COLORADO RIVER MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT
he Colorado River Municipal Water District (CRMWD) was
created in 1949 by the 51st Texas State Legislature for the
purpose of providing raw water to the West Texas cities of Big
Spring, Odessa, and Snyder. Today, in addition to these original
member communities, the District also provides raw water to
the cities of Midland, San Angelo, Stanton, Robert Lee, Grandfalls,
Abilene, and the Millersville-Doole Water Supply Corporation,
supplying wholesale raw water to more than 600,000 residents.
CRMWD also owns and operates the Big Spring Raw Water Production
facility, which is the first direct potable reuse treatment facility in the United
States. The facility was constructed in 2013 and treats wastewater euent using
microfiltration, reverse osmosis, and advanced oxidation. Treated water is then added to raw water from area
lakes and used for municipal supply.
In a unique water supply arrangement, the District also operates an environmentally recognized “diverted
water” system. This system captures lesser quality, highly mineralized low flow water from the Colorado
River and diverts or sells this still-valuable water commodity to existing petroleum industries for use in their
secondary oil and gas recovery operations.
In 1981, the Texas Legislature approved an Amendment to the District’s initial 1949 enabling legislation. This
Amendment further authorized the CRMWD to assist municipalities and industrial organizations in the
financing of water and sewer facilities, and of air pollution control facilities, within a 36-county service area
containing over 30,000 square miles in the Central West Texas region.
The District owns, operates, and maintains three major surface water reservoirs strategically located along
the Colorado River in the Central West Texas region near Big Spring. Lake J.B. Thomas, the E.V. Spence
Reservoir, and the O.H. Ivie Reservoir possess a full combined surface water storage capacity of 1.272 million
acre-feet of water. CRMWD also operates and maintains five underground water well fields that are utilized
primarily in the summer months to meet peak water demands of the District’s municipal water customers.
Located within a 16-county operations area, the District through its surface water, underground water supply
sources, and reuse facility, operates and maintains a raw water transmission system having approximately
700 miles of pipelines and 28 pump stations. CRMWD delivers an average of 58 million gallons of raw
water per day with peak deliveries well over 100 million gallons per day during the summer.
THE DISTRICT
COLORADO RIVER MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT I ENGINEERING SERVICES MANAGER
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ig Spring is located halfway between Dallas and El Paso at the
crossroads of U.S. Interstate Highway 20, State Highway 87, State
Highway 350, and State Highway 176 in Central West Texas. Adjacent
major Texas cities which are within a very easy drive of Big Spring
include Midland (42 miles), Odessa (62 miles), Lubbock (106 miles), San
Angelo (83 miles), and Abilene (108 miles). The community of over 26,000
residents has a rich western history. In the 1840s, “the big spring” from which
the city gets its name was a flowing water source on the crossroads of the Overland
Trail running west to California and the Santa Fe Trail running north to the Indian lands in New Mexico.
Big Spring’s unique topography is a mixture of wide-open plains mixed with the convergence of the northern
limit of the geologically recognized Texas Edwards Plateau and the southern hills of the Texas South Plains
Caprock Escarpment. Big Spring is nestled in a rocky gorge between two high foothills, at an elevation of
approximately 2,500 feet above sea level, which has created a beautiful and tranquil landscape setting of
scenic vistas and a green oasis on the West Texas prairie. The past western history of the area includes
Spanish explorers; free-roaming herds of bualo and wild game; Comanche and Shawnee Indian Tribes;
Mexican and early American settlers; ranchers and farmers; cowboys, outlaws and the U.S. Cavalry; and, in
the early 1900s, the discovery of oil.
Big Spring and Howard County have a sustained, diverse, and varied economy with
low unemployment based on agriculture, oil and gas production and refining,
manufacturing, wind energy production, transportation, government services,
and an unusually broad range of health care and retirement services.
