Tag Archive for: Open House

The Center for Water Studies recently added an advanced water treatment program, which will prepare individuals for jobs at facilities such as Pure Water San Diego or the East County Advanced Water Project. Photo: East County AWP open house

Explore Water Industry Careers at Center For Water Studies Open House Jan. 21

Explore career options in the water and wastewater industry at the Cuyamaca College Center for Water Studies annual Open House and Student Orientation on Tuesday, January 21 at 6 p.m. in room L-104 on the Cuyamaca College campus.

Joe Young, Center for Water Studies program manager, enjoyed a successful 35-year career at the Helix Water District before leading the program. Instructors are all current or retired water and wastewater industry professionals.

Prospective students tour the Cuyamaca College Water and Wastewater Technology lab facilities during a recent open house. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

Prospective students tour the Cuyamaca College Water and Wastewater Technology lab facilities during a recent open house. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

“Everybody that works in this program, they’re all either working now or they’ve retired recently. Everybody has strong, intimate knowledge in their specialty,” said Young.

Young encourages anyone interested in exploring water and wastewater careers to attend and learn about the many options for good-paying, meaningful jobs.

Center for Water Studies alumni include Padre Dam Municipal Water District General Manager Kyle Swanson, seen here with his predecessor Don Carlisle. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority Open House

Center for Water Studies alumni include Padre Dam Municipal Water District General Manager Kyle Swanson, seen here with his predecessor Don Carlisle. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

Hundreds of current water and wastewater employees at San Diego County water agencies are Center alumni, including Padre Dam Municipal Water District General Manager Kyle Swanson, and Helix Water District General Manager Brian Olney.

Young said the opportunities and earning potential are substantial. In addition, the work itself is extremely rewarding.

“You’re providing this service your community cannot live without. It gives you a sense of purpose, a sense of mission, and it was the most appealing aspect of my career. What we do is really important,” said Young.

Cuyamaca College’s innovative Field Operations Skills Yard is newly updated to provide students with practical challenges they will face working with water and wastewater industry facilities. Photo: Cuyamaca College Open House

Cuyamaca College’s innovative Field Operations Skills Yard is newly updated to provide students with practical challenges they will face working with water and wastewater industry facilities. Photo: Cuyamaca College

During the Open House, Young said participants will hear an overview of the program, learn about the degrees and certificates offered, details on the State required certifications necessary for employment, and the range of careers available in the water and wastewater industry. Participants can meet instructors and current students and ask questions.

Young said instructors will discuss the program and what students will learn. “We’re training people in the knowledge they will need to pass their state certifications, and we’re very successful at that,” explains Young.

To RSVP, send an email to or .

Meaningful Job Opportunities

The Center offers seven degree programs with certificate and two-year degree options. Young says specialties include water treatment, water distribution, wastewater treatment, wastewater collection, backflow and cross-connection control, and water resources management.

Recently, the Center added an advanced water treatment program, which will prepare individuals for jobs at facilities such as Pure Water San Diego or the East County Advanced Water Project.

A career in the growing water industry presents an opportunity to pursue a very rewarding career while protecting the environment and serving the community in an essential role.

Skilled water professionals are in high demand as the current workforce ages. According to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), water and wastewater agencies employ more than 60,000 workers statewide, including 5,000 in San Diego County. The Water Research Foundation anticipates one-third of the utilities workforce will retire over the next decade, offering numerous openings.

According to the BLS, wastewater treatment and system operators earn an average annual wage of $80,000 in California.

Partnerships With Local Water Agencies

Cuyamaca College’s Water & Wastewater Technology program is the oldest and most comprehensive program of its kind in the California Community Colleges system. Photo: CWEA

Cuyamaca College’s Water & Wastewater Technology program is the oldest and most comprehensive program of its kind in the California Community Colleges system. Photo: CWEA

Established in 1960, Cuyamaca College’s Water & Wastewater Technology program is the oldest and most comprehensive program of its kind in the California Community Colleges system. It has been educating the state’s water utility workforce for more than half a century.

Its innovative Field Operations Skills Yard provides students with practical challenges they will face in today’s complex water and wastewater facilities. Two labs give students hands-on training with backflow and cross-connection control and water quality lab analysis.

Members of the Cuyamaca College Water & Wastewater Technology Program Industry Advisory Committee include the San Diego County Water Authority, City of San Diego Public Utilities Department, Helix Water District, Padre Dam Municipal Water District, Otay Water District, Sweetwater Authority, the City of Escondido Utilities Department, Olivenhain Municipal Water District and other agencies.

 

Olivenhain Municipal Water District Logo landscape design workshops

OMWD to Host Open House Celebration on October 8

Encinitas, Calif. — Olivenhain Municipal Water District invites the public to attend an open house celebration on Saturday, October 8 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The event will be held at OMWD’s headquarters at 1966 Olivenhain Road in Encinitas.

The event is free of charge and will feature children’s activities, complimentary food and refreshments, a water-wise landscape workshop, San Diego Woodies mini car show, and informational booths from San Diego County Water Authority, Encinitas Fire Department, and Solana Center for Environmental Innovation. Drought survival kits will also be available free of charge, featuring water reuse buckets, hose nozzles, moisture sensors, and other water-saving tools.

Open House Celebration

The public event is one of the first at OMWD’s newly improved headquarters. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore the new facilities, learn more about the ongoing drought, and get advice on water conservation practices and rebate programs.

OMWD Board President Larry Watt will lead a discussion about drought conditions. Steve Sherman of California Landscape Technologies will follow with an informative and interactive workshop that will feature methods to reduce outdoor water use and increase irrigation efficiencies. The free workshop will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and is open to the public. Registration for the workshop is available at www.olivenhain.com/events.

Improvements to OMWD’s headquarters were completed in 2020. The facility, originally constructed in the 1960s, now offers a 200-person capacity community room for public use, public access to restrooms, fire sprinklers, and an accessible, secure lobby.

(Editor’s Note: Olivenhain Municipal Water District is a public agency providing water, wastewater services, recycled water, hydroelectricity, and operation of Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve. Organized in 1959, OMWD currently serves approximately 87,000 customers over 48 square miles in northern San Diego County. OMWD is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the metropolitan San Diego region.)

Water Studies Open House Keeps Career Pipeline Flowing

In an economy altered by the coronavirus pandemic, water and wastewater industry essential employees remain in demand. To help people explore their career options, the Cuyamaca College Center for Water Studies program will hold its annual Open House and Student Orientation at distance via Zoom on Tuesday, August 11, at 6 p.m.

Olivenhain Municipal Water District Logo landscape design workshops

OMWD to Hold Open House at 4S Ranch Water Reclamation Facility on August 18

Encinitas, CA—Olivenhain Municipal Water District invites the public to attend its annual 4S Ranch Water Reclamation Facility open house on Saturday, August 18 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The event is free of charge and will feature guided facility tours, a water‐wise landscape workshop, and more.

California Landscape Technologies, OMWD’s landscape water conservation services contractor, will present an informative and interactive workshop that will feature methods to reduce outdoor water use and increase irrigation efficiencies. The free workshop will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and is open to the public.