#WaterForAll

It’s easy to take water for granted. We turn our taps on… and it’s there! We forget about the people that dedicate their lives to ensuring access to safe, clean, abundant water for all of Toronto and York Region’s many millions of Residents and Visitors.

This Winter, CUPE Local 416 is bringing you #WaterWednesdays to celebrate the dedicated work of our members in Toronto Water. Follow along to hear their stories and learn about some of the roles employees at Toronto Water perform to deliver on their promise of water safety, security, and accessibility.

#WaterWednesdays #WaterForAll

Local 416 member, Don McLean, Transmission Technician, Toronto Water, plays a crucial role in ensuring the reliability and safety of our city’s vast water and wastewater infrastructure.

Don and his team regularly delve up to 100 feet underground to perform inspections, repairs and preventative maintenance on bowels, station valves, reservoirs, and pumping stations.

No job is too big or too small for Local 416 Member, Kathy Lai, Wastewater Excavator Operator, with Toronto Water.

Whether operating an excavator, backhoe, or truck – servicing Water Mains, Catch Basins, or Sewers – Kathy applies 30 years of training and experience in maintaining Toronto’s underground water infrastructure on behalf of residents of the City of Toronto.

Local 416 Member, Alamjit Maan, Plant Operator, RC Harris Water Treatment Plant, is responsible for oversight of the processes that treat and distribute clean drinking water to residents and visitors of the City of Toronto and York Region.

From monitoring systems and equipment, to water quality testing, reporting, and documentation, Alamjit and his team take pride in ensuring smooth plant operations while upholding the highest in safety and environmental standards.

Meet Marjorie Geddes, a licensed and certified Class 4 Water Treatment Plant Operator, responsible for monitoring, and testing drinking water at Toronto’s RC Harris Water Treatment plant, to ensure the highest levels of quality and safety.

Marjorie derives satisfaction from knowing that her work ensures that residents and visitors of Toronto and York Region have an abundant supply of safe, clean drinking water.

When Toronto Water equipment ceases to operate in the middle of the night, it’s Local 416 millwrights like James Guo who get the call to perform critical maintenance and repairs.

James and his colleagues are licensed, specialized and highly-skilled – and remain on call 24 hours a day – to provide essential service as needed.

Local 416 Member, Kier Nyland, Operational Service Worker (OSW) with Toronto Water plays an essential role maintaining our city’s vast underground water infrastructure – through all seasons, and in all weather conditions.

He and his crew access confined-entry spaces underground to perform inspections and repairs to watermains, pipes, culverts, catch basins, hydrants, and valves, while adhering to the highest in safety, environmental, and regulatory standards.

Kier and his team take pride in ensuring all residents and visitors of Toronto and York region have abundant access to safe, clean, sustainable

It’s a dangerous job, but somebody’s got to do it. Local 416 Member, Sean Kelly, an experienced Operations Services Worker with Toronto Water, does it with a smile.

He, and his highly-trained and specialized crew, perform the essential service of maintaining Toronto’s underground water infrastructure, which carries water, and wastewater, to-and-from our sewage treatment plants, and back out to the lake.

Maintaining City of Toronto Water Infrastructure is a responsibility we take seriously.

Local 416 Member, Geoff Bretzler, Transmission Technician with Toronto Water, shares the extensive licensing and certification process he and his colleagues work hard to maintain.

We take pride in serving the people of Toronto, ensuring access to clean, safe, and reliable drinking water for all residents and visitors of Toronto and York Region.

Everyone deserves clean, safe, reliable drinking water. Local 416 Member, Paul Serianni, Industrial Millwright, Toronto Water takes pride in delivering on that promise.

Paul works passionately and diligently each day to ensure Toronto Water Infrastructure is consistently operational and well-maintained – to maximize life expectancy of systems – and provide reliable access to safe, clean, drinking water for all.

Anthony DeCesare, Industrial Millwright with the City of Toronto Solid Waste Division, is responsible for troubleshooting, maintenance, and repair of mechanical systems and machinery that make up part of the roughly $600 Million portfolio of Solid Waste Assets across the City.

Anthony’s training, skills, and experience supports the City’s garbage, recycling, and organics collection programs, and prolongs the lifespan of equipment.

Local 416 members like Anthony are vital to keeping Solid Waste facilities running smoothly, ensuring operational efficiency, and continuous service delivery across the City of Toronto.

Local 416 Member Carmelo Canto, Industrial Millwright with Toronto Water, brings highly-specialized skills, training and experience to the treatment and distribution of up to 950 million litres of safe, clean drinking water daily, at RC Harris Water Treatment Plant.

Carmelo takes pride and care in doing his part to protect this precious resource for residents and visitors of Toronto and York Region – and sharing his specific knowledge and experience with the next generation of water workers that will ensure the continuity of service and facilities.

Thank you Carmelo, and members at Toronto Water – and all Municipal Water Workers – for your contributions to Public Health and Safety!

Help ensure access to safe, clean, abundant water for generations to come.

For the generations who for over 10,000 years have lived in and around the lands known as Toronto, and for the millions of residents and visitors that rely on our services each day, water is essential, and must always be acknowledged and protected.