Message from the Chair

BUSY! Fortunate and Grateful

By Tom Romza

Every time I am at a CSWEA event or meeting with a client, the opening line that I receive is always “Hey, how’s it going!?” And more frequently than not, before I can get my words out the asker says, “Busy I’m sure!” We laugh and continue the conversation about all the cool things we are working on, or the fun things are families are getting into, etc. I want to emphasize that this response is not a negative one. Busy is fun. Busy is rewarding. Busy is where we should all want to be in our careers.

As we continue working in the water and wastewater industry, I find myself reflecting on how fortunate I am to do this work. In a world that seems to be changing faster than ever, whether it is economically, technologically, socially, or any other “-ally” you can think of, our mission remains constant and steady. It’s easy to take that for granted, but clean water is not a given.
Clean water, whether incoming or outgoing, is one of the most, if not THE most, essential foundations of modern civilization. The mission to protect the environment and the health of our communities is never finished. The planning, labor, and innovation are continuous as we battle aging infrastructure and budgets that never seem to not go far enough. And this is why we are indispensable and I am grateful to be in the industry that we are.

We get to help people and the environment because of our gained experience and common goals. While the world talks about automation and AI
reshaping industries, our work will remain. Technology will help us, but it cannot substitute the expertise, judgement, and commitment that is required in our work. That is something to be proud of.

Looking ahead, we continue to support each other, share knowledge, and push for innovation as the challenges will keep coming. Along with the opportunities to make a difference. In short, we in the water industry are going to be BUSY. For a while. And that’s good.
If you are looking for ways to be even busier and would like to connect and contribute, join us at the upcoming Illinois Section events and consider joining a committee. You can find the details on the CSWEA website. Make sure to subscribe to our email list as well. Alright, I’ve got to get back to work...