Stinky job earns stake award for Noblesville’s wastewater director Ray Thompson

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2013 Common Council President Roy Johnson, left, presents Ray Thompson, wastewater department director, with the annual Stake in the Ground Award on Jan. 14. (Photo by Robert Herrington)
2013 Common Council President Roy Johnson, left, presents Ray Thompson, wastewater department director, with the annual Stake in the Ground Award on Jan. 14. (Photo by Robert Herrington)

Ray Thompson has served as Noblesville’s wastewater director for the past four years and has worked for Noblesville for the past 34 years. On Jan. 14, the Noblesville Common Council honored him for his work with the annual Stake in the Ground award.

“I’m humbled. I had no clue it was coming,” Thompson said.

Thompson is currently overseeing the long-term implementation plan for the city’s sewer collection system. In basic terms, Thompson said the city and state have an agreement for Noblesville to make improvements.

“We have to do ‘X’ amount of modifications in so many years,” he said, adding the city has 15 years to finish the project. “It started prior to my becoming director. We have until 2022 to complete it.”

Thompson said part of the project was installing a new sewer on Maple Street along with a new roadway.

“There is a total of five phases. We tackled the most expensive first,” he said.

The current project is installing 1,100 feet of 60-inch sewer line. Thompson said the top of the sewer line will be a city trail from Maple to Division Streets right along the bank of White River. The trail will attach to Riverwalk and connect the sewer treatment plant to Forest Park.

“It’s almost a three-year project. It officially began in July,” he said.

Like they have with other wastewater projects, Thompson said the departments try to make improvements within the city with sidewalks, streets or trails.

“We’re going to go in and tear up an area, why not restore it or make it better than it was before?,” he said.

2013 Common Council President Roy Johnson described Thompson as an “unsung hero.”

“He’s out there working his tail off,” Johnson said. “Nobody knows all the effort and time he puts into his job.”

Johnson said the award was designed to recognize – at the director level – city employees “who obviously go way above and beyond their jobs.”

“We had really good candidates this year,” he said, adding that each councilor makes a nomination and then all members vote on it.


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