For 20 years, Niles Township Department of Public Works manager Gary Schrader has helped to manage the operations of systems that provide one of earth’s most precious resources — water.
Through 20 years of sweltering southwest Michigan summers and icy winters, Schrader said that no one in the township’s approximate population of 14,164 went without municipal water.
Does he chalk that up to good management?
“We have not had any time that we were short on water,” Schrader said. “It is just good people out there in the system, I guess. It has been a pleasure working with everybody.”
Today the Department of Public Works oversees 70 miles of sewer mains and 24 miles of water mains, which provide water for drinking and sanitation that meet state and federal guidelines, its website states.
But Schrader, who has for years helped to oversee these operations, said he is ready to pass the buck.
Two weeks ago, the Niles Township board of trustees announced that Schrader would be retiring March 31. After which, Schrader will take a month-long vacation, making his official last day June 30.
Schrader, 68, said he is looking forward to catching up on
spending time with his grandkids in Michigan and Illinois, as well as practicing his long-time hobbies of hunting and fishing. With his weekdays free, Schrader said he looks forward to missing the weekend crowds at his favorite fishing spots.
The area’s nature, which provides a place to hunt and fish, is one of the reasons the Niles Township native said he had never thought about living anywhere else.
“Never thought about ever leaving the area,” Schrader said.
In 1967, Schrader graduated from Niles High School and continued his education at Michigan State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree of science.
At his office on Friday afternoon, Schrader said he had hoped to get into the conservation when he graduated.
Though he took a different path, Schrader’s skills in conservation would help him to manage the precious water resources of Niles Township, assuring that no one in the area was without water.
“You only got so much water, so you got to take care of what you have,” Schrader said.
After graduating from MSU in 1971, Schrader went on to build houses for several years as a contractor. Later, he took a job as a welder to create stoves.
Schrader became the manager of the Department of Public Works in 1997.
Describing his duties in a nut shell, Schrader said his main job was really just to “keep things going.”
Looking back on 20 years of experience, Schrader said he was most proud of helping to hook up 11th Street businesses to municipal water lines in 2006.
Before then, businesses were hooked up to their own water wells, Schrader said.
Schrader said the project cost approximately $800,000 and was paid for through the creation of a special assessment district, which breaks down the total cost to the owner based on land parcel. The businesses are expected to pay off the cost in the next four years, Schrader said.
Construction of the lines along an approximate three-miles of distance from the state line to Bell Road took about five months to complete, he said.
“We kind of undertook that, hoping for bigger and better businesses,” Schrader said. “Since then we have had some good businesses come in.”
Schrader also saw the implementation of three new water wells, which are still in operation today and equipped to produce 1,000 gallons of water per minute, Schrader said.
The wells were built due to the dilapidation of the older wells, Schrader said.
The first well was installed in 2005, off of 17th Street south of Fulkerson Park; the other two wells in the corner of Fulkerson Park near 17th Street, were added in 2009 and 2013.
Through working in the field reading meters, Schrader said he enjoyed getting to know the people he was working to serve.
As he wraps up his last week of work this week, Schrader said he was happy for the opportunities the job gave him.
“I am grateful for everybody I have worked with and I wish them the best,” Schrader said.