THE BIG SPRING
COMMUNITY
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The city is a haven for nature and recreational enthusiasts of
all ages. There is an abundance of recreational and quality
of life opportunities in the area, including hunting, fishing,
bird watching, hiking and biking, water recreation, golfing,
museums, and cultural and civic events. Big Spring has over
800 acres of dedicated public parks. The original “big spring”
is surrounded by Comanche Trail Park, which features hike and
bike trails, a historic amphitheater, swimming pool, and an 18-
hole municipal golf course. Community residents also have easy
access to Big Spring State Park, Moss Creek Lake, Lake Colorado
City State Park, and the three water reservoirs in the region owned and
operated by CRMWD.
The Big Spring area oers residents a variety of educational, medical, and cultural amenities and resources.
Three public school districts serve Howard County including the Big Spring, Coahoma, and Forsan Independent
School Districts. Campuses in all three districts have achieved “Recognized” to “Exemplary” educational ratings
from the Texas Education Agency. Howard College, with its main campus in Big Spring, is a long-established
two-year community college that oers a wide range of aordable associate degree plans and workforce-
specific certification programs. The community is also home to the SouthWest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf.
Big Spring has long had a reputation for being a center of healthcare practice. In addition to a broad range
of medical professionals in private practice, three important medical facilities are located in the community
including Scenic Mountain Medical Center (146-bed Acute Care Hospital with a Level IV Trauma Center), West
Texas Veterans Administration Health Care Center (135-bed Federal V.A. Hospital) and the Big Spring State
Hospital (200-bed psychiatric hospital serving 58 counties in Texas). There are other beneficial healthcare-
related facilities in the City, including the Dora Roberts Rehabilitation Center and various assisted living
facilities and nursing homes for the elderly.
Big Spring also oers a number of highly interesting museums and wonderfully entertaining cultural activities
throughout the year. The city is home to its own renowned professional symphony orchestra, which performs
concerts in the historic Municipal Auditorium. The Hangar 25 Air Museum, located at Big Spring McMahon-
Wrinkle Airport (the former Webb Air Force Base), is a superb tourist attraction that chronicles the history
and heritage of the World War II U.S. Army Air Corps Bombardier School.
The city is home to churches of all denominations and numerous retail shops and restaurants. Additional
shopping, dining, and an international airport with daily scheduled national air carrier service are a very short
drive on U.S. Interstate Highway 20 in the nearby cities of Midland and Odessa. Big Spring is indeed the home
of caring residents, friendly families, beautiful landscapes, and a multitude of recreational, sporting, and
cultural activities to engage anyone looking for a wonderful and tranquil place to live, work, and raise a family.
COLORADO RIVER MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT I ENGINEERING SERVICES MANAGER
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THE BIG SPRING
COMMUNITY
continued
he CRMWD is governed by a 12-member Board of Directors
with four members each appointed by the original member
cities of Big Spring, Odessa, and Snyder. The other
municipal, public, and private customers of the District
are served through contractual arrangements. Because
of such, these entities do not have ocial membership on
the Board. The members of the Board of Directors serve
staggered two-year terms and are appointed by their
representative City Councils.
Since its creation in 1949, CRMWD has been a model of
organizational stability having been directed by only four General
Managers. The current General Manager is Mr. Cole Walker, a Big
Spring native and professional engineer who started his tenure with the
District in 2006 and was promoted to the top role in December 2021.
The District employs approximately 90 sta members working with an annual operating budget of about
$40 million.
GOVERNANCE &
ORGANIZATION
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he District’s Engineering Services Manager reports to the General
Manager and is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the
engineering and construction services area for the District, including
supervising and directing District sta; engineering design for in-
house projects; materials and equipment purchases; coordination with
and managing outside engineering firms; construction coordination of
outside contractors; and working with District sta on in-house construction.
Additional responsibilities include reservoir operations and water resources.
