RANCHO MURIETA, CA (MPG) - Eric Houston, a 19-year water industry professional, has been appointed as the new operations director at the Rancho Murieta Community Services District. He has been working since Oct. 3.

Houston developed extensive surface water and groundwater treatment expertise as he advanced his career at the City of Sacramento, the Sacramento County Water Agency, and the City of Stockton.

Even before that, Houston was exposed to the field during his upbringing, as his father managed water and wastewater treatment operations in California and Oregon. After high school, he spent about a decade in retail before following in his father’s footsteps. Along the way, he earned two associate degrees and a bachelor’s degree and obtained the highest-level licenses in his field.

Houston is filling the vacancy created by the May resignation of the prior operations director, Michael Fritschi. Plant Supervisor Travis Bohannon served as the interim operations manager. 

City of Sacramento 

Houston began his full-time career in the water treatment industry as a junior plant operator at the City of Sacramento’s water treatment facility near Sacramento State in 2005. Within six months, he was promoted to plant operator. He later transitioned to the wells and reservoir operating group, which offered a schedule better suited to his family’s needs.

Reflecting on his experience, Houston said  “What I got was being able to work with various work groups and to kind of form that teamwork relationship, and the understanding of how to get projects and things that are needed… being able to get other people to buy into that.”

Sacramento County 

Water Agency

Houston’s next position was with the Sacramento County Water Agency, where a former colleague brought him in to manage the startup, testing, and operation of the newly constructed Vineyard Surface Water Treatment Plant, a facility with a processing capacity of 60 million gallons per day.

Describing his four years with the agency, Houston said it was both challenging and rewarding. “It opened my experience to be able to diversify into a lot of different areas, getting much more involved in the electronics, the mechanics of the whole system, and the hydraulics.”

City of Stockton

In 2015, Houston took on a managerial role with the City of Stockton, overseeing all drinking water operations and acting as the primary liaison with the State Water Resources Control Board. In this position, he expanded his expertise in networking, budgeting and strategic planning.

He also gained valuable experience in advocating for essential, yet costly, projects. “Such as how to paint a project in a good light at a political forum so the public was in support of it. That made it easier for the city council to make decisions,” he explained. 

Asked for an example, Houston noted a lack of a budget provision for replacing a water plant’s membrane filters, which were five years into a 10-year lifespan. “The half a million-dollar cost per set was hard for the city council to stomach,” he said. However, the council eventually placed a replacement cycle in the budget.

Houston also tackled challenges related to the loss of groundwater wells. His projects included “rehabbing wells, adding drinking water treatment to well sites, and groundwater recharge to perfect our water rights,” he said.

Recognizing the value of further education, Houston completed an online bachelor’s degree in business management from Western Governors University during his time in Stockton.

El Dorado Irrigation District

After eight years in Stockton, Houston transitioned to the El Dorado Irrigation District in 2023 as a water treatment plant operator. He was drawn by the prospect of a shorter commute and a fresh challenge. “Since a lot of things had gotten in place in Stockton,” he said, “I was wanting a different schedule and to step back for a little bit.” 

When he joined the district, the plant was undergoing several upgrades. Houston described his role as “just being part of the process,” helping to guide the improvements already underway.

Rancho Murieta Community Services District 

A former colleague from Stockton, now the general manager of the Calaveras Public Utility District, informed Houston about the opening at Rancho Murieta CSD. He recommended it as an opportunity for Houston to re-enter management and “to help the community make some changes to get started in the right direction,” Houston said. “That really interested me.”

Making a difference in larger entities like Sacramento and Stockton could be “slow and daunting…whereas here in the district, I feel we have the right size to get things moving and able to make improvements,” Houston said.

Though new to managing recycled and wastewater systems, Houston is quickly acclimating. He explained that water treatment systems share many fundamental aspects, particularly the underlying hydrology. “The district already has great staff… it’s just trying to help them have the tools that they need for improvements and replacement of infrastructure,” he said.

Houston identified improving the district’s finances as a primary challenge, along with the broader issue facing all public entities today—gaining public trust. In the past, agencies often assumed the public believed they were doing their best. “Now you have to elicit that support, almost go out and earn it… I think that's what CSD is starting to focus on - being more involved in that outreach component,” Houston said.

Background

Houston’s father managed water and wastewater treatment systems in California and Oregon, and Houston often accompanied him on weekend call-outs. “Back then, it wasn’t abnormal for kids to show up on-site,” he said.

After graduating from Placer High School in Auburn, Houston took classes at Sierra Community College before beginning a 10-year career at Walmart, working in various roles at the Rocklin, Clovis, and Antelope stores. Despite working full-time, he attended local colleges to complete his general education requirements before deciding on a major.

Houston was considering a career in engineering or teaching when a pivotal conversation with his father in 2001 changed his direction. 

“He pointed out the advantages of going into the water treatment industry since operators were starting to make as much as engineers… without as much college debt.”

While still at Walmart, Houston enrolled in a water specialist certificate program at Sacramento State but found the process slow, as licensing exams were only offered twice a year. During this time, his father referred him for a small job at a mobile home park water system, where he checked their well several times a month for a $300 stipend.

Houston still consults his father for work advice. 

“To this day, I still consider him my management consultant that I get for free,” he said. “When I run into something I haven’t experienced, I shoot him a text message or give him a call, and we talk it over.”

Houston and his wife live in Elk Grove, with two children and two grandchildren. He credits his wife for supporting his education and career. “My way to take care of my family was to improve myself,” he said.

A cycling enthusiast, Houston has enjoyed road racing, gravel and mountain bike riding and cyclocross. During the pandemic, he joined an online cycling team and logged 10,000 miles in one year. Although time constraints prevent him from road cycling now, he continues to ride his smart bike with online companions worldwide.

Houston also enjoys reading and watching Netflix in his spare time.