Hudson 7 First Annual Water Operators Appreciation Week Highlight: Dutchess County Water and Wastewater Authority (DCWWA) and Richard Winchester, Director of Operations

May 31, 2024 marks the sixth anniversary of the Hudson River Intermunicipal Council (Hudson 7).  To celebrate, we are launching our first annual Water Operators Appreciation Week (May 27 - 31) in order to bring public awareness to the important role of our water treatment plant professionals.  We are also hosting a tour of the Poughkeepsies’ Water Treatment Facility on the Marist College Campus that is open to the public on Friday, May 31 at 10am.  Please contact us at [email protected] if you’re interested in attending. 

Each day this week, we will feature one of the five public water treatment plants located in the Hudson River estuary, and highlight a member of their staff dedicated to ensuring the delivery of clean, reliable and high quality drinking water to the communities that they serve.

Today, we turn the spotlight on the Dutchess County Water and Wastewater Authority (DCWWA) - Hyde Park System located in Dutchess County and Richard Winchester, the Director of Operations. 

Unlike the other drinking water plants within the Hudson 7 watershed, the DCWWA is a public benefit corporation that was established in 1991 by the act of the State at the request of Dutchess County.  The authority provides drinking water for nearly 22,000 people throughout Dutchess county including the Town of Hyde Park, a voting member of the Hudson 7.   The DCWWA-Hyde Park water system’s water source is the Hudson River, and serves approximately 6,928 persons through 1,258 service connections. The facility is a conventional filtration plant that consists of a raw water pumping station located by the main treatment plant. The raw water station pumps water from the Hudson River to the treatment facility approximately one-half mile away.

We were very happy that Richard was able to take some time out of his busy schedule to talk to us. 

What is your title and what do you do? How long have you been in your position?
I am the Director of Operations for the Dutchess County Water and Wastewater Authority. We own and operate 18 drinking water treatment and distribution systems as well as 8 wastewater collection and treatment systems. My role is to oversee operations across all 26 systems, which involves training and managing new operators, working with engineers to design system improvements, corresponding with regulatory agencies, and managing budgets for the systems to provide dependable water treatment services. I have held my current position for 6 years and have been in the field for 32 years in total.

How many people do you provide drinking water for in your community? 
Our drinking water systems serve around 22,000 people.

How did you come to choose a career in drinking water? 
I wanted a career in which I could use my mechanical skills to help people in my community. It’s often taken for granted, but someone needs to be there to make sure that drinking water is safe and reliable. In my role, I also work with wastewater treatment systems, which gives me an opportunity to help protect the environment in addition to public health.

What do you appreciate about your job?
I enjoy creative problem-solving, and there are lots of opportunities for that as an operator and as a manager. I also appreciate sharing my knowledge and experience with a new generation of operators. There is also a lot of job security since people will always need drinking water.

What advice do you have for young people considering the same career?
There is a position for every skill set and experience level in water treatment. Every new operator runs into a part of the field that they find appealing, whether it’s the mechanics, the chemistry, the reporting, or something else. The most important thing is to be open to learning and being committed to doing your best work. My advice is to remember that people are depending on you and your work is important, but you aren’t in it alone. There’s a huge field of dedicated professionals who are ready and willing to help you improve, so be open to asking questions.

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About the Hudson River Drinking Water Intermunicipal Council (Hudson 7): The Hudson 7 is a collaboration of the mid-Hudson municipalities and counties that draw drinking water from the Hudson River Estuary for more than 100,000 people in the Town of Esopus, Town of Hyde Park, Town of Lloyd, Town and City of Poughkeepsie, Town and Village of Rhinebeck located in Dutchess and Ulster Counties. These communities are served by five drinking water treatment plants that utilize Hudson River water, operated by the City and Town of Poughkeepsie, Village of Rhinebeck (for the Village and Town of Rhinebeck), Town of Esopus, Town of Lloyd and Dutchess County Water and Wastewater Authority (for Hyde Park).