Unsung leader halves Riverside sewer cleanings

Jacob Zeigler’s job title in Riverside is Mechanical Maintenance Scheduler, but the work described by the California Water Environment Association reaches well beyond a desk. CWEA said Zeigler plans and coordinates major projects, routine maintenance and repairs for the City of Riverside’s wastewater collection systems, while also stepping into field and emergency roles when needed. The association said his changes to field scheduling cut high-frequency pipe cleanings by about half, freeing crews for other routine and emergency work. Riverside says its sewer collection system includes more than 800 miles of sewer lines, 16,000 manholes and 19 pump stations. ### Who is Jacob Zeigler inside Riverside’s sewer operation? Jacob Zeigler is a Mechanical Maintenance Scheduler in the City of Riverside’s Public Works Sewer Division, according to CWEA. The association said he has more than a decade of private-sector experience and another decade moving up through city roles, after joining Riverside and advancing from Grade 1 to Grade 4 in less than two years. (cwea.org) CWEA said Zeigler’s work includes using the city’s computerized maintenance management system and GIS tools to manage preventive and corrective maintenance, maintain work histories and track work orders. The association also said he handles sanitary sewer overflow report entries for Riverside after being cross-trained in the California Integrated Water Quality System data submission process. (cwea.org) ### What changed in the way Riverside scheduled sewer cleanings? CWEA’s profile says Zeigler overhauled field workflows and scheduling in ways that reduced the number of high-frequency pipe cleanings by about half. The association did not publish a before-and-after count in the profile, but it said the change gave crews more time for routine maintenance and emergency response. (cwea.org) Riverside’s Public Works department says sewer maintenance in the city includes hydro-jetting lines, removing roots, conducting video inspections and other preventive work. In that system, fewer repeat cleanings on the same high-frequency lines would mean labor and equipment can be reassigned across a wider maintenance list, based on the city’s description of its collections program. That connection is an inference from the city’s maintenance description and CWEA’s account of Zeigler’s scheduling changes. (cwea.org) ### How large is the system those changes affect? The City of Riverside says its sewer collection system consists of more than 800 miles of sewer lines, 16,000 manholes and 19 pump stations across the city. A separate CWEA award profile for Riverside’s wastewater division described the collections system as 820 miles of mains, 414 miles of laterals and 20 lift stations, reflecting a more detailed division-level accounting. (riversideca.gov) Riverside says Collections Division staff carry out maintenance operations to keep the system functioning, and the city’s Sewer System Management Plan is part of that framework. The city says the latest version of that plan was adopted by the City Council on May 6, 2025, and that the plan is used to manage, operate and maintain the sewer system in line with state requirements. ### What recognition did Zeigler receive? (riversideca.gov) CWEA included Zeigler in its Emerging Leaders coverage, a program the association says recognizes outstanding new leaders each year. The association’s broader awards coverage says its 2025 awards ceremony was held on April 24, 2025, in Palm Springs, California, and that winners are selected through an application process judged by peers in the water sector. (riversideca.gov) Kaylie Regalado, Riverside’s Wastewater Resources Analyst, told CWEA that Zeigler also helps after hours during emergencies and supports day-to-day operations for the collections team. “Ultimately, smooth day-to-day operations for the City of Riverside’s Collections team all start with Jacob,” Regalado said, according to the profile. ### Where can residents see what Riverside says it is doing next? (cwea.org) Riverside’s Public Works website posts the city’s sewer maintenance program description and the current Sewer System Management Plan. The city says the plan is reviewed periodically for compliance and effectiveness, and public records on sewer spills are available through the State Water Resources Control Board portal linked from the sewer maintenance page. (cwea.org) The 2025 Sewer System Management Plan remains the city’s latest posted version as of July 9, 2026, and Riverside directs residents with questions about the sewer maintenance program to Public Works at 951-351-6140. (riversideca.gov)