Week 1 has been a great at KCI Technologies. Despite COVID-19, I have learned a lot about the Water Market this week. I've been told that we have some of the best water on the east coast.
About the Water Market at KCI
KCI serves private, public and quasi-public organizations that supply, treat, store and distribute water for residential, commercial and industrial consumption (Water - Utilites | KCI, 2017). When I spoke with Water Marker Leader, Gary Mryncza, I asked him about the quality of water in Baltimore and he he attributed the good water to having a great source of water from the Liberty, Pretty Boy and Loch Raven Reservoirs and a good treatment systems through the Department of Public Works. In Baltimore, there are also two wastewater treatment plants: Back River and Patapsco. With great systems in place and state of the art facilities, its no wonder that Baltimore has ranked in the "Top 10 among American cities with the best drinking water, according to Best Life Magazine online" (“Baltimore City Water Ranks Among Top 10 Nationally,” 2017). At KCI, I learned about many of the jobs and projects that are integral to ensuring that our water systems are running smoothly. Its not something that many people think about but keeping designing, constructing and maintaining these systems require many different careers including environmentalists, technicians and engineers.
Technology & Jobs in the Water Market at KCI
In the water market, there are careers in the natural environment, water resources, geospacial and asset management. At KCI, scientists and engineers work together and with local agencies to mitigate our built environment, maintain and operate asset and develop solutions to problems in our water, wastewater, hazardous waster and industrial hygiene. Throughout my time spent with the engineers and scientists at KCI, there was mention of technology that assist them in solving problems within the water market. These included, Microstation, AutoCAD, WaterGEMS, and BIM software like Revit. There was also an expressed need for operators, those responsible for operating and maintaining water systems and plants.
If you're interested in learning about the water in Baltimore, check out this newsletter that promotes tap water over bottled water. Why we should all be drinking tap water. From The Johns Hopkins News-Letter website: https://www.jhunewsletter.com/article/2016/09/why-we-should-all-be-drinking-tap-water/
Water is the Future - A Problem We Must Solve Today
Brave Blue World
YH20 Mentoring Program
If you are a Baltimore City resident between the ages 18-24 and you're interested in a career in the water industry, you should consider the YH20 program that prepares young adults to be employed in full-time jobs. The goals of the six-month program are to
Educate Baltimore City young adults about the water industry and its career opportunities
Develop a pipeline of future workers with the right skills to fill entry-level positions in the water industry
Baltimore City’s water industry offers immediate full-time entry-level job opportunities with the potential for career growth and advancement. YH2O Participants will receive:
Job Readiness and Hands-on Training
Worksite Tours
Job Shadowing
Summer Jobs through YouthWorks
Water Industry Career Exploration
An Individual Career Coach
Visit their website for more information and the application: https://publicworks.baltimorecity.gov/water-mentoring-program
Resources:
Baltimore City Water Ranks Among Top 10 Nationally. (2017, November 13). From Baltimore City Department of Public Works website: https://publicworks.baltimorecity.gov/news/press-releases/2017-11-13-baltimore-city-water-ranks-among-top-10-nationally#:~:text=Baltimore%20water%20has%20landed%20in,%2C%20Orlando%2C%20and%20New%20Orleans.
Water - Utilites | KCI. (2017, May 8). KCI. https://www.kci.com/market-sectors/utilities-market/water/
YH2O Mentoring Program. (2018, January 24). Retrieved from Baltimore City Department of Public Works website: https://publicworks.baltimorecity.gov/water-mentoring-program