Ed Partyka honoured with second Manitoba Water and Wastewater Association award
March 21–Another member of Selkirk’s water and wastewater team has been recognized for his outstanding performance in his job at the city plant.
Ed Partyka was named the Manitoba Water and Wastewater Association’s 2016 Operator of the Year at a banquet held last month to honour industry members.
It’s Partyka’s second industry award – he was named Rookie of the Year in 2010 – and the city’s seventh award since 1998.
Selkirk’s Water and Wastewater Team Takes Pride in their Work
Mayor Larry Johannson said he’s proud of the employees at the water treatment plant and their dedication to their jobs has earned them plenty of accolades over the years.
“The guys at the water treatment plant do a fantastic job and take real pride in their work,” Johannson said.
“Having good water is important to everyone and all of us here are in great hands with guys like Ed, who always go that extra step and really care about doing the best job they can.”
Employees at the water treatment plant are responsible for ensuring Selkirk has a continual and safe source of water, which the city calls for as a priority in its strategic plan.
Dan McDermid, the city’s director of operations, said there are more than 700 operators in Manitoba, and Selkirk’s crew is always recognized as being among the best.
“We have an illustrious history of producing high quality people,” McDermid said.
Ed Partyka Goes Above and Beyond
Partyka said he was honoured to be recognized by the MWWA and surprised at the same time.
“It’s humbling, right? You don’t expect anything like that to come down your way, you’re just doing the best you can while you’re here and go home thinking you made a bit of a difference and feel good about that,” Partyka said.
He enjoys his work, in large part because everyday offers something different. It’s also an important job.
“People are happy when the tap water is running and the toilets are flushing but behind the scenes it’s quite complicated. It’s also very interesting what we can do to water to make it safe and also what we can do to wastewater to make it safe for the receiving streams,” he said.
Dale Scott, the city’s manager of water and wastewater, and himself a previous MWWA award winner, most recently recognized last year with the Lorne Sayer award for lifelong dedication to the job, nominated Partyka. Scott said Partyka is an employee who goes above and beyond.
He recently worked on a portable water station that will make its debut this summer at various events in Selkirk. The station can be connected to any water source and will allow people to fill their bottles with cold, refreshing water for free. It’s about the size of a hot dog cart, has three filling stations, one that is wheelchair accessible, as well as a fountain.
“I have always asked the guys to think about making the job we do better. Ed has done that time and again, with projects like the polymer feed system and the water hydration station,” Scott said.
“Each time we improve something, we make the job more efficient and easier for who comes behind us. This frees up time to again, improve the next project.”
Other Selkirk water treatment plant employees who have won MWWA awards include Dylan Funk, Ron Grove, Rick West, and Andy Dmitruk.
