Ben Evenbeck, Westminster Woods Building and Grounds Manager
Please join us in congratulating our Buildings and Grounds Manager, Ben Evenbeck, on receiving his Water Treatment 2 Operator and Water Distribution 1 Operator Certification from the California State Water Control Resource Board!
At Westminster Woods, our water is collected from 14 artesian springs on our property. If you’ve ever hiked up Spring Road and spotted white pipes with water coming out of them - you’ve seen part of our groundwater influenced spring system! This water travels all the way from the springs to our waterhouse to all of the water spigots at Westminster Woods. The water is filtered through a slow sand filter to remove contaminants and is treated with just the right amount of sodium hypochlorite for disinfecting.
Since we collect our own water and treat it ourselves, it needs to be held to certain California State Standards. In the past we’ve had outside contractors routinely check our water treatment procedures to ensure that it’s meeting treatment standards. Now that Ben has this certification, we can do it entirely in house! This is the highest water certification that anyone on our staff has had in over 20 years and we’re so proud of Ben for completing the certification process. To receive this certification, Ben took a 34-hour course from the American Water College and studied for several months to pass the exam.
Ben’s new certification gives him the credentials to run an entire municipal water system. While Westminster Woods water system is much smaller, it’s held to the same high standard as a municipal system. This means that when you drink water at Westminster Woods, it’s actually received a higher standard of treatment than most bottled water has, and it shows in the clarity, taste, and quality of our water. Next time you're at Westminster Woods, make sure to bring your reusable water bottle and fill it up at any of our faucets or water spigots. And next time you see Ben, make sure to congratulate him on this accomplishment!!