 So after I graduate from college, I'll be able to get the kind of job I want with a good salary That isn't too much to ask is it? Great Kevin, okay, let's move on who's next Jennifer you're up me You are the last one Jennifer. You all agreed to be on camera for this careers project. I know I know Whenever you're ready Jennifer I'm Jennifer Richards, and I thought a lot about what I'm going to do after high school I'm going to college and I don't know where yet, but But I'm gonna major in Well, I haven't quite decided Something interesting though with lots of opportunity and money Wait a minute hold it. I Don't mean to hold this up. Mr. Kavanaugh, but I really don't know what to say I mean sure I want to make money, but but I want to do something worthwhile I mean do you guys really know what you want to do yet? Come on. Let's take a break. I want to show you all something Come on in have seat These are some tapes for a documentary. I'm working on for my master's degree Now it's not finished yet, but I wanted to show it to you anyway because well I think it might make you think about a career in a field that you probably haven't given a lot of thought to What field? Just watch it begins here and it ends here water Besides air water is our most important resource But unless it's protected and used wisely we may be in danger of losing it Man's progress isn't always compatible with nature's we produce we use we discard and we expect the environment to bear the burden But it can't The evidence is there in our lakes and rivers in our wetlands on our beaches even in our drinking water When we pollute we pay The quality of our lives is inevitably linked for better or worse to the quality of our environment So this is a documentary on the environment. Mm-hmm on water quality in particular. I want to move ahead I want to move ahead to some interviews. I did with people who work in water quality and pollution control Like this biologist for example When I went to college, I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do, but I knew that I wanted to study science So I took as many courses I could in chemistry and biology I found them very interesting. We're not always doing the same thing sometimes We're out here on the river. Sometimes we're in the lab. It's also very rewarding because you're You're doing something that's worthwhile. You're Serving the public providing safe drinking water. Everybody needs water We track the bacteria Certain inorganic and organic chemicals if we're in Violation if we exceed any of the maximum Contaminant levels we have to report that To the government and then eventually to the public What I like most about the job is it gives you I guess it gives you a sense of Importance a good feeling about what you're doing every day because it does have an impact on other people other people are relying on you To do what you're supposed to do and it's important to me to be doing something every day that makes a difference This woman is a chemist in a water treatment plant knows everything there is to know about water purification I got into this field. I guess I started thinking about it when I was in high school I had a very enthusiastic biology teacher and I went through advanced biology with her and she Really enjoyed helping out the environment so I got the background there of wanting to to help our environment in some fashion and Right after I got out of college. I started working in a wastewater plant and enjoyed the The chemistry that that we did there and just continued on From that job to other environmental jobs and realizing that I really Enjoyed chemistry and also may be helping the environment our system serves about 800,000 people We produce about 100 million gallons of water per day My responsibilities in the lab are mainly for the organic testing that we do we use a gas chromatograph and We test mainly for THM's or trihalomethane's other organic Test that we run is called a total organic carbon We just analyze different areas of the plant all the way from the raw water to our pump discharge water How much organic carbon is in the water? I really enjoy what I do here. It's very challenging You're left a lot of freedom to Expand upon the knowledge that you have and also you're given the opportunity to to learn a lot more There's so much that's new and so much That the water and industry is going to grow new regulations that you're never going to be bored. It's it's got a lot going for it There's a big demand for research and development in water quality. It's a highly sophisticated feel That's neat. I love chemistry. I can get into a job like that Only I didn't do so great in some of my science classes. Well, that's okay, Ryan I mean you don't have to be a scientist or an engineer Here's another interview that I think you might find interesting We talk with a lot of water and wastewater treatment plant personnel operations type work See what you think about this kind of work basically, I monitor the functions of the plant and Ensure that all the equipment as well as the instrumentation is working properly If there is a process malfunction, it's my responsibility To get that system back online as soon as possible Some of our equipment can be pretty expensive costing as much as several hundred thousand dollars This is our master control panel and from this center We have full access to all of our pumps our back washing system And it virtually allows us to know what's happening throughout the system We are doing something to help our rivers and in this day and age when there's so much Emphasis on the environment it it gives you a good feeling to know that you're doing your part My job as an operator down at the Blue Plains wastewater treatment facility to me It's just as important as a fireman putting out a fire or a policeman stopping crime in a city My job is to take dirty water and turn it into clean water We have like five or six different facilities in which you have Secondary treatment primary treatment dewatering heat exchange and the last multi-media The main reason for me being an operator and being successful