Dickinson honored at annual meeting

Rick Dickinson was recently named the Nebraska Rural Water District Operator of the Year, according to County Commissioner Tim Nolting, an honor handed out just once a year to only one individual throughout the state.

Water operators in municipalities across Nebraska must be certified, a process that takes a minimum of 40 hours to complete in a classroom and with hands-on training ending with a certification exam, Dickinson said.

Those certifications require continued education as well and operators are expected to collect and send in routine monthly water samples, and additional samples as required by the state.

"If a water system has bacteria 'hits' it must be treated, and the system must be flushed," Nolting added. "I think if that happens you are ineligible for the honor Rick received."

Village Clerk Joyce Vrbka sent the recommendation in to the State of Nebraska on Dickinson's behalf and he was honored at the recent Nebraska Rural Water Resource District annual conference.

Dickinson received a certificate from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Division of Public Health for his outstanding service as water operator in the Village of Bushnell.

"It was kind of shock to me," Dickinson said.