Educating the public at the City of Riverside
“Any job at all” has turned into a rewarding career for Kylie Regalado, Wastewater Resources Analyst for Collections at the City of Riverside.
After earning an undergraduate degree from Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo and a master’s from National University (San Diego), she entered the job market at the height of the COVID pandemic. Pickings were slim.
“I was looking for anything, “she remembers. “Everything was closed.”
While her background included a wide variety of sciences and analysis—from organic chemistry to forensics to stem cell research—wastewater presented new opportunities, and she’s taken advantage of them. She was hired by a contract laboratory that performed water and wastewater analyses, and then joined the Riverside analytical laboratory team.
Soon after, she was promoted to her current position and is now responsible for a wide range of activities, including the city’s lateral policy implementation, all records for WDR compliance, budget preparation, and mandated spill reporting. She also leads the department’s efforts to educate the public about the importance of the city’s 800-mile-long sewer system.
Nicole Greenwood, a colleague who nominated her as a CWEA Emerging Leader, praises Regalado’s ability to take on new challenges. “This was a new position here at Riverside,” says Greenwood. “Kylie walked into this new role from the laboratory and was expected to learn on the fly the duties and responsibilities of the role, and have an entire department rally behind the new processes and procedures she would have to implement.
“Kylie keeps track of all collections’ records, such as repairs, service requests, equipment inventory, and all the standard operating procedures. She oversees all document control for the department and regularly ensures everything is up to date so staff have the most current information. This can be an overwhelming task, but she has a solid process for keeping everything organized so nothing gets missed alongside all her other duties and responsibilities.”
Regalado works closely with the Riverside collection crew, reviewing all on-site data collected during a spill event, supporting the crew with spill management, and assisting field staff as they inspect the city’s 19 lift stations.
Kylie Regalado
Wastewater Resource Analyst, City of Riverside
“By doing this, she helps lighten the load of other field staff, fostering a helpful and ‘team’ mentality within the department that was lacking prior to her joining the staff,” says Greenwood. She also helps the city’s administrative staff by helping with budgeting, purchasing, and drafting city council agenda items.
Kevin Street, Riverside’s Deputy Public Works Director, adds, “Kylie has become a huge asset to the Riverside wastewater treatment plant. She assisted with the auditing and implementation of the updated SSMP, presented the changes to the collection team, and answered all questions about the new processes and procedures. She had to juggle some tough questions and some push-back from staff who had been used to doing this one way for a long time. Her trajectory is one of continued growth, leadership, and service.”
Of all her responsibilities, public education may be Regalado’s favorite. Riverside has a robust public education program, including flyers, an online portal, social media, mailings, and event information booths at local concerts in the park.
“We get the word out about sewers and the collection system, and show how well they are working,” Regalado says. “The public often doesn’t pay attention until something goes wrong. We try to let them know what they can do to keep the system healthy. “I enjoy getting out of the office and showing people how well our system is working.”
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