Our Very Own ETHAN GRIFFITH Has Been Featured in Influents Magazine!
SUMMER 2021 • VOLUME 16
ETHAN GRIFFITH: EVERYTHING, EVERY DAY
By Christine Hanlon, Managing Editor; Craig Kelman & Associates
Working as an operator for the Municipality of Marmora and Lake means having the opportunity to interact with all facets of water and wastewater on a daily basis. "We all have our hands in a bit of everything, every day," says Ethan Griffith one of four operators - including the manager - responsible for two wastewater and two water systems. The systems include a package plant with extended aeration, a tertiary filter and UV disinfection. About 30 houses are on a septic tank system.
Griffith's day usually starts at the water plant where he conducts a SCADA review after completing his rounds of the systems. ln the afternoon, he gets together with one of the operators to do "whatever needs to be done," whether that involves pulling pumps for wastewater, performing maintenance, or working on water leak detection, among other tasks. "It just depends on the day," says Griffith.
That variety is one of the things he enjoys the most about his work. "You are always learning," he explains. "You can delve deeper into what kind of bugs are in your aeration, what makes a pump tick, and what kind of troubleshooting you need to do. It's really fun to understand what is happening at the plants. And you get to work outside, which is always a bonus." One of his favourite parts of the work is unclogging a pump, something he describes as "wildly satisfying."
With the wide variety of work involved with his position, it is not surprising that Griffith has been continuously building his skills and earning certifications in both water and wastewater since starting as an operator-in-training in 2015. He currently has a Level 3 in Wastewater Treatment, a Level 2 in Water Treatment, a Level 2 in Wastewater Collection and a Level 1 in Distribution.
Griffith's first exposure to the water and wastewater industry was in high school when he completed a one-week work placement at the City of Kawartha Lakes.
"It was always in the back of my mind that it would be a pretty good job," he recalls.
However, after graduation, he went to work in factory near his home town of Coboconk. Then at a weekend wedding, after spending time with friends who were working in the utilities sector, Griffith decided to enroll in the Durham College Water Quality Technician Program.
Diploma in hand, he was hired to cover a maternity leave at the Town of Severn, then one at the Municipality of Marmora and Lake, where he soon transitioned to the full-time permanent position he has held for the past five years.
Last year, he was assigned to lead the water meter replacement project for the town. Altogether, his team replaced meters in more than 670 houses in town with new radio-frequency-equipped units. "Now you just have to drive around town to read the metres," says Griffith. "What used to take three to four days now takes 20 to 30 minutes."
In the water and wastewater industry, technology is always changing, which is one of the reasons Griffith has been attending the annual Eastern Ontario Water Conference. It can be challenging to keep up with new technology just as it can be to keep up with new problems in the systems as they emerge.
"No situations are ever the same," he says. "They may have the same effect but the root cause is always different. You have to be adaptable and not assume that the same problem is the same issue."
Griffith is eager to continue learning and hopes that one day he will have the opportunity to become a manager. Until then, he is happy to continue working and living in his new home town.
Summer 2021 I INFLUENTS I 55
PS, I have purchased him some rain gear out of the Heath and Safety Budget. The garbage bag although fashionable doesn’t cut it. 😊
- Victor