had never been used in a public water supply in Illinois. By working closely with the utility and the IEPA, we managed to complete pilot testing, design, permitting and construction in about six months and the equipment worked wonderfully to eliminate bacteria detections in the treated water. It was a great feeling to know that my work had helped ensure the safety of the community’s water supply.

What is something unexpected you learned on the job?
That water professionals spend so much time working in advocacy and public outreach roles! For decades, the mentality was “out of sight, out of mind” for buried infrastructure and treatment plants that are often tucked away out of public view. This led to underinvestment in infrastructure renewal, and lack of community support for increased spending to try to catch up. I never knew when I was studying engineering and working on complex treatment plant designs that I would one day need my “soft skills” just as much as my technical knowledge.

Goals: I am very passionate about getting college students involved in AWWA while they’re still in school. It helps them feel more confident and connected when they start looking for jobs.


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