See that guy in the picture? That’s me. I’m about thirty feet underground in the middle of Washington DC about to crawl into a tunnel. What am I doing there? My job. On this particular day, I was installing a sensor system that will measure waste water levels as it make its way to the treatment plant as part of the DC Clean Rivers project. It was a dirty, smelly, dangerous, and non-glamorous job. In other words, just a typical day (Hey Mike Rowe, let’s talk!).

I don’t talk much about what I do during the day because frankly, I thought of it as uninteresting. It’s important to be sure, but it’s not unlike many blue collar jobs in the world. But the thing is, when you really think about the work, it IS interesting. I travel across many states working on systems that help keep people and the environment safe. I work on equipment that few have ever heard of in places fewer still will ever see. I have stood atop large water tanks high in the air and walked along tunnels deep underground. I have calibrated equipment that checks water quality and stood in knee-deep waters at a treatment plant running cables. Yes, the ‘ick’ factor is very high.

At the end of the day, the work helps people. It helps keep our water clean and safe to drink. It keeps the environment sound and helps protect wildlife. It is a way to give back to the world and actively try to make it a better place.

Thanks for reading. We now return to our regularly scheduled program of science, space, and most of all rockets!