PROFILE: From veterinary medicine to sewage treatment, here's how Christen "fell in love" with her unexpected career

A former lab analyst and now Wastewater Plant Operator, Christen Wood’s career path has led her from veterinary medicine to sewage treatment. We asked her about opportunities in Wastewater Operations.

How did you get into wastewater?

I sort of fell into it! The local paper ran a column on the “brain drain” in Ashtabula, why we weren’t able to get qualified candidates into jobs there. I wrote a thank-you letter to the editor for covering the topic, and as soon as the letter ran, the Ashtabula wastewater treatment plant called me and said, “We need you to apply now."

TECH: Plant ops, sludge science among topics featured in 2014 tech journal "Clean Water Works"

Plant operations and the wastewater treatment process are the focus of our latest issue of Clean Water Works, an award-winning technical magazine covering subjects relevant to the water industry. View it below or open the publication in a new window.

RELATED: Don't miss our online-only Web Extras:

• The facts about phosphorus, and why Lake Erie receives more nutrients than any other Great Lake
• Training, development opportunities give employees a chance to grow and improve

ENVIRONMENT: The facts about phosphorus, and why Lake Erie receives more nutrients than any other Great Lake

Fact: Lake Erie contains 2% of the Great Lakes' water—and 50% of their fish.

Great Lakes facts and figures underscore the reality that these water bodies are precious but fragile resources. Affected by many factors, the Sewer District and agencies like it constantly monitor Lake Erie and the streams replenishing it to ensure its health.

RELATED: This story is a Web Extra featured in our Clean Water Works technical journal (Fall 2014)

Nutrients are one contributor to Lake Erie's well-being, with one particular nutrient—phosphorus—making news this season as toxic algae has threatened some parts of its western basin. Here are some phosphorus-specific facts and figures to help tell the story of nutrients and what affects their impact on our Great Lake.

CAREERS: Training, development opportunities give employees a chance to grow and improve

One of the advantages to working at the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District is the opportunity to advance one’s career. The District offers two training programs for careers in Maintenance and Wastewater Plant Operation—through which District employees develop their proficiencies and reach their disciplines.

Maintenance Training has four different tracks for those pursuing a vocation as an Instrumentation Technician, Plant Maintenance Electrician, Systems Utility Maintenance Person, or Plant Utilities Maintenance Person at the Sewer District.

RELATED: This story is a Web Extra featured in our Clean Water Works technical journal (Fall 2014)

Interested employees enroll in a hands-on Talent Assessment Program (based on Automotive Manufacturing Technical Education Collaborative, or AMTEC standards) to determine their technical knowledge. Those who achieve a composite score of 75 or better qualify for the Maintenance Training program.

Successful applicants embark on a training regimen that includes 800 classroom hours (an equivalent of between 38 and 52 semester hours) of coursework provided by Cuyahoga Community College onsite at a District facility, plus 8,000 hours of on-the-job instruction over the course of four years, followed by  ongoing professional training that continuously enhance one’s skill set.