Charlie Jones has worked for the Department of Public Works for over 18 years. He is the operations manager and has 23 staff members. His favorite part of the job is the employees. “They feel like my family, and I’m so proud of them as they continue to learn and improve their work skills.”
In January 2025, the team got busy remodeling the Public Works facility. “We didn’t have enough space, so we added 1,400 square feet, which allowed for additional restrooms, offices, and a conference room, which we needed for training times.”
The staff installed new flooring, painted all the walls, and added nice trim to the doorways. When the spring weather hit, there was much more to do outside, so their progress slowed slightly. “We worked on it in our spare time,” he laughed. “Which wasn’t much.”
Jones’ crew is in charge of all maintenance and repairs of water and sewer lines and taps into new hookups. The City of Harrison has 208 miles of water and 114 miles of sewer lines.
Some pipes date back to the 50s-60s, and they try to replace and upgrade them as needed.
They still have more remodeling to do, but they are off to a great start.
How can citizens help maintain the water and sewer pipes in our neighborhoods?
COO/Engineer Wade Phillips said, "One thing the community can do to keep the sewer system working well is to be cognizant of what they flush down their toilets. Remember the 'three Ps’of what to flush down the toilet: Pee, Poo, and toilet Paper. Many commercial items, such as wipes (even if labeled as flushable), can cause clogs in private plumbing and the public sewer system. Most of the stop-ups in our sewer system are from wipes, rags, and other items that shouldn’t be flushed.”
