Amy Polaczyk worked for the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation in the Wastewater Management Program for eight years, and has served as Program Manager since 2020. She recently stepped down for a new opportunity at Tetra Tech.
How did you get started in the water resources industry?
When I was an undergraduate I became very interested in water quality sampling through my ecology and limnology classes. I recognized that water was something that everything needs and humans often take for granted because it magically comes out of our faucets when we turn them on and is magically whisked away when the toilet is flushed.
Amy Polaczyk
What has been your favorite part of your job? Least favorite?
The best part of my job has been working with people who are really passionate about public service— they care with every part of their heart and soul and that is very humbling.
The hardest part of my job has been telling operators that they need to implement more sampling, limits, or improvements at their Wastewater plants when I know that Municipal budgets are stretched incredibly thin.
Do you have a proudest moment from your time at the Wastewater Management Program?
I’m proud to see that Vermont is working so hard to address PFAS in the environment and to have been part of that effort. Without regulations for PFAS in discharges, it’s a challenging space to work in. However, implementing testing at all of the municipal Wastewater facilities and requiring a pilot treatment system at the Coventry landfill have been rewarding steps forward in addressing a massive problem.
Left to right: Amy Polaczyk, Wayne Graham, Elijah Lemieux, Forest Anderson, Brad Roy, and Liz Royer
You led the Wastewater Program through the Covid pandemic and several major floods. What was that like?
We all learned as we went, and I learned a lot from people around me. [During the Covid pandemic] facilities were doing such creative things like establishing A and B Teams to keep separate from each other in case one got sick, the other would be ok. The floods were heartbreaking and I have to credit the excellent team in the Wastewater program who were key in reaching out to understand what was happening on the ground to communicate that to the secretary’s [of the Agency of Natural Resources] office and the governor. Success in crisis situations really depended on good communications and I feel lucky that I had great relationships with Vermont Rural Water to deploy whatever resources we had to help out where and when people needed them.
Do you have any advice for others in the water/wastewater industry in Vermont?
Keep advocating for more resources, keep educating people about what infrastructure does for them and the ecosystem, and keep recruiting people into the field of operations and support. Keep reminding people that we can only have more housing if we have the infrastructure to support it. Regulations will always be evolving and so will pressures on municipal budgets—the only constant is change.
What’s next for you?
I’ve taken a position with Tetra Tech as an Environmental Scientist/Clean Water Act specialist. I’ll be consulting on clean water issues around the country.
What are your hobbies outside of work?
I’m an avid cross-country skier in the winter and like to swim in Blueberry Lake in the summer.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
A huge thank you to everyone in the drinking water and clean water field in Vermont. It’s hard work in so many different ways, yet for years and years people show up and keep going even when the challenges seem to outnumber the rewards.
Thank you, Amy, and to all of Vermont’s water and wastewater heroes who perform essential services to protect the health and environment of our communities!
Do you know a Water Hero who should be featured here? Email info@vtruralwater.org