Unconventional internship turns into permanent job for BRA plant operator

Many people think of interns as either college students or recent graduates, but that certainly wasn’t the case for Laura Jardine. She began her internship with the Brazos River Authority 16 years after completing college. She turned that experience into a full-time job, moving up the ladder to become a senior plant operator for the BRA’s East Williamson County water treatment plant in Taylor. She now holds a Class A license in water treatment from the state.

Jardine attended high school in Grapevine before majoring in biology at Texas Woman’s University in Denton, where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in 1995.

She worked in the TRA (Trinity River Authority) Environmental lab for a year while taking environmental science classes at the University of North Texas. Then, Jardine moved to Phoenix, Arizona where she lived for 11 years. There, she worked as a health inspector and also worked with her husband as a painter and muralist. The Jardines moved back to Texas in 2008 to be closer to family.

In 2011, she saw an internship at the East Williamson County water plant posted online and applied for the position. She was selected for the program, gaining valuable experience and an introduction to the BRA, which turned out to be beneficial to her as well as to the organization.

“I decided to apply for the internship position because I wanted to see if this was an area I wanted to pursue as a full-time career,” she said. Jardine said the decision turned out to be a great one – and something she recommends to others.

“I think the internship program is an excellent way to introduce folks to water/wastewater opportunities,” she said. “I would encourage other people to apply to the program. I feel I was very fortunate when I finished my internship there was an operator position open for me here at (East Williamson County).”

In March 2012, Jardine joined the BRA full-time and earned a Class C water license. She has since earned both her Class B and Class A licenses. Those different levels of training, overseen by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, allowed Jardine to take on increasing levels of responsibility. Each license requires coursework and the successful completion of exams. Additionally, the Class A license requires five years hands-on experience in public water operations. “The (Class) A exam is a little tough; but, with a bit of studying anyone with experience can pass the exam,” Jardine said.

The job requires expertise in a variety of water plant operations, production, distribution, management, laboratory operations and safety.

“I enjoy many aspects of the water operator position,” Jardine said, mentioning the versatility of the job and the troubleshooting process as two particular areas that she considers highlights.

According to a study by the US Department of Labor, less than 6 percent of operators in the water and wastewater industry are women. Of the 29 positions in water and wastewater treatment with the BRA, 3 operators are women.

What are the biggest concerns Jardine faces in her job?

“Storms are my biggest challenges here at the water plant,” she said. “My biggest reward is when the plant is running smoothly, and working with an awesome team of coworkers – both maintenance and operations. I enjoy the challenges as well as the diversity of the job.”

She credits others working for the BRA for their roles in contributing both to her success and to the success of the plant.

“I could not have made it this far without the help of my coworkers,” Jardine said. “On both sides, maintenance and operations here at EWC, my coworkers have answered my many questions and allowed me to follow them around and absorb as much information as I could during my internship and early years here at the BRA. They are the best!”

Information on BRA employment opportunities and internships available can be found here.