Grants site manager proud to be a ‘poopologist’
The city of Grants' new fine grinder, part of a one-million dollar project to upgrade the main waste water lift station, is ready for installment. The big wheels rotate outward and the little wheels rotate inward to grind debris to fine particles. [Photo by Helen Davis / Independent]

By Helen Davis
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — On Tuesday March 18, Grants’ resident “poopologist” was missing from the U.S. Highway 66 lift station upgrade project to accept an award in Albuquerque.

Robert Hayes, who is site manager of the project, carries a card that proclaims he is a poopologist. In Hayes’ case, the designation means he is certified in Water Level 4, Wastewater Level 3, Distribution Level and Collections Level 4 — an expert on the ins and outs of the material and its travels.

Hayes said he received the John Paden Award for Excellence in Community Service for 2007 on Tuesday. He previously won the Wastewater Operator of the Year from the New Mexico Waste Rural Water Association.

Anthony Martinez, project manager for CH2M Hill OMI in Grants, nominated Hayes for the service award citing Hayes’ work with schools and children’s activities like the area science and engineering fair, the Dictionary Project, chaperoning students in a Space Camp adventure and helping out with water related problems at school sites.
Hayes has also won the Marksman Award (bronze) for safe management for nearly two years without a time-loss accident on his projects.

In spite of his community activities, awards and achievements, Hayes declined to have his picture taken and indicated the work and workers on the $1 million plus lift station upgrade as better subjects.

CH2M Hill OMI is the contractor the city uses to handle drinking water processing, wastewater treatment, water distribution and collecting and parks, Hayes said. The company is installing a grinder, housing, new housing for the lift station electrical equipment at the lift station and a bar grid at the water treatment plant.

Hayes and City Manager Bobby Horacek said the junk, like cans and other big or hard objects, found in sewer water damages the pumps used to move sewer water through the station to the treatment plant. Electrical systems suffer corrosion from sewage fumes in the water house where pumps are sunk.

The project will protect electrical parts by moving them away from fumes and hopefully protect the pumps by making debris too small to cause a problem.

Hayes said the grinder is said to grind “anything” but suspects that plastic bags or aprons may give it a challenge.