Trevor DePew

A man stands smiling with water treatment facilities in the background.

Trevor DePew, Water Treatment Supervisor for the City of Louisville

I am the Water Treatment Supervisor for the City of Louisville’s Water Treatment Department. My job is to lead operations that ensure safe, clean drinking water for the community. I use my background in biological and environmental science to optimize treatment processes and promote sustainability. My role focuses on building a strong, skilled team while fostering individual career growth; all with the shared goal of protecting public health through innovative and effective water management. I used to be a professional level gamer, frequently showing up as a top 10 player in the world for the game Rocket League.

Switched from Treating Patients to Treating Water

Since middle school I had planned to be a nurse anesthetist. It was the only job I shadowed, and I received an Associate of Arts in Health Sciences to get started. I started as a patient care technician but realized it wasn’t for me. Since I enjoyed nature and the idea of taking care of our natural resources, I started to look at the environmental sciences.

An Assignment from a Geology Professor

In my last year of getting my associate in science focusing on Environmental Sciences at Front Range Community College, my geology professor told us to look at local municipalities and see what job opportunities there were so we could learn about positions we hadn’t heard of before. I ended up taking a tour of Superior’s drinking water treatment plant and thought, this is so cool, I have never heard about this before. I applied for water treatment jobs right after graduating and have been here for 6 years.

Bachelor’s Degree Not Required

Having an Associate of Science expedited the process for receiving the various water treatment certifications Colorado has – I received certifications for my job twice as fast. There are 4 water treatment specific certifications in Colorado, and I was able to earn them all of them in 2 years instead of 4. The degree also helped me in acquiring 13 other water certifications provided by the state.

Support My Staff

I supervise a team of operators who keep our treatment plants up and running, and I also get them what they need to get that work done. I provide them with the resources they need to be successful, whether that’s parts, equipment, a contractor, or other support.

Manage Contractors

We always have contractors coming in to do repairs, maintenance, or other large projects on our facilities. I coordinate with them and other city departments who need to be kept in the loop.

Monitor for Compliance

Treating drinking water is important work that involves maintaining compliance for both the state – Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment – and federal – Environmental Protection Agency – governments. We monitor that we are meeting all water quality standards and need to report back to these agencies.

A man standing by a railing looks into the distance.

My Why

The most important things to me about my job are getting to work with water and being part of a supportive and healthy workplace. Once I knew this was an industry that existed, I wanted to be a part of it. Moving into a supervisor role made me realize I can play an important role in leading and supporting my team, creating a supportive work environment, and serving as a model for other facilities.

My Advice

The field of science is really, really broad. Take advantage of opportunities to learn about what is out there, shadow different jobs if you can. I would have considered environmental over health sciences if I knew about it sooner, but I don’t regret the path I took to get where I am today.