Servando Jimenez works as an apprentice wastewater treatment plant operator at the campus’ tertiary water treatment plant. His first position with the university was with the solid waste unit. After the campus landfill was closed several years ago, he accepted a position at the wastewater treatment plant. He will become a fully-licensed operator in the next year. Servando has also had a key role in making the gravel washer project a success.

What's your day-to-day role in stewarding university resources?
I’m a Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator apprentice. Our main job is to make sure all the sewage lines are flowing and kept clean. If we get a system overflow, we could get fined for that, so we have to hurry up and rush over there to take care of it. Most of the guys here work both here at the plant, and they go out to take care of problems.

"I like going out on calls and meeting the people we're helping."

What's an example of how you delight customers?
I like helping them. One time there was an incident at the dairy barn [Dairy Teaching and Research] with a back-up, and they really needed help for the animals and because students were coming in. It was great to fix the problem and help them do their work.

What do you like best about working at UC Davis?
I like going out on calls and meeting the people we’re helping. I like the people I work with, and learning things on the job. I work with a lot of really knowledgeable people, and I’ve learned a lot about wastewater and collections from everyone.

Utilities, a unit of the Office of the Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer, owns and manages the campus’ municipal services including electricity, heating and cooling, water and natural gas, GIS mapping, solid waste, and wastewater treatment.

Visit the Utilities web site