TZL 1466

BUSINESS NEWS AECOM JOINT VENTURE AWARDED CONTRACT FOR THE EAST COUNTY ADVANCED WATER PURIFICATION PROGRAM IN SAN DIEGO AECOM, the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, announced its joint venture with W.M. Lyles has been awarded a contract amendment by the Joint Powers Authority to support the East County Advanced Water Purification Program in San Diego, California. In this role, the team plans to extend its current services for the program, which aims to create a new, local, sustainable, and drought- proof drinking water supply using state- of-the-art technology to purify East County’s recycled water. “The East County Advanced Water Purification Program is one of the first surface water augmentation projects in the U.S., and we’re proud to be involved in this collaborative effort that will help provide the region with water security for decades to come,” said Lara Poloni,

AECOM’s president. “As California continues to face unpredictable precipitation, this project will serve as a model of water recycling and reuse throughout the state and across the nation. We’re pleased to provide comprehensive solutions rooted in science, innovation, and partnership to help the project succeed.” The program, which recently broke ground, includes a new water recycling facility, biosolids processing, an advanced water purification facility, and conveyance infrastructure, including pipelines and pumping stations. The joint venture’s scope is expected to include final design, construction management, startup, and commissioning. The team has been involved in the project since 2020, previously providing preliminary engineering, permitting, and cost estimating services. “The East County Advanced Water

Purification Program is the result of many years of strategic planning, and we’re thrilled to have celebrated its recent groundbreaking along with the project’s partners and stakeholders,” said Beverley Stinson, chief executive of AECOM’s global Water business. “As we look toward the program’s next milestones, we’re honored to continue our partnership with the Joint Powers Authority and look forward to delivering services in support of its objective of providing clean, pure, reliable, and high- quality drinking water to the community.” Scheduled to be completed in 2026, the East County Advanced Water Purification Program is expected to generate up to 11.5 million gallons of purified water per day – diversifying the region’s water supply, reducing dependence on imported water, and meeting approximately 30 percent of current drinking water supply for East San Diego County residents and businesses.

This all sounds well and good, but I fully acknowledge that letting go is not easy, especially for my fellow type-A control freaks. I say that with love, and because I long struggled with the notion of delegating, but once I embraced it, and was fortunate enough to be part of a firm where I was provided sufficient staff and resources to effectively delegate, I saw a huge difference in the rate of my staff’s development, in my development and capacity for new projects, and in my mental health. “If you have goals to grow in your own career, once you’ve mastered a task or skill, pass that work along to someone new and seek out your next challenge.” What happens when you have delegated work, but you’re still overloaded? Or you don’t have anyone to delegate to? That’s the time to approach your leadership about bringing on new staff. Everyone deserves opportunities to grow, and opportunities to take a breath (both of which benefit the firm at-large). We all know that work in the AEC industry ebbs and flows – and for some, there’s been a lot more flow than ebb lately. Finding and hiring quality staff to whom you can delegate is also easier said than done these days. All true. But keep in mind, there’s real value in continuing to try, and when you can pass something along, go for it, and then make sure you pivot to your next challenge! Katie Batill-Bigler is marketing director at Patel, Greene & Associates. Connect with her on LinkedIn .

KATIE BATILL-BIGLER, from page 9

question, it’s difficult to find time for such things, and you can easily fall into the trap of thinking, “It’ll be quicker if I do it.” That may be true, for now. And sure, it doesn’t make sense to sit down with your subordinate and walk them through a process step by step when facing an imminent deadline. But they can observe, and once that deadline has passed, go back and train them so that the next time a similar assignment arises, they’ll be ready to try it firsthand, and you’ll be freed up for other tasks. Once you’ve trained someone to tackle a new job, accept that it will not be done exactly the way you would have done it, and there likely will be some wrinkles to iron out. This is all part of the learning process. Once the trainee understands and can deliver the quality work product, encourage them to approach the assignment in the way that works best for them; they may even develop new efficiencies and improve the ultimate deliverable. It is worth addressing the fear that by delegating, you risk becoming viewed as replaceable. We don’t like to admit it, but the fear is real, and most have likely experienced it at one time or another. Firstly, let’s be honest, you are replaceable; we are all replaceable in the jobs we perform. However, if you are in a position to delegate work, chances are, you’ve already proven your worth to your firm. The qualities that make you valuable are likely not the physical tasks that you perform, but rather your experience, perspective, and your commitment to doing quality work. Those characteristics will hold true for any new assignments you take on and you will undoubtedly prove your worth all over again. I encourage you to try to reframe this situation and instead fear the prospect of being stuck performing the same tasks you do now, forever. Now that’s scary!

THE ZWEIG LETTER NOVEMBER 28, 2022, ISSUE 1466

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