Operator Spotlight: Jacob Madore

Please tell us about yourself and how long have you been in the profession?
I’ve been in the profession for about three years now. I was completely green when I started out at my first system, the same one I’m at today – Rye Water District. I have made it to licensed grade 2 operator-in-training (OIT) in distribution and grade 1 OIT treatment. I also recently received a scholarship from New Hampshire Water Works Association (NHWWA). That was a cool experience getting to know Sam Currier (executive director) a little bit and having him help me decide which classes would be best to take for me to achieve my goals in this industry.

Please tell us about your water system or water systems.
We are a smaller system of 1,800 connections and growing. We have three groundwater wells that are permitted for production. We are also in the stages of drilling for a fourth source, which we are really excited about! Also exciting is our approval to construct a treatment plant, and Brian Goetz from Portsmouth water just joined us in October to help facilitate that whole process.

Please describe something unique about your water system and what challenges and/or opportunities it provides?
Our system was somewhat unique in that we didn’t disinfect from early 1970s through the end of 2022. It was an interesting dynamic because, on the one hand, it was very easy to manage but on the other, it caused a lot of issues and left a huge possibility for things to go wrong fast. Unfortunately, that 50-year ticking time bomb went off in October of 2022 in the form of an E. coli outbreak. Being so new to the industry I had no idea where to start. Luckily our superintendent, Arik Jones, took immediate action and began to contend with the issue. I was assigned to take care of daily tasks and make sure our operations were running smoothly as the superintendent and our foreman, at the time, were able to focus on remedying the issue in the least amount of time possible. It was spectacular to see the whole town come together to help as well. Every night there were volunteers, including firefighters, police officers, Lions Club members and residents lined up to pass out free cases of water to residents to ensure there was plenty of safe drinking water available. 

What is your favorite part about being a water works operator?
My favorite part is that I’m part of a smaller system, so I can experience a bit of everything that goes into running a water system. Every day I get to do something different, but everything is all still related and valuable to my career and future endeavors.

What surprised/intrigued you as you learned your trade?
It might sound odd but the thing that surprised me the most is the existence of this industry in general. Not only is there a whole water works industry that I had no idea about but there is a giant community behind it, full of people wanting to work together to really excel the industry. I’ll admit I was extremely ignorant as an adolescent. It’s quite laughable how I never once thought about how water was magically coming out of my faucet. As far as I was concerned, it was magic. I wasn’t aware of such a position until a good friend called me one day asking if I was interested in working for Rye Water District, and then, well, I suppose the rest is history!

Caption: Jacob Madore