The Voices of the Service Authority Board Members:

William Becker, Service Authority Board Member, Brentsville District.

How long have you been involved with the Service Authority?

I got involved with the Service Authority when I was on the [Prince William]Board of County Supervisors. Raymond Spittle was a good personal friend of mine and he made a point when I was elected to take me around to all of the Service Authority premises, especially down to the [H. L. Mooney Water Reclamation] plant where they were processing sewage so I could understand what it was all about. That’s where I got started with the Service Authority, and I was interested after that. I became a Service Authority Board Memeber after Mr. Spittle died [in 1998].

Why do you like being a Board Member for the Authority?

I enjoy having the opportunity to help keep the organization as strong as it is. I think it is the job of the Board to be sure we take a good look at everything and make sure that everything is running properly. And then, particularly, our job, of course, is to ensure that the General Manager is doing his job. And, it’s enjoyable. I also enjoy the individual tasks I’m given, which include being on the Audit Committee and the Policy Committee.

What do you think is unique about the Service Authority?

The fact that it’s serving so many customers with so few employees! I don’t know of any other organization that is able to perform as well as the Service Authority does. I think it’s unique in that way. Of course, it’s unique also in the fact that it provides so much water and treats so much sewage.

What issues are facing the Authority and the industry as a whole?

The issue of trying to keep the sewage systems working and still meeting the requirements of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and others that want us to keep getting things purer and purer all the time, especially with the Chesapeake Bay. They are unable to get other places to reduce their problems, and so they come to the Service Authority in hopes that we can do it. I think that’s one of our biggest challenges.

How do you think the Authority compares to similar organizations?

I think it’s one of the best in the country. I don’t think there is any question about that. I think you can take our organization and our employees and the way it’s managed and compare it favorably against any organization that I’ve ever been involved with.

Are there any upcoming projects you are particularly excited about?

I don’t get excited easy [laughs]. I’m very interested in the work we are doing at the Mooney Plant to meet the DEQ requirements for nitrogen, which is an ongoing program to be finished in 2011.

What have you learned from being a Board Member?

I have learned to work well with other people. I may have different views, but I’ve also learned to observe what goes on in an organization by watching the people who are working there. I think, in this particular case, Service Authority employees give the proper indication as to what kind of an organization it is.

What are your hobbies and interests outside of the Service Authority?

I like to write; I write poems for example. I also enjoy ballroom dancing—at my age! Whenever there is an opportunity, I take it, I like to read. I read a book probably every two days. I like two kinds of books: one is historical, and the other is science fiction, which I read kind of in between the others, kind of as a little entertainment.

the Pipeline - Volume 3, Issue 1