Although many businesses and services have shut down in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, water departments all over the nation are still operating and hard at work to ensure that as so much of the rest of people’s lives are interrupted by COVID-19, the source of safe water remains stable.  

During these challenging times, Kansas City Board of Public Utilities (BPU) continues to stay committed to offering dependable and reliable water services to over 55,000 households and businesses in their community at some of the lowest rates in the nation. Recognized as one of the top public utilities in the country, BPU strives to better the quality of life of their customers and community as a whole.

Paul Crocker, Supervisor of Maintenance at BPU, shared that due to the coronavirus outbreak, procedures in the facility have been…

“Extremely different… vendors have to go through a ton of screening before entering the facility… employees in non-critical roles are now working off-site, whereas employees with a role deemed as ‘essential’ are still working on site. We also only have one person in the control room now.”

For Paul, working at BPU was the perfect opportunity that allowed him to utilize his background in maintenance, his water certification, and his IT skills. Through his position at BPU, he strives to provide value to the organization and clean water to the city. Especially now, it is more important than ever to provide clean water because certain facilities, such as hospitals, factories, and fire stations very much depend on having a reliable source of water.

Those in the water industry, like Paul, are truly heroes. Even in the midst of uncertainty and danger, they cannot simply hit “pause” on the need for clean drinking water. In any and all circumstance, the role of water professionals remains absolutely critical. Paul shares,

“BPU is a huge partner in public health, and even the medical community. If the water is contaminated, that could lead to diseases, and even death. I hope that there is more education on water and the importance of it.”