On the job: Water serviceperson Jack Connor
No two days are the same for Waikato Waters reticulation serviceperson Jack Connor – and that’s just the way he likes it.
Based in Te Awamutu, he and his teammates look after the water network in the entire Waipā district, making sure these communities have safe drinking water 24/7.
“It’s something different every day,” Jack says. “You always find something new in the ground. It keeps things interesting.
“One day we could be fixing a major watermain break, and the next day we could be out connecting new properties to the water network.”
Jack’s happiest outdoors and on the move. He always knew a desk job wasn’t for him.
“When I was at college, I knew I wanted to do something with my hands. After I left school, I got a job working with milking machinery on farms.”
He joined Waipā District Council’s water reticulation team about six years ago. With the transition of Waipā’s water and wastewater services to Waikato Waters on 1 July, Jack and his teammates moved across to join us.
“We’ve got a really good team environment. There’s a lot of banter. The team has grown a lot since I first started.”
A big part of the role involves liaising with contractors delivering infrastructure upgrades. Sometimes that means shutting down parts of the network – and planning ahead to minimise disruption.
“If a school is going to be impacted, for example, we try to do the work after hours. If that’s not possible, we’ll get a tanker in to supply the school.”
The team works closely with our compliance team, and can be called upon to investigate issues in the water network, like discoloured water or reports of low pressure. Issues with the water network can crop up at anytime, so each team member is on call for one week in every four.
Jack says it’s a great job for anyone who likes physical work.
“It keeps me active,” he says. “Sometimes I’ll be digging all day.”
Life outside work is fast-paced too. He and his ever-patient wife Charlotte are the proud parents of two preschoolers – 18-month-old Ardie and three-year-old Allie – not to mention Kevin the golden retriever and Derek the cat.
Jack plays football for Cambridge, which means evening trainings twice a week and games every weekend – anywhere from Taupō to Auckland.
“I’m the granddad on the team,” he says. “Football is my passion. I’ll play until I can’t.”
Between football seasons, Jack turns to long-distance running, casually clocking up 30-kilometre runs. A marathon is on the to-do list – the Manchester Marathon, if this Manchester United fan gets his way.