Leading a team of 17 employees, the position manages both internal and external projects, including
planning, design, construction, finance, and land and legal matters; oversees and coordinates with outside
engineers, contractors, vendors, and suppliers; and supports District operations by providing engineering
and construction service support for maintenance projects.
The Engineering Services Manager also conducts system hydraulic evaluation and analysis, oversees field
testing, drafts and presents reports, manages maintenance and operations files, develops District manuals
and maps, and prepares specification and bid documents, including advertising and evaluating those bids to
make a recommendation for award.
As a critical member of the District’s executive team, this role is also called upon to develop short- and long-
term plans and strategies for the organization’s capital improvement program, and represent the District to
outside consultants, contractors, water supply customers, and various local, state, and federal ocials. They
may also be called upon to stand in for the General Manager as needed.
ABOUT THE
POSITION
COLORADO RIVER MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT I ENGINEERING SERVICES MANAGER
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he new Engineering Services Manager will take on a number
of opportunities and challenges in the years ahead while leading
the organization’s engineering and construction teams. Additional
responsibilities Include:
•
Capital Projects — The successful candidate will need to hit the ground running on $30 million in capital
improvements in progress, including communication system upgrades, dam improvement projects, and
cathodic protection projects.
•
Strategic Planning — The incoming Engineering Services Manager will be tasked with developing a long-
term Capital Improvements Program and Strategic Plan to ensure the District continues to meet operational
requirements.
•
Sta Analysis — District leadership would like the successful candidate for this role to assess stang levels
throughout their team to ensure workload management is appropriate.
•
Workforce Development & Recruitment — This position will work to develop a departmental culture that
attracts, motivates, and retains employees. This will include training and mentoring younger professionals
in the art of project management, soft skills, and technical skills.
OPPORTUNITIES
& CHALLENGES
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he Colorado River Municipal Water District is seeking a visionary
engineer and project manager who will ensure the long-term
excellence and eciency of the District’s infrastructure.
The ideal candidate will be a highly motivated self-starter with a
proven record of building up their team and mentoring sta members.
They should hold themselves and others accountable, be adept at
prioritizing projects and seeing them through to completion on time, and
have skill in developing relationships with the Board of Directors and employees
throughout the District alike.
In addition to a solid understanding of the District’s operations and vision as well as the various laws,
regulations, and policies that govern it, the new Engineering Services Manager should also feel comfortable
working with engineering design firms and various contractors.
.
This position requires a bachelor’s degree in civil or mechanical engineering, or a related field, as well as eight
years of progressive engineering, project management, and construction management experience. A Texas
driver’s license is required, and candidates should be licensed as a Professional Engineer in the State of Texas
or have the ability to obtain their license within six months of their hire date. Successful experience in the
private sector will be considered.
IDEAL CANDIDATE
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EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
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Please apply online
For more information on this position contact:
Marsha Reed, Senior Vice President
MarshaReed@GovernmentResource.com
806-789-9641
The Colorado River Municipal Water District is an Equal Opportunity Employer
and values diversity in its workforce. Applicants selected as finalists for this
position will be subject to a comprehensive background check.
he District is oering a highly competitive salary for this position dependent on qualifications and experience.
The organization’s benefits package includes health insurance for which the District pays 100% of employees’
premiums and 70% for dependents.
It also features a generous leave policy including vacation, sick, personal, emergency, and funeral leave as
well as 10 paid holidays; longevity pay and continuing education assistance; life insurance; and the free use
of District recreational facilities. The District also oers a fully-funded defined benefit retirement plan and an
optional 457b deferred compensation plan.
Colorado River Municipal Water District
www.crmwd.org
City of Big Spring
www.mybigspring.com
Big Spring Convention & Visitors Bureau
www.visitbigspring.com
Big Spring Chamber of Commerce
www.bigspringchamber.com
Big Spring Independent School District
www.bsisd.esc18.net/
COMPENSATION
& BENEFITS
APPLICATION PROCESS
RESOURCES
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