On behalf of the Benton Public Utilities Commission and myself, the manager of Benton Utilities, I would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere appreciation to each of our employees who spent many hours working throughout the stormy weather and recovery from the storms that came through Benton over the last week. 

One of the most visible departments seen by our customers and their work noted was our electric department, however, when things of this nature arise, it affects almost every department in one way or another.  The electric employees stepped up and did a great job managing the outages and restoring power to our customers.  They faced many challenges, but they worked safely and efficiently getting our customers power restored as quickly as possible. 

They couldn’t have accomplished as much as they did and as quickly as they did without the support of our Water and Wastewater Construction Departments.  These department’s employees worked tirelessly assisting in removing trees and brush, and they also dug holes for new pole installation when needed. 

The Purchasing Department manned the phones, they were the ones who kept our customers informed of any updates, and they kept our crews up to date on issues.  Plus, this dept. also kept our crews in supplies that they needed to make the necessary repairs.  

The Wastewater Treatment Department faced quite a few challenges over the past week due to power outages and over 12 inches of rain that fell throughout the City of Benton.  It is an overwhelming responsibility during power outages to keep liftstations pumped down and in service until the power is restored.  The employees were able to keep everything under control and flowing properly, and we are very thankful for them. 

The Wastewater Construction Department employees were called upon during this time to assist our Wastewater Treatment Department with outage related issues at our liftstations.  They fell right in beside them and worked together for the good of our system and services. 

The Water Purification Department experienced struggles due to interruption in electricity and lightning damage, and the employees of this department were able to handle these situations with ease. 

Our management team stood with their employees like no other, I couldn’t be prouder of them for managing their people and stepping up and helping in any way possible.  From making sure the crews basic needs were met to assisting with the work at hand, they weren’t afraid to do whatever was necessary at the time.  Benton Utilities employees are a team, I had the privilege of being here and working alongside each of them, and I am honored to call each one these people my fellow employees.  We appreciate each one of your contributions to our company.

Todd Pedersen

Benton Utilities General Manager