After high school in a small Missouri town Trevor DePew followed his heart to Colorado and earned an associate degree in environmental science.
As part of a course requirement he toured a small water treatment plant, and right there his life changed: “I found it fascinating. I called my mom and said, ‘Have you heard of water treatment? Why does nobody talk about this?’ It immediately lit a spark in me.”
In 2019 he landed a trainee position at the Louisville (Colorado) Water Treatment Plant. He earned his Class A Water Treatment license in two years and last year became a supervisor for two conventional surface water plants.
His influences: I had a really supportive mother who taught me unconditional love and how to meet people where they are. At age 11 my stepdad came into my life and is a shining example of a man of principle.
On the job: My primary goal is to help the operators be successful. Otherwise it’s ordering parts and managing capital improvements, like replacing all the filter media at one of our plants. I also maintain the water treatment budget and handle reporting to the state and the U.S. EPA.
What makes it exciting: It’s the complexity behind the science. There are always problems to solve. I also wanted to do something with my degree to protect the environment. And it so happens that with water treatment I also help protect the people who live in Louisville.
Sources of pride: Every time one of our operators gets their next certification, I love seeing their excitement when they pass the exam. Last year we went to the Rocky Mountain Section AWWA conference and won the Wendell R. LaDue Utility Safety Award. We also presented on safety at the conference and won second place in a taste test competition. And one of our team members, Jeffrey Owens, won Operator of the Year.
Looking ahead: I like where I am now. As long as I keep contributing to positive change, innovating and building a strong team, I’ll be happy with the position I’m in.
Advice to young operators: As you grow and explore your career path, remember to have mercy for yourself and those around you. We’re fallible humans; we make mistakes. But if you work hard, do right by others, give thanks every chance you get, and relentlessly chase what you’re passionate for, you’ll find happiness and value.
The boss’s view: Trevor is a wunderkind, a truly outstanding person. He’s ambitious and driven and has built a really strong team. He helped deploy the Fontus Blue program, a machine learning model that optimizes treatment. We were the first in Colorado to deploy it.
— Greg Venette, utilities superintendent
