How long have you been in the PHCP-PVF industry?
LF: Six years as a plumbing engineer and now two plus years working with onsite reuse technology (greywater, blackwater treatment tech)!
What drew you into the industry?
LF: It was kind of a fortunate accident, where I was first working in the building modelling department of my first company, then the plumbing department had a job opening and offered it to me. It fit me really well though, and I’m super grateful. My university didn’t offer any HVAC or plumbing engineering courses, but that would have been really valuable to be introduced to the field as a student (to dispel the myth of the industry being non-glamorous, if nothing else), so I’m always happy when I see high school/ college interns join us.
What is the most rewarding aspect of working in the industry?
LF: My favorite part of the MEP world is that since we are on constantly revolving teams with various other disciplines (architects, structural engineers, civil engineers, etc, not to mention the contractors), and I am constantly learning something new from someone. It’s a really cool feeling to be on a project team with so many experts all working together toward the same goal to build something amazing, and even cooler that the stuff we learn about is so prevalent in daily life. Most aspects of MP are made to be unnoticed, but once Istarted paying attention, it’s fun to recognize bits of design wherever I go.
What motivates you every day?
LF: Working now with onsite reuse tech, we are very mission-driven towards wastewater recycling and water conservation. All the people at Epic genuinely care and want to make a difference in water scarcity and resiliency, as climate change goes on and crazy weather events happen all over the place. It’s inspiring to work with and learn from my whole team, knowing that the work we’re doing is important. The U.S. is rapidly making way for more and more onsite reuse tech to be installed in the coming years and I’m excited to be part of it.
What is one thing you wish more people knew/understood about the PHCP-PVF industry?
LF: It can be a ton of fun! If you like puzzles, mechanical problems, working with lots of different people all the time, and a fair bit of chaos, then MP engineering consulting could be for you! It does not, however, necessarily mean that I can fix a toilet, which people often don’t understand.
What has been your proudest moment in your career so far?
LF: The first time I went onsite to my biggest project to date, a tech office campus in Mountain View, California. It was nothing but underground utility then, but the sheer size and scope of it, knowing that I would have a hand in what was going to get built there, was an awe-inspiring feeling. Definitely gives some gravity to drawing pipes on a computer to see them actually get installed in a building the way you drew it.
What is one thing most people don’t know about you?
LF: I originally wanted to be a writer and still write a lot for fun. One day maybe I’ll write a book about the adventures of plumbing/wastewater engineering.