in it is my caring for the water discharge until our river To keep our fish healthy and keep our water clean Mr. Kavanaugh my brother's an engineer and he really likes his work. Are there any engineering jobs in water quality? Oh, yeah, sure It's a big field for environmental engineers. We interviewed a dozen There's civil and design engineers electrical and mechanical engineers. What is that? It's called computer-assisted design. It's used a lot in engineering Great it looks good This has been an example of computer aided design and drafting CAD is a way in which environmental engineers in cooperation with a CAD operator Prepare the plans and designs which are used to construct the facilities Which we design to protect the environment to provide safe drinking water to make sure that the wastewater going into streams is Free of contaminants and that the public health is protected. I receive a great deal of Satisfaction and being an environmental engineer. I feel that I am genuinely having an impact on cleaning up the environment and making the earth a safer place for future generations Our firm is an engineering architectural and planning firm with major areas of emphasis in the area in transportation and Water and wastewater The project that we dealt with earlier in our career Which gave us a great deal of satisfaction and help to establish us in the water and wastewater area was our participation in the deep tunnel and reservoir program for a major Midwest City this project permitted the storage of Rainwater doing periods of heavy precipitation In order that this water could be fed into the treatment facility at a rate in Which it could be treated prior to being Let out into the waterways and streams in the area my personal background and training which led me into this area Include undergraduate work in construction engineering and graduate work in geotechnical engineering The thing that appeals to me most about engineering and the water quality area in general is the fact that we make a substantial contribution To the health and well-being of the citizens of our country And I get a great enjoyment and pleasure out of seeing the things that we have designed put into action For the service of the communities in which we work Mr. Kavanaugh, I think I want a job where I'm out meeting people and changing the way people think are there any jobs like that in water quality Okay, there are a number of jobs you can choose from in water quality You might consider a technical support role. How about education? policymaking lobbying financing That sounds more like me I'm gonna show you a couple of interviews This first one's with the lawyer who deals with environmental issues He really gets into his work makes a good deal of money at it, too. I Started off as a science major in college very interested in the environment and in water and actually became an earth space science teacher teaching ninth grade for a couple years very excited about Being outside enjoying the environment enjoying canoeing and all the things of that nature And finally decided that I would really like to do something more on a full-time basis that I could actually actively Improve the water around the country. So I actually went to law school and came to this law firm where I work with 30 attorneys here specializing with environmental law and construction law and What we do is we work for municipalities and contractors and engineers around the country who are involved with building wastewater treatment projects and water projects And Superfund cleanup projects all designed to clean the groundwater and the water That's being discharged into the rivers and waterways Everything that we do has a direct bearing on the water If you're just taking oil from your automobile and dumping it in your back lawn That's going to make its way into the groundwater and contaminate the water The environment can be cleaned up. It is not too late. And so it's something I've really enjoyed doing And it truly is something that every day. I know when I come into my office I'm going to do something that's very meaningful to me and very worthwhile I see a direct impact every day with what I'm doing. I know that what I do Is going to cause a municipality to be able to do something to improve their water Here's something else you may be interested in Jennifer. This woman regulates industry to make sure it doesn't pollute the environment Well, EPA's role is uh to regulate industry Ensure that industry Does not cause problems for the environment and then more and more We've gotten into the business of dealing with the average individual and the things that you and I do That might cause environmental problems How we dispose of our trash whether or not we recycle the products that we use What kinds of products we buy working in the water quality protection area is especially rewarding I think because it's very concrete We can go out and we can see the water body with the water We know rivers that we love lakes that we love beaches Bays that people really care about it's very Nice to be able to go out and find that people in a community where you're working care a lot about what you're doing And really support the work that you're doing There are thousands of regulatory opportunities throughout the nation Aside from the u.s. Environmental Protection Agency Which has regional offices throughout the country each state has its own agency as well. So you see It's something to think about I'm jennifer richardson And I know that whatever it is I decide to do it'll have a purpose It'll be in a field where I know I can make a worthwhile contribution to the environment After all we're going to have to live in this world. We all are It just makes sense to preserve it, right? I don't know exactly what I want to do yet But after finding out a little about water quality, I think a job in that field would be pretty interesting I wouldn't just make a living. I'd make a difference The environment water especially is so important and needs to be protected You've given me a lot to think about and there's so many career options too