WORKING -- STEPHEN LYONS

HE IS

Investigating your water.

IN CHARGE

Stephen Lyons, 46, is the senior microbiologist at the Orange County

Water District in Fountain Valley. Originally from Massachusetts, Lyons

has been in Southern California for about 20 years, the last 2 1/2 of

which have been spent in research at the district.

“I get to investigate all the different aspects of water,� Lyons said.

“I concentrate on improving the ability of the surface water seeping into

the ground water, which is the water source that supplies 75% of the

ground water consumed in North Orange County.�

THE CREDENTIALS

Lyons, who has undergraduate degrees in oceanography and limnology, as

well as a master’s degree in biology, recently earned his doctorate in

social ecology from the UC Irvine.

By building a broad academic arsenal, Lyons has been able to

continuously raise the standard of his work.

“It helps that I was born curious,� Lyons said. “I have learned that

when you understand a problem from its fundamental basis, you are able to

find out the source of the problem and the solution to it.�

ON THE JOB

Work days are never the same according to this versatile employee. His

tasks can vary from Web site development and analysis work in the

laboratory, to being outdoors and applying laboratory research to conduct

test procedures out in the field. By no means is this daily rigor a solo

effort.

“We have eight people in the water resources and technology department

as well as a full chemistry lab with 20 chemists,� Lyons said. “I am

actually a member of the engineering department, but I interact with

these departments because they have the ability to answer the questions

that I may have from field work.�

PROBLEM-SOLVING

This erudite individual, who is about to become director of the field

research laboratory at field headquarters in Anaheim, approaches his

profession with a simple axiom. He is trying to optimize the conditions

at the water district to make sure that the water is of the highest

possible quality.

“By understanding the fundamentals of biology and chemistry, we try to

make sure that the water that is going in is of optimum quality,� he

said.

The hard work and commitment put forth is something Lyons cherishes.

“I get to live my dreams on a daily basis,� Lyons said.

“I come from a long line of New England Yankees so problem-solving is

something I enjoy.�

/SI -- Story by Torus Tammer, Photo by XXXXX