Great Lakes Water Authority's Cheryl Porter on the rewards of a career in water

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Great Lakes Water Authority's Cheryl Porter on the rewards of a career in water

COO of water and field services for Great Lakes Water Authority

Oversees maintenance and repairs for water transmission mains

Ensures GLWA's treated water meets quality standards and regulations

Ali Lapetina for Crain’s

Cheryl Porter is the COO of water and field services for the Detroit-based Great Lakes Water Authority.

Cheryl Porter is the COO of water and field services for the Detroit-based Great Lakes Water Authority. The organization provides water services to 127 municipalities and sewer services to 87 communities in eight southeast Michigan counties, including Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. Porter's responsibilities include overseeing maintenance and repairs for water transmission mains and ensuring GLWA's treated water meets quality standards and regulations. She was part of the team that helped establish GLWA in 2016, when the Detroit Water and Sewage Department began leasing its regional water and sewer infrastructure and facilities to the organization.

Prior to joining the GLWA, Porter worked for the DWSD, where she started as a junior chemist and worked her way up to COO. Porter received her bachelor's degree in chemistry from the University of Michigan. She holds a juris doctor from University of Detroit Mercy's School of Law and an MBA from Madonna University, which includes a concentration in human resources.

What's your average day-to-day like?

A lot of meetings and conversations. I'm looking at the 10-year, 20-year horizon to make sure we're heading in the right direction. That includes how we address all of the aged infrastructure we're dealing with to make sure it's sustainable for the future within the limited finance and capabilities that we have. We have to be able to make data-driven decisions each day to make sure we're making the appropriate investments. A lot (of the infrastructure) can last anywhere from 25-100 years. We want to be smart about the choices we make today to make sure this is sustained way beyond ourselves.

We're currently pilot testing technology for our water transmission mains called the SmartBall and PipeDiver. It collects data that allows us to see the condition of a pipe. (The SmartBall technology uses an audio sensor to detect pipe leaks and gas pockets, while the PipeDiver technology evaluates pipes to detect structural weaknesses.) This is groundbreaking technology for our water transmission mains, which are generally at least eight feet underground and not readily accessible for monitoring. If there's a vulnerable section, we'll get advanced notice so that we can plan to do a replacement without having an emergency situation for that repair.

What are some of biggest issues GLWA is facing? READ FULL ARTICLE ABOUT REWARDS OF A CAREER IN WATER HERE

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