Chad Smith recognized as wastewater operator of the year at meeting

Chad Smith of the Owen wastewater treatment facility has been recognized by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as the Wisconsin Operator of the Year. The recognition was presented on Feb. 20 at the 2025 CSWEA Government Affairs Seminar held in Fond du Lac.

“It is obvious speaking with Chad that he takes a lot of pride in his work and his community. He genuinely cares about the residents in town and wants to ensure he meets all compliance requirements while doing everything in his power to keep costs affordable and the community safe. He is very knowledgeable and always working to learn more. He maintains a very organized plant with all things clean and labeled. He advocates for his facility and his residents as well as his staff to create a great place to live and work. He is friendly but professional and leads into conversations with an emphasis on listening and understanding those he speaks to. He has been nothing but a pleasure to work with and I know how much he values his role in our environmental protection,” stated West Central Region Compliance Engineer Jenna Monahan in her nomination of Smith.

Monahan’s nomination noted that Smith, as operator in charge of the Owen Wastewater Treatment Facility was found to be missing several certifications in 2023 and has since completed them and is fully certified. “During the time he was working to achieve these subclasses he provided constant updates regarding exam sign up and studying and notified me when he passed his advanced subclass with great excitement,” stated Monahan.

In addition, the facility met all its reporting requirements and had minimal violations. “The violations that did occur were attributed to high influent loadings from an industrial user and due to Smith’s efforts, they have been able to get things under control since then with no recent violations,” stated Monahan.

Smith also played a very active roll in permit reissuance at the end of 2023. “He was both advocating for his residents and the increase in sewer rates that would need to occur to cover PFAS testing requirements and ensuring he understood how the regulations protected surface water,” stated Monahan.

“[Smith] is well versed in the wastewater world and has developed many important relationships around the state to mutually benefit different treatment plants in creative solutions, new technologies, and lessons learned. He has been working to develop a safety training day for his employees and other communities around him that have also expressed interest. He is working to make this an annual training that would move around from community to community to collaborate on different safety issues,” stated Monahan.

Monahan noted one example of a unique solution and learning experience Chad advocated for was that he and his staff were trained by a company on how to fix and replace UV bulbs so they could complete this work on site for their facility. They are consistently looking for unique ways to better operate and maintain their plant.

“He maintains great relationships with surrounding communities and several operators refer to him as a great resource and friend. He creates a positive atmosphere by promoting collaboration for ideas and resources and is never afraid to explore all options,” Monahan stated.