Behind the Tap Spotlight: Distribution & Conveyance Installation/Repair Supervisor Boyd Cummings

Meet Distribution & Conveyance Installation/Repair Supervisor Boyd Cummings. Boyd supervises two repair crews. They are responsible for all water main and service repairs in the distribution system. Repairs range from main breaks beam and splits to damages from being hit by other utility companies doing installations. Plus, service repairs that range from repairs to actual replacement of the line, depending on the age and problem they encounter.

Boyd likes many things about his job, from the interaction with our customers and solving problems for them to working with his crews and coworkers throughout the company. “Each day is different with its own challenges and problems to be solved, but I have been fortunate to work with and for some great people that I know support me in my work,” Boyd says.

There are lots of challenges in Boyd’s line of work. This isn’t Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. kind of work. Line breaks and damages happen any time of day or night, year-round. The biggest challenge is not letting the job overwhelm him. “Each day is different and most days the work I have planned gets changed due to emergency repairs or damages that arise out of the blue. This change in the daily work plans causes us to get behind in our regular work, and I am continually having to shift to meet priorities.”

You can imagine the impact the pandemic had. He says the shutdown caused chaos. During that time, they worked short crews and only made emergency repairs. “This caused a backlog of work that we are still trying to get caught up,” he adds.

In Boyd’s position, you must be able to see the big picture while not forgetting the small details of the job. “When dealing with customers, understanding that while we might not see their problem as a big issue, to them it is all they can focus on. We need to understand they are relying on us to help them so we need to make sure our customers know we understand the problem and will do our best to solve it for them.” #waterprofessional