An Interview with Brian Shannon, VP, Eastern Region Water Director at Garver

By Dennis Wilson, Technical Sales Coordinator

An engineer’s dedication often extends beyond sound, efficient designs and extends to the environment and communities around them. Brian Shannon, VP, East Region Water Director at Garver has a passion so fierce for providing clean, safe drinking water for customers that he’s dedicated his career to making sure creeks, lakes, and rivers are safe for recreation, not only for his family but also for all those in the communities he serves.

It was Brian’s curiosity about how structures are built, how they withstand weather events, and how our water safely arrives at our tap that inspired him to study engineering at Auburn. But it was hydraulic engineering that intrigued him the most, and it still does, with its important role in our water systems.

Today, Brian leads expert teams across the southeast with members who have dedicated their careers and expertise to water and wastewater treatment. Together, they develop long-lasting solutions for their clients’ most challenging treatment, pipeline, and planning projects.

Brian loves his work, regardless of the size of the project, but especially enjoys the intricacies that come with treatment plant jobs. These projects often involve complex challenges that require effective and long-term solutions. He explains “In one example, we had to coordinate with a mayor, local businesses, and the city council. There’s a creek that people swim in every day and the water discharged into this creek wasn’t in compliance. The mayor was under pressure so we came up with a solution that involved nutrient (phosphorus) removal, UV disinfection, and improvements to the secondary clarification processes. The WWTP effluent went from being something that no one was proud of to nearly reuse-quality water. It’s that kind of work that encourages and inspires me every day.”

This drive to innovate and collaborate creates business opportunities in the waterworks industry. Indeed, Brian believes that today water engineers like Garver are busier than they have ever been helping clients solve water challenges. So, what's driving the growth in the plant work sector?

1: It’s time to upgrade and replace our aging infrastructure

As Brian explains, “The Southeast is a very attractive place now. Many people are moving south, and the Southeastern states are business friendly to manufacturers. We are also seeing the need for water from the data centers that are springing up as the need for cloud computing grows. These new, water-hungry industries, including battery and automobile manufacturers, are all putting pressure on the existing waterworks infrastructure.”

2: PFAS has become one of this era’s greatest water challenges.

Regulations are always being created or updated to improve the quality of water. “PFAS, a potential carcinogen, is the biggest topic in water and wastewater,” confirms Brian.

3: AI technologies are in our future: how can we provide better client services?

Garver is excited about artificial intelligence’s (AI) potential to improve services. They’re currently using AI for predictive analysis and modeling. For example, AI is used to shorten the time taken to review a sanitary inspection video.

“We have so much infrastructure to improve. The need to be more efficient and introduce new technologies to do our jobs better is greater than it has ever been. We must continue growing our expertise to better help water utilities serve their customers,” says Brian.

*Photo of family in Auburn Colors.* *The Shannon family bleeds orange and blue. "I went there, my wife went there, and two of our three sons go there – and the other one is likely going there! It’s a family affair."*

What makes Garver special in the water industry?

Garver sits within a unique spot in the water industry. The 1,350-personnel firm bridges the gap between smaller, agile consultants and the larger international consultants that have specialist expertise within their teams. “Garver sits somewhere in the middle. We provide a strong technical understanding paired with a ‘client first’ mentality. We don’t just care about the GM on a project -- we also listen to the person who is tightening a mega-lug onsite,” says Brian. "At Garver, you get the responsive service of a small firm with the expertise of a large one."

For further information about SIGMA’s Plant Work capabilities, contact dwilson@sigmaco.com