Category Archives: Employee Spotlights

Behind the Scenes, Employee Spotlights

Charlotte Water Deputy Director Jackie Jarrell to Retire on December 31

She leaves after 38 years of service to the City and CLTWater.

Jackie Jarrell, 2013

Charlotte, N.C.– After over three decades of working for the City of Charlotte, Charlotte Water Deputy Director Jacqueline “Jackie” Jarrell, PE, is retiring after 38 years of service. Jackie, who has served in various positions since joining Charlotte Water in 1985, will retire on December 31. 

“I want to thank my family, all who I have worked with at Charlotte Water, and the many mentors and friends in the water sector for the years of partnership and guidance that allowed me to learn, grow, and succeed through my career,” says Jackie regarding her time at CLTWater and as a water sector professional. “I have constantly been inspired by how Charlotte Water, as an organization, is always looking forward to how we can continue to provide the best services possible to our community and the region through innovation, partnerships, and dedication to protecting water and the environment. I am honored to have been a part of Charlotte Water and have the opportunity to give back to my community and the water sector as a whole.”

Originally from New Jersey, Jackie moved to Charlotte to attend UNC Charlotte, becoming the first in her family to go to college and earn a degree. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering – Urban and Environmental (Civil) program, Jackie joined Charlotte Water as an engineer (first female engineer) in the Engineering Division of Charlotte Water. While in Engineering, she worked in capital planning and completed hydraulic distribution modeling and sanitary sewer evaluations. She started the Backflow Prevention program for Charlotte Water. From there, Jackie went on to manage the System Protection Division, which included the Industrial Pretreatment Program, working with many local industries and with the Backflow Prevention program. She initiated the Industrial Excellence Awards, honoring industries in our community for excellent environmental compliance. Jackie then became a Wastewater Treatment Plant Superintendent and eventually Environmental Management Chief, managing and leading our six wastewater treatment facilities operations and the biosolids program, the largest land application program in the Southeast. From 2019-2020, she stepped into the Interim Deputy Director role before becoming a Deputy Director in 2020. She created history again when she became the first Latin American woman to serve in an executive position for Charlotte Water.

Throughout her career, Jackie has been a champion for sustainability, initiating several projects, pilots, and initiatives for Charlotte Water. She has collaborated and partnered with UNC Charlotte on research and supporting opportunities for student internships within the College of Civil and Environmental Engineering. During her time at CLTWater, Jackie became a local, state, national, and international leader in the public water sector, earning a series of accomplishments and serving in leadership roles at several organizations and professional groups.

Jackie Jarrell, 2021, Water Environment Federation, WEF Fellow

Jackie served as President of the Board of Trustees of the Water Environment Federation (WEF), an international organization of 35,000 water professionals. She was named a WEF Fellow in 2021. She is currently serving as the chair of the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Advisory to the Board. Jackie served as chair of the N.C. Water Quality Association, of which she was one of the founding members. She was also active in and was Chair of NC OneWater (formerly NC AWWA-WEA). She currently serves on the Board of Advisors for the UNC Charlotte Civil and Environmental Engineering Department College Board of Advisors. Jackie also had the opportunity to travel to Bolivia with Water for People, an international non-profit organization that promotes accessibility to high-quality drinking water and sanitation.

“There is no way I can quantify the impact that Jackie has had not only for us at Charlotte Water but the commitment and dedication she has shown in the way she has assisted in the running of a water system that supports, sustains, and grows with our region,” says Charlotte Water Director Angela Charles. “While Jackie will be sorely missed by us all, we wish her a wonderful, peaceful, and restful retirement as she embarks on this new chapter of her life.”

Jackie Jarrell (Left) and Angela Charles (Right), 2023

Employee Spotlights

Employee Spotlight: Al Rich Celebrates 45 Years

This employee spotlight features Al Rich who just celebrated 45 years of working for Charlotte Water. As a Project Coordinator in the Engineering Division, his experience has allowed him to go on an incredible career journey. Learn more about Al Rich and his time with Charlotte Water in this Q&A.

Al Rich, 2023

Tell us about yourself. What drew you to Charlotte Water originally? And how has Charlotte Water changed since?

I was born in Hampton, VA, in 1953, and I was raised in Marietta, Georgia, where my parents moved to in 1954. My Dad worked for Lockheed, all his life as an aeronautical engineer. I attended Southern Technical Institute in Marietta, GA, and got a BCET degree in 1975. I started my career with the City of Charlotte in October of 1978 in the Design Division of the City Engineering department as a Drafting Tech III when we were at the Cameron Brown Building.

I was promoted to Civil Engineer 1 in 1986. I was a rotating E-1 and worked in the planning, contracts, public service, and design divisions. I was right-sized in 1993 and had a choice of working at the airport or at Charlotte Water. I chose Charlotte Water because I like design work that involves checking out project sites in various parts of the county versus just designing items for one particular site, and the Brookshire office is closer to home.

Charlotte Water has changed a lot since I first got here. We had a place called the vault where you had the as-builts. Walk right in and get a real paper or velum of the as built. Now, of course, it’s on a computer, and the vault room is a gym. Now, designs are done on AutoCAD instead of by hand, and instead of having a draftsperson, for the most part, the engineer drafts and designs the project. When I started, most of the paperwork was done on real paper. Now it’s on a computer.

Could you please share your current job title and the story of how you got to where you are today? What was the name of your first position when you started with Charlotte Water?

The name of my first position here was Civil Engineer 1. At some point, they changed the name to Project Coordinator. I have been in this position since I started here in 1993. I like designing the sewer and water along the street because each job is unique, with different challenges to getting the service to the customer.

What does your job entail?

I design water and sanitary sewer extensions along streets with the help of my draftsperson and team when an applicant pays a tap fee and water, or sewer is within 1000′ of the applicant’s property. I help obtain the necessary encroachments and permits for the project. I answer customer questions about the project. I review plans done by consultants for us. I help other members of Design and Construction with their projects.

Carl Wilson (left) and Al Rich (right), 2023

What do you love the most about your job?

What I love most about my job is that the sanitary sewer and water mains we design provide a valuable service to the community by providing water to drink and use in our various economic and recreational endeavors. We return the water to the river in excellent condition. I love riding my bike in Mint Hill and seeing all the sewer and water projects I helped design with my fellow teammates.

Outside of work, what are your favorite things to do?

Outside work, I enjoy riding my bike around Mint Hill and the greenway with a friend. I ride it to Church when the weather cooperates. I have a classic 1964 Corvair convertible, which is currently being completely restored. I grew up with this car when Dad bought it back in 1965. I have two other cars that I enjoy working on and keeping in good shape, and of course, they are American.

Al Rich, 2018

What’s your favorite memory working with Charlotte Water?

I will always enjoy how the Design and Construction teams work well together and all the good people I have met throughout Charlotte Water. When I do retire, I will miss the people here.

What is the most interesting thing you’ve seen on the job?

Observing the installation of the pipe I had designed, and seeing a jack and bore being installed.

What’s the best advice you can give to someone who just started their career with Charlotte Water?

Take advantage of the opportunities to further your education. If given the opportunity, check out the various divisions/sections of Charlotte Water and, decide which part you enjoy doing the most and go for it.

Behind the Scenes, Employee Spotlights

No Main, No Gain: Maintenance of Your Water Mains

Field Operations for Charlotte Water is a critical component to the success of the utility. Serving an area of over one million people is a large undertaking. To add to that, the area of Charlotte is among one of the fastest-growing regions in the entire country. As growth continues, Field Operations must keep pace with maintaining old and new water mains throughout the county. How do they do it? With a strong team and a tried and true strategy.

Field Operations are split into four separate zones, each covering a distinct geographical area of the service area of Charlotte Water. This includes towns outside of Charlotte such as Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville, Matthews, Mint Hill, and Pineville.

Pictured above is Zone 1, which serves the northern part of the region.

When asked what each Zone covers, Operations Manager, William Lee, said that focus is applied to areas of maintenance of water infrastructure and situations such as water main breaks, sewer main breaks, preventing and responding to sanitary sewer overflows, and maintaining critical assets such as manholes and sewer lines that reside within that Zone.

These individuals are experts in their field and possess a dedication to the city to see it function as smoothly and effectively as they can make it happen. Many people see through decades-long careers in Field Operations and bring a wide array of skill sets.

One example is Phil Stanley, a Team Leader at Zone 1. He started with Charlotte Water 23 years ago and before that, he had a long career in construction projects and working on plumbing and septic systems. When asked what he likes most he said, “I enjoy the investigative part of it. I like to solve problems and there’s a sense of fulfillment because you can physically see what you did and you serve the people of Charlotte.”

An example of a type of call Field Ops may respond to within the region.

There’s no shortage of interesting days with Field Operations within Charlotte Water, and there’s a little something for everyone. William Lee, Operations Manager, said, “Charlotte Water is a great place to work and there’s a lot of diversity. There are a lot of avenues to find your niche. You get out of it what you put into it.” In the Zone 1 facility, there is a section dedicated to training new field technicians. A particularly fascinating part of the training space was real examples of water and sewer mains with real tools to demonstrate how to make new connections and how to operate valves.

Interested in learning more and joining the team? Check out current job openings at jointeamwater.com

Employee Spotlights, How Things Work

Leaky Meter? We Can Fix That.

Most days, it is likely a regular resident served by Charlotte Water doesn’t even think about where their water comes from or the infrastructure that supports it. However, those thoughts can be at the forefront of your mind if you walk outside and see a flood in your yard from a leaky pipe or fitting.

Charlotte Water has staff on standby at all hours to receive calls about leaks all around the region and will send a tech into the field to personally investigate a problem. Relevant calls come into Dispatch, a team of individuals who man the line 24/7 to be on standby in case the worst happens.

Senior Water Service Technician, Danny Balose, flushing a hydrant to repair a leak.

One of the supervisors at Dispatch, Fred Moody, shared stories of his experiences during his years of service and some of the unique things he’s seen. He said that they see more calls during extreme weather, such as deep freezes, and that it’s important to bear in mind that freezes impact our pipes more than northern regions not because of aged infrastructure, but because we designed our systems to be suitable for the climate we live in.

Outside of extreme events, leaky fittings and pipes can be from a number of things and can range from a serious leak that threatens the integrity of a road to just a damp yard. Below, Danny Balose, a seasoned water service technician, listens to water running through a meter to diagnose where a leak may be coming from.

Danny Balose detecting a leak by listening for running water.

Danny has decades of experience within the area. When I was riding with him to learn more about his role, he knew where many neighborhoods were in Charlotte just by memory from his visits over the years. He holds a philosophy that each visit demands the same attention and care to get to the bottom of the problem. He is meticulous in his record keeping and commits time after each call to fill out exactly what happened.

Danny is just one of many individuals at Charlotte Water that remains dedicated to serving their community. If you see a leak in your own yard or in the street near your home, call 311 and Danny or another technician from Charlotte Water will come out to investigate.