80 years of service for Crystal Brook and SA Water

Four SA Water workers at its Crystal Brook workshop are celebrating a combined 80 years of service in a job they call “unlike any other”.

Adam Wade and Peter Hombsch both joined SA Water on 14 January 2000, marking 25 years of service this year.

Co-workers Dylan Hewett and Joel Gale, who started together on 18 January 2010, have each just reached 15 years with the organisation.

Together, these four have travelled an estimated four million kilometres while developing expertise in their respective roles.

Peter Hombsch, a senior electrical tradesperson, began his apprenticeship at Crystal Brook and is now one of the few program logic controller programmers at SA Water, writing computer codes that monitor the organisation’s network performance.

His work allows him to remotely monitor pump and tank levels, helping identify potential issues before they occur and enabling swift maintenance responses.

Despite his 25 years with SA Water, Peter is still often asked what an electrician does at a water utility.

"People think electricity and water don’t mix, but they don’t realise that electricity powers the pumps to get the water flowing," he said.

"I love this job. The variety keeps it interesting."

Adam Wade, a technical officer in maintenance, finds his role challenging and rewarding.

He worked the first 24 years in SA Water’s Crystal Brook workshop fabricating key pieces of infrastructure to expand or repair the network in its operational footprint that stretches from Ceduna in South Australia’s far west to Marla in the far north-west, and the Yorke Peninsula.

Starting off as an apprentice, Adam has worked through different roles including as workshop second-in-charge and fabrication supervisor, and is currently a technical officer for fabrication in SA Water’s Capital Delivery team.

He credits increased collaboration between regional workshops and engineers in Adelaide for improving outcomes such as sharing expertise and design solutions to use in the field.

"The best part of my job is meeting people across the state," Adam said.

"Even if I’m 700 kilometres from home, I’m bound to run into someone I know."

Dylan Hewett, a 32-year-old maintenance trade technician, has spent his 15 years with SA Water travelling across the state, working in remote areas and helping to build and repair water infrastructure.

Based out of Crystal Brook for most of his career, Dylan appreciates the work-life balance and variety his job offers.

"The variety keeps me learning and growing," Dylan said.

"One day I'm crane operating, the next I’m maintaining our pipelines. And the country life up here is awesome – I just love it.”

Two weeks of work experience when he was in Year 12 was enough for Joel Gale to decide SA Water was the place he wanted to work.

He signed on as an electrical apprentice with SA Water at the Crystal Brook workshop through TAFE and over the past 15 years, he has secured his qualification, moved into an ongoing role as an electrical transperson before moving into senior roles and is now a supervisor.

He describes his role as “broad” and one that allows him to engage with various parts of SA Water and its delivery partners.

"People leadership is a huge part of my role and I’m lucky enough to be part of an incredible team,” Joel, 33, said.

“I’ve always enjoyed working at SA Water as my career has progressed and I’ve enjoyed learning my trade and the functions of the organisation’s assets and facilities.

“People leadership is a very rewarding job and I’m proud to be part of the Crystal Brook team. I would certainly encourage school students to come to us for work experience and see what a trade with SA Water is all about.”

Find out more about opportunities with SA Water via sawater.com.au.

Contact: Tara Miko

Phone: 0448951418

Email: tara.miko@sawater.com.au