Tanner Amyot at a wastewater pump station in Orleans.
Tanner Amyot is a water and wastewater apprentice for the village of Orleans, Vermont. Though he is currently the sole operator, Tanner receives lots of support from staff at the village office and electric utility; Phil Laramie and the staff of Laramie Water Resources; and Vermont Rural Water staff including Paul Sestito, Wayne Graham, Elijah Lemieux, and Paula Jackson.
As an operator, Tanner is responsible for providing drinking water and treating wastewater. The utilities are operated to make sure treated water and wastewater are in the specified ranges.
Tanner and other staff do a good job communicating with customers in the village to meet their needs and address their concerns. He says he would like to work on upgrading the system’s current equipment and continuing equipment upgrades over time.
Tanner’s his favorite part of the job is that he is never doing the same thing all day. He also likes problem solving and interacting with other people. His least favorite parts are doing paperwork and getting covered in raw wastewater.
Tanner is proud of what he has been able to accomplish and learn in such a short time. He is proud of the responsibilities he has taken on. This can be a difficult job, but Tanner says he is motivated by knowing that the job has to be done and that he has the knowledge to complete the job now. He appreciates the assistance he receives from Phil Laramie and Vermont Rural Water to help keep him going when problems arise.
His advice for other water and wastewater operators is, “If stressed, just keep digging, it will eventually get better.”
Thank you, Tanner, 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