David Ricker sees water treatment as more than a job — it’s who he is and what he does. Ricker, a 36-year team member and now chief operator at the Greeneville (Tenn.) Water Plant, has fashioned an award-winning career from ensuring high-quality water for his community of 15,000, nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.
It’s not hard to see why. Ricker’s father worked for the Greeneville Sewer Commission for 30 years and served as chief wastewater treatment plant operator. Ricker himself went to work for the commission right after he graduated from Greeneville High School. As luck would have
