Joshua Denney has always wanted to be a good steward of natural resources, and he has found a way to do that in his new job as a wastewater treatment system operator for Nevada County.
He and his co-workers refine the water that comes from residents’ showers, sinks and toilets before sending it into the river. “The majority of us here love the river,” he said. “We want to keep those waters pristine.”
Denney, who began work Jan. 2 at the Lake Wildwood Treatment Facility, said he was “blown away” by the quality of the water produced by Nevada County treatment plants. “It’s an amazing cleanliness of water,” he said. “Through all the adversity of economic downturns, all of the crews have worked so hard to produce clean effluent for downstream users.”
He said his co-workers are on the job day and night making sure the flow from homes and industries stays in the pipes where it belongs. “I’ve been out at 2 a.m. and the guys have already been out there making sure nothing is spilling out in the rain and wind,” he said.
Denney also praised the communication between people in different positions and how everyone is willing to learn from each other. He said communication has been a struggle in other places he has worked.
Denney previously spent 16 years doing similar work for Sacramento County, starting as a maintenance helper, moving up to wastewater system treatment operator and eventually becoming a shift supervisor.
Moving to Nevada County is somewhat of a homecoming to him. While he grew up in several places in California and Wyoming, he attended Magnolia and Bear River High schools in Grass Valley for a time. “I really enjoyed my time here, but I never thought I would be able to come back,” he said.
Advice from a family member led him to take mechanical-electrical technology classes at Sacramento City College, which led to him discovering wastewater treatment as a career option. He eventually passed his certification with the state Water Resources Control Board. Before that, he studied fire suppression at College of the Redwoods.
Denney has been with his wife for two decades and the couple has two sons ages 10 and 12 who attend Weimar Hills School near where they live in Auburn.
In his free time, he enjoys mountain biking, hiking, camping and anything that gets him outdoors.
When asked what people might be surprised to learn about him, he said that he used to give tours at the state Capitol. He enjoyed helping people learn about their role in democracy. He especially liked meeting visitors from other countries and seeing how much they appreciated freedom U.S. citizens enjoy.
“People were always very impressed that all citizens are welcome to be in the Capitol building whenever they are in session,” he said.
He saw a lot of fourth graders and enjoyed telling them about how much power they have. “It was cool to instill that in children and let them know they are in charge when it comes to their future.”
Denney said he is glad to be working for Nevada County and is enjoying meeting other employees. “I’m so impressed with the crews and all the people I’ve gone to work with so far,” he said. “They have done an amazing job continuing to be great environmental stewards.”
