Prichard utility working without a certified operator for water or sewer [Video]

PRICHARD, Ala. (WALA) – The water and sewer system here continues to run without a certified operator on either its water or sewer side, but the utility’s court-appointed receiver said he is working to fill the vacancies.

John S. Young Jr., who assumed control of the troubled utility in November, said last month that the operator of the water system falsified data in a February report to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management after the utility inadvertently failed to collect water samples. He said he fired that operator.

Around the 4th of July, Young added, the wastewater operator left for unrelated reasons.

“You know, one of the challenges you have in this type of situation where there’s all these unknowns, you know, employees are concerned about the change and, you know, they leave,” he said.

By law, water and sewer systems are required to have a certified operator on each side.

“It’s definitely a requirement,” Young told …