Gary Sale honored by state
Published 4:17 pm Tuesday, May 28, 2013
We all appreciate a great tasting glass of safe drinking water yet may not think about who keeps it that way. During National Drinking Water Week in early May, the Department of Health presented awards to two outstanding water system operators and one system that has dramatically improved.
Gary Sale received “Operator of the Year” on May 15 for ensuring safe, reliable drinking water for state parks and residential water systems on Orcas and Crane Island despite challenges like budget cutbacks. He manages state park water systems in San Juan County, provides support for five additional systems in the islands and is a contract operator for more water systems.
“It’s always a tough job picking our award winners because there are so many great people dedicated to protecting the quality of drinking water in our state,” said Denise Clifford, head of the state’s Office of Drinking Water.
She said Sale received seven nominations for this annual award, which is virtually unheard of.
He was recognized for “excellent management” of multiple water systems in the San Juan Islands. He has come up with strategies that help others do their jobs better. For example, he created written standard operating procedures for seven state park water systems that help park staff operate the systems safely and consistently.
During the celebration ceremony in Deer Harbor, around 30 people came to wish Sale well and spoke of his hard work and dedication.
