James Dean Constantly Infuses Team Members With a Passion for Continuous Improvement

James Dean may be the Mr. Efficiency of wastewater treatment. As manager of wastewater treatment facilities for North Baldwin Utilities in Bay Minette, Alabama, Dean sees things not as they are, but as they could be: more efficient, less costly, easier to operate. Since he took over operation of the wastewater operation 13 years ago, he has installed upgrades that saved the utility millions of dollars by avoiding the need to build a new treatment facility. It’s a record of achievement that earned him the Alabama Rural Water Association Wastewater Operator of the Year award in 2017. “Streamlining the process, improving effluent,