Dec. 9-15, 2024, is Michigan Water and Wastewater Professionals Week. Join us this week as we spotlight the essential water and wastewater professionals who provide water services to Battle Creek neighbors.
Meet Ryan Hovanec! After graduating from New Lothrop High School, Ryan went on to earn an associate's degree in water quality technology from Lake Superior State University. Today, Ryan is a Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator II for the City of Battle Creek.
What are your primary duties?
To operate and maintain the Battle Creek WWTP to ensure quality effluent to protect the downstream user and environment.
What’s the best part of your job?
The ability to work independently, but also as a team when necessary.
What’s a recent project that gave you a great sense of accomplishment? What made it special?
Working with Donahue on the aeration upgrades. This improved the secondary process treatment while reducing energy consumption and chemical use to become more efficient.
Do you have any fun or interesting facts to share about your job?
Being an outdoorsman, it’s fun to see all the different wildlife around the plant.
What are some of the most significant improvements or changes you’ve seen in the water and wastewater systems in Battle Creek?
The upgrades to our aeration system and the improvement to the landfill process.
What do you like to do in your free time when you’re not working?
Fishing, hunting, camping, riding motorcycles, spending time with family.
If you could have any superpower to help you in your job, what would it be and why?
Precognition would be great. Being able to prevent or remedy a problem before it happens would make everything more efficient.
Can you share a story where you saw firsthand the positive effects of your work on the community or the environment?
I recently began kayaking and I’ve noticed how popular it is to paddle the Kalamazoo River and how much people love it.
What skills and qualities do you think are essential for someone in your position?
Having an awareness of your surroundings; also, being able to stay calm under pressure when troubleshooting process problems.
Is there anything people are routinely surprised to learn about your line of work?
The smell isn’t as bad as you might think. The way the effluent looks, from start to finish, is also surprising.
