Spartanburg Water’s Jimmy Vess and Sean Henderson honored with state Quarter Century Operator Award
December 18, 2023
Long time Spartanburg Water wastewater treatment operators Jimmy Vess and Sean Henderson were recently honored with the “Quarter Century Operator” Award at the annual Water Environment Association of South Carolina (WEASC) Operator’s Conference.
The award honors water or wastewater treatment operators for their service and dedication in a difficult and dangerous field. Eligibility requirements are as follows:
- Must be a current member of the WEASC.
- Significant, full-time participant in the water environment profession for a minimum of 25 years, 10 years of which must have been in active participation in the day-to-day collections, maintenance, operations, laboratory, or management of a wastewater transportation or wastewater treatment facility.
WW Operators of the Quarter Century 2023 Henderson and Vess
Jimmy Vess has been with Spartanburg Water since 1996 working in various roles before earning the designation of a Wastewater Treatment Operator. Jimmy’s mechanical aptitude and hard-charging work ethic has made him an asset to the organization and all of its customers. He has played an important role in training new operators and was the recipient of the Water Environment Association’s Blue Ridge Foothills District Wastewater Operator of the Year Award for 2022.
Sean Henderson has been a Wastewater Treatment Operator since 1993 and has been with Spartanburg Water since 2001. He has been instrumental in maintaining, operating and assisting with facility design at Spartanburg’s Wastewater Treatment Facilities (WTFs) for over 20 years. Sean is currently the Lead Operator for six of the nine WTFs in the Spartanburg Sanitary Sewer District while also managing the bio-solids programs for all of the facilities.
“Jimmy Vess and Sean Henderson are the epitome of the hard work and dedication that it takes to be great Wastewater Treatment Operators,” said Wastewater Director Lance Johnson. “Their dedication to protecting our waterways and serving the community is second to none; we are extremely proud of Jimmy and Sean for receiving this award.”
About Spartanburg Water
Spartanburg Water, an industry-leading utility, is comprised of Spartanburg Water System and Spartanburg Sanitary Sewer District. It serves a population of more than 200,000 within Spartanburg County, as well as others in parts of Greenville, Union and Cherokee counties. With the help of its dedicated team of more than 280 employees, each day it produces an average of 25 million gallons of drinking water and cleans 12 million gallons of wastewater for its customers and community. For more information on Spartanburg Water’s water quality efforts, visit us at www.spartanburgwater.org.
