BEATRICE – He is the longest serving employee in Beatrice City government, and he probably knows more about what’s buried in the ground than anyone else.
Water Superintendent Steve Kelley will retire in early May, after a nearly 52-year career in municipal water service. Kelly said when he started with the department, there were seventeen members and much of the work was done manually. Now, there’s a staff of ten…and automation has taken hold.


"It's much better, quite honestly. We have better control over everything. We have less little blips that may cause us to lose pressure, or things like that."


Mayor Bob Morgan said it’s difficult to replace 51-years of knowledge.  "Steve has done such a wonderful job over the lifetime. For me, I've only been in the mayorship for two years, but on the city council for a number of years. I realize how important he has been, to the city. The other thing that people really need to know is how passionate he is about providing quality water to the City of Beatrice...and he has done that, and takes that job seriously. To find that replacement to take the job as seriously as he has, will be a difficult task."


Back when Kelley started, nitrates in water were very low….but that increased over the years. Steps were taken to purchase property and install new wells to keep nitrate levels in check. Kelley says water systems today are required to test for more chemicals or elements, than ever before.


"It's unbelievable...they keep adding stuff all the time. We're very fortunate we're not seeing a lot of detects on anything. PFAs are on the horizon right now. We actually just did our first round of testing, and I don't have the results, yet. PFAs are basically from wrinkle-free clothing...from teflon pans...anything that is stick-free or wrinkle-free. What happens is, when you wash those items, and it gets into discharge water...and then goes into the sewer system. Most of that water then is discharged into a stream and eventually ends up in the groundwater."


Over the course of five decades, a lot of water main is installed, and numerous repairs must be made. Kelley says just how much, is the subject of a map that’s being put together. He said it was overwhelming to see how much work has been completed, just between the years of 1991 to 2016.


Mayor Morgan said good infrastructure is sometimes something residents can take for granted. "Not only do we provide that water to all of the residents, but think about the commercial use...it's an economic driver to help create business and industry into the City of Beatrice, because of our quality of water and our quantity. Because they can do such good work themselves, we've saved a lot of money over the years because our guys could do such a good job of putting stuff in".


Asked to name the most dramatic emergency encountered in his years as a water superintendent, Kelley said that’s an easy one……a major water main rupture west of 4th and Grant, just yards away from the city’s underground reservoirs.


"I've never seen so much water coming from one place, in my life. It's right there at our reservoirs...an 18-inch main, the largest one we have in our system...and that goes up Lincoln Street to the towers. You had the water from the towers coming on...and kind of created a vacuum and it kicked all six of our pumps on. So, you had all six pumps running plus the water towers feeding that leak. It was lots of water."   Kelley said when the water valve was closed, a concrete section of street collapsed. It had been held up by the water pressure from the break.


In retirement…Kelley said he plans to still play a role in the American Water Works Association-Nebraska Section….helping to train others….and possibly do part-time work for an engineering firm.  Other than that…it’s more golf….and some fishing along the way.