Fullerton's Water Rates and Water District Salaries

Teri Sforza of the Orange County Register compiled salaries and benefit values for those earning more than $100,000 as employees of Fullerton's water supplier, the Orange County Water District.  It is an impressive list of management titles and technical fields.  Some of the job titles below have me scratching my head as to what the employees do and what their day to day activities entail.  There are several listed as "supervisor" or "manager" with the exact same title.  Are these managers or are they more like committee members?  Are certain efforts being duplicated?

Sforza says that OCWD employees do not receive the defined benefit that most other agencies provide which certainly makes these salaries much more palatable.  Instead, employees pay into their own 401k-style plans which means a much less overall tax burden for rate payers like the City of Fullerton's residents.

Nonetheless, with Fullerton's water rates being reviewed and an increase likely, it is important to know the good and bad business practices of our partnering public agencies.
Here are the numbers for OCWD. These numbers include the value of health benefits and retirement account contributions in addition to pay received by workers.

General Manager $ 290,851
Assistant General Manager $ 236,548
Executive Director of Engineering & Planning $ 222,330
Executive Director Local Resources and Administration $ 220,320
Laboratory Director $ 202,033
Chief of Hydrogeology $ 198,177
Director of Water Production $ 193,589
Director of IS/Property Management $ 192,627
Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer $ 182,048
Water Quality Director $ 171,696
Director of Planning and Watershed Management’ $ 171,537
Natural Resources Director $ 166,110
Groundwater Replenishment System Process Manager $ 165,026
Executive Director Operations $ 164,899
Director Of Engineering $ 163,453
Director of Human Resources $ 159,960
Principal Hydrogeologist $ 159,889
Process Control & Systems Manager $ 157,656
Director of Recharge Operations $ 157,231
Groundwater Replenishment System Program Manager $ 155,788
Director of Public Affairs $ 154,547
Principal Engineer $ 152,569
Supervising Chemist $ 152,072
Supervising Chemist $ 151,283
Research Director $ 150,019
Senior Engineer $ 149,847
Principal Engineer $ 147,976
Purchasing Manager $ 147,854
Risk and Safety Manager $ 146,692
Principal Engineer $ 145,197
Principal Hydrogeologist $ 144,901
Chief Operator $ 143,170
Accounting Manager $ 142,281
Supervising Chemist $ 140,666
Director of Regulatory Affairs $ 139,631
Senior Programmer Analyst $ 138,821
Principal Hydrogeologist $ 137,777
Operations Shift Supervisor (Grade IV/V) $ 136,932
Finance Manager $ 136,610
Chief Operator $ 135,996
Principal Process Specialist $ 134,158
Senior Programmer Analyst $ 133,268
District Secretary $ 132,467
Senior PCS Programmer $ 130,756
Principal Communications Specialist $ 130,322
Senior Engineer $ 129,013
Operations Shift Supervisor (Grade IV/V) $ 128,076
Senior Plant Operator III $ 127,667
Senior Plant Operator III $ 127,667
Principal Planner $ 127,646
Supervising Chemist $ 126,572
Supervising Chemist $ 126,572
Supervising Environmental Specialist $ 123,087
Senior Scientist $ 122,306
Senior Scientist $ 122,306
Operations Shift Supervisor (Grade IV/V) $ 121,726
Operations Shift Supervisor (Grade IV/V) $ 121,726
Principal Scientist $ 121,656
Principal Scientist $ 121,656
Senior Plant Operator III $ 121,653
Senior Plant Operator III $ 121,653
Maintenance Manager $ 121,520
Maintenance Manager $ 121,520
Supervising Chemist $ 121,131
Supervising Chemist $ 121,131
Field Headquarters Maintenance Supervisor $ 120,857
Field Headquarters Maintenance Supervisor $ 120,857
Basin Cleaning Vehicle Operations Supervisor $ 120,731
Basin Cleaning Vehicle Operations Supervisor $ 120,731
Senior Plant Operator III $ 119,740
Senior Plant Operator III $ 119,740
Senior I & E Technician $ 118,892
Senior I & E Technician $ 118,892
Principal Project Accