Borough's Christian honored as state Wastewater Operator of the Year

When longtime Public Works Department employee Brian Christian was asked to attend the Feb. 14 borough assembly meeting by his supervisor, Tom Wetor, he thought that he would be asked to share his expertise on a pump station collection process with the assembly. Instead, Wetor surprised him with an award for his 25 years of service, courtesy of the Alaska Rural Water Association.

Wetor, the assembly and borough officials thanked Christian for his contributions to the borough and wished him well on his upcoming retirement this summer.

The Alaska Rural Water Association, which provides training and advocates on behalf of the state's small wastewater systems, presents the Wastewater Operator of the Year award to outstanding and dedicated employees in the sector. Christian has played an essential role in the smooth operation of Wrangell's water and sewer systems since he joined the department in 1998.

"I have worked with Brian for a few years now and I can say that he is incredibly knowledgeable and skilled at operating our wastewater system here in Wrangell," said Wetor, addressing the assembly. "Brian knows our system inside and out and better than anyone else in the city. You can count on him and rely on him to troubleshoot issues and keep our plant in good working order."

Wetor also mentioned Christian's commitment to mentoring other staff members. "He's building some big shoes to fill and he will be greatly missed," he concluded.

Christian first became a city employee in 1993, when he got a job with the Harbor Department. Five years later, he transitioned to public works and has continued to work there ever since. The job transition "was a new adventure for me," he recalled. "It was a new opportunity to do something different besides walk the docks. I wanted more of a challenge."

During his long tenure with the department, Christian has seen many improvements and changes in the borough's water and sewer infrastructure, from the sewer extension to 6-mile to the wastewater treatment plant upgrade.

"When something broke, we fixed it," he said. "The middle of the night, on the weekends, Christmas Eve and stuff like that - the satisfaction is when you repair something and it works for years after you fixed it."

Receiving the award was "pretty cool," Christian said, because it shines a spotlight on often overlooked forms of labor that are nonetheless essential to the functioning of the community. "I didn't expect it ... there's a ton of operators in the state of Alaska and people don't even know what's going on behind closed doors. Nobody ever sees us doing what we're doing - that goes for the wastewater guys, and treatment and distribution."

He will continue in his role with Public Works until August, when he plans to retire and spend the rest of his days fishing for salmon.