Cleve community keeps Andrew hooked for 35 years

After more than three decades of service with SA Water’s Eyre Peninsula team, Andrew Spence has never lost his passion to lend a hand in the community.

Born in the United Kingdom before heading down under to Whyalla with his parents, Andrew made the move to the EP town of Wudinna at the age of 12 where he eventually joined the local SA Water maintenance operations team.

Clocking-up an amazing 35 years of service with SA Water in 2019, Andrew said his sea change to Cleve in the 1990s as District Leader has definitely been worthwhile.

“I consider myself extremely privileged to have been in this role for so long, and I get a thrill knowing what I’m doing is important to the region I love,” Andrew said.

“The technology and how we work has certainly changed for the better over the past 30-odd years but being able to interact with so many people in the community continues to be the best part of the job.

“I’ve been lucky to move around with short-term roles at our depots in Kangaroo Island and Port Elliot during my SA Water career, but the relaxed lifestyle of the EP will keep me here for a while longer yet.”

Colloquially known as “Spence”, Andrew leads a team of six people who work to maintain the drinking water distribution network in towns like Cleve, Lock and Kimba, including replacing water mains, fixing leaks and connecting new customers.

Having been involved in several major projects over the years, including pipe installations and constructing new pump stations, Andrew said mentoring is now a major feature of his day-to-day.

“Much of my time is spent teaching the next great crop of young workers, but I also enjoy nothing more than getting out and about in the community and helping out where I can,” Andrew said.

“I still get a kick out of coming to work every day, and I hope after 35 years there is plenty more to come.”

A self-confessed “footy tragic”, Andrew is a regular feature in the AFL Masters competition in Adelaide and is set to represent the South Australian state team in Townsville later this month.

“Footy has been a second love of mine for many years, and although I’m probably a bit slower out on the field than I once was, I think it’s not a bad effort at 55 years old!”

SA Water’s Senior Manager of Customer Field Services Colin Bell said the career milestone is testament to Andrew’s hard work and perseverance.

“Andrew is a highly-valued member of our team in the Eastern Eyre Peninsula region, and this is great recognition of the positive impact he has on our customers in the local area,” Colin said.

“35 years with SA Water is a tremendous feat, and we’re extremely fortunate to have Andrew as one of our dedicated and skilled people working across the state to provide world class water services for our customers.”

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