Liberty New York Water Senior Manager, Richard Kern Awarded the AWWA Operator’s Meritorious Service Award
For his dedication and contributions to the water industry, Richard Kern, P.E., Senior Manager Production, Liberty New York Water, has earned the Operator’s Meritorious Service Award from the American Water Works Association, New York Section. Kern was presented with the award at the recent AWWA New York section spring conference in Saratoga, New York.
“Through working professionally with Rich for more than 25 years to accomplish many important water treatment and distribution infrastructure improvements, we were pleased to make this obvious nomination for Operator Meritorious to recognize Rich’s valuable contributions to our industry,” said William D. Merklin, P.E., Senior Vice President, D&B Engineers and Architects.
Kern has nearly 35 years of experience in the water industry. He has been working at New York Water since 1989 starting as an Engineer and working his way up to managerial positions.
“Rich’s extensive knowledge of water systems and the high standards to which he holds himself and his staff are a true asset to Liberty New York Water and every customer we serve,” said Brenda Wall, Director of Operations, Liberty New York Water. “Rich not only has deep knowledge of the Liberty water systems, but also a deep understanding of the water industry as a whole, bringing valuable lessons to us every day and sharing his knowledge to ensure the next generation of Liberty operators will be able to continue his legacy of providing the best possible service to our customers.”
Kern oversees 20 water plants, including 90 wells, 60 treatment systems, 25 storage tanks and 1,200 miles of water mains. These systems pump an average of 30 million gallons per day (gpd), with upwards of 75 million gpd during the peak summer season. Kern is adept at getting ahead of that peak season, knowing what will be needed at each of the plants to keep up with the demand, while meeting or exceeding all state and health department requirements.
Kern trains not only operators but any new employees who need to learn about the water systems and industry, and he does so with enthusiasm and pride, making himself valuable to all departments and someone with a reputation of being easy to work with.
The Operator’s Meritorious Service Award is given annually to an individual who meets the criteria of continuous compliance with public health standards in drinking water; consistent and outstanding contribution to plant maintenance thereby prolonging the useful life of equipment; the development of new and/or modified equipment or significant process modifications to provide for more efficient and/or effective treatment; special efforts in the training of treatment plant operators; special acts not directly related to water treatment, but which demonstrate dedication to the public beyond the normal operating responsibilities; and consistent and outstanding contribution to operation and/or maintenance of distribution lines, pump stations and reservoirs.
“Rich has clearly demonstrated that he meets and exceeds the criteria to be named as this year’s recipient of the Operator’s Meritorious Service Award and we congratulate and celebrate his achievements,” Wall said.
About Liberty
Part of Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp., Liberty is committed to providing safe and reliable natural gas, water, and electricity distribution services to over one million customer connections. Liberty’s utility operations are primarily located in the United States and Canada and have expanded to Chile and Bermuda. With a customer-centric approach to management, Liberty seeks to provide a superior customer experience through local management of walk-in centers, conservation and energy efficiency initiatives, and programs for businesses and residential customers. We measure our performance in terms of service reliability, customer satisfaction, and public and workplace safety. Liberty’s North American distribution operations include Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, Oklahoma and Texas in the United States, and New Brunswick in Canada.
For more information, please visit www.libertyenergyandwater.com.
