Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators:
Operations staff on site at all times
The operators on duty must:
- Monitor the SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system that feeds data from plant and lift station activity to the Plant Control Room.
- Physically walk the plant site to inspect equipment.
- Receive calls from police, City of DeKalb staff, and residents about problems in the collection system that need attention.
- Monitor collection of samples of influent (water coming into the plant) and effluent (water leaving the plant) for laboratory testing to assess treatment efficiency.
At least one operator is on duty at all times, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. There is a call-in system for needed help.
The cell phone for the after-hours operator is 815 762-1933. The City of DeKalb Police Department Dispatcher (815 748-8400) also has a list of contact numbers.
Operations Staff
Operations Manager
- Steve Olsen...at DSD since 1980
Plant Operators and Collection System Personnel
- Greg Cherry...at DSD since 1988
- David Sieglinger...at DSD since 1999
- Joe Inderhees...at DSD since 1999
- Dennis Haile...at DSD since 2001
- Steve Hiatt...at DSD since 2001
- Dan Knaak...at DSD since 2003
- Chris Stika...at DSD since 2005
- James Cochrane, Jr...at DSD since 2009
- Ben Meier...at DSD since 2009
- Jason Robbins...at DSD since 2010
- John Engstrom...at DSD since 2010
- Nick Flink...at DSD since 2010
Laboratory Personnel
- Allison Yates...at DSD since 2004
- Jaime Thompson...at DSD since 2009
More about the Laboratory
Operator Certification for Public Safety
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency says: "Wastewater treatment systems protect public health and the environment only if they are being properly operated and maintained. The Wastewater Operator Certification Program is intended to protect public health, environmental quality, and the financial investment of wastewater facilities....Applicants for certification must meet specific experience, education, and examination requirements in order to qualify for certification."
All DeKalb Sanitary District operations personnel have or are working towards Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Certification from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. There are four levels of certification in all, each requiring different levels of knowledge, experience and expertise.
