NEWS

In Aumsville it’s the work that makes the water

Justin Much
Stayton Mail

Aumsville Public Works Director Steve Oslie had to take some good-hearted ribbing from his crew recently.

As Oslie walked into the shop early last week he heard an unfamiliar song playing. At the same time he espied some playful grins from public works crew members Matt Etzel and Anthony Salinas, as the lyrics shouted out something about “you’re the man.”

It took a second, but the director caught on; they were kidding him about the recognition he received as Manager of the Year during the Oregon Association of Water/Wastewater Utilities 37th Annual Management & Technical Conference the weekend before in Sunriver.

“Yeah, I like working with you guys,” Oslie said as a grin of his own lit up.

A couple days later Oslie modestly brushed off the award – and the kidding – in favor of the other awards won by the city and, by association, his entire crew. Aumsville had been recognized as having the best-tasting water overall in Oregon by association. The nonprofit awarded Best Surface Water, Best Ground Water and Best Overall: Aumsville took home the latter two trophies.

Oslie attributed the refreshing recognition to the city’s focus on implementing a new filtration system. He also applauded his crew.

“These guys take the water (quality) in Aumsville seriously,” Oslie said. “Because that’s their number-one public responsibility.”

It’s a duty that comes with a bit of drudgery, monitoring water samples and even at times flushing the water lines to ensure quality. But those tasks have been made easier since the January 2014 installation of the new filtration system.

Oslie noted that after years of complaints from citizens about the taste and odor of the water -- and unsuccessful efforts to improve the water quality -- the city decided to postpone other maintenance projects and put the filtration system as a top priority. The system was designed by 4B Engineering and Cascade Water Works installed the equipment.

“There was this perception that our water was horrible, and that had been bugging us for a long time – years,” Oslie said.

He said making water a priority ultimately took “a lot of weight off our shoulders.” The installers said it would make a world of difference; it did.

The water association press release issued March 12 stated:

“The City of Aumsville has excellent water which was proven this year by an unbiased panel of four judges who blind taste tested drinking water from around Oregon, judging it on clarity, bouquet, and taste.

“Water from the City of Aumsville will be entered to represent Oregon in the National Best Water Contest at the annual National Rural Water Association’s Rural Water Rally in Washington D.C. at the end of this year.”

Meanwhile, a modest Oslie became awash in the glory sprung from the awards. He suspected something was up when cohort Scott Kenagy badgered him into the Sunriver trip and attendance at the conference.

In a separate press release, OAWU noted that it looks for someone who “regularly goes above the call of duty” when it awards Manager of the Year.

That press release stated:

“It is OAWU’s privilege to acknowledge Steve Oslie’s professionalism, performance, attitude and care of the City of Aumsville. He takes pride in his work, is extremely conscientious, does not take shortcuts, is willing to learn, and shares the things he has learned with others. In addition to these, Steve is a hard worker and a delight to work with. This award is truly a pleasure to provide to such a quality person.”

To which Oslie again pointed to his crew, and the city for making the filtration system a reality:

“Yeah, I like working with you guys.”

jmuch@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 769-6338, cell (503) 508-8157 or follow at twitter.com/justinmuch

About OAWU

Oregon Association of Water Utilities is a nonprofit, independent association of water and wastewater utilities formed in 1977 to represent water utilities’ interests in the state legislature and provide onsite technical assistance. OAWU is a state affiliate of the National Rural Water Association. NRWA is one of America’s largest and strongest voices for rural and small systems, representing over 26,000 water and wastewater members.

Website: http://oawu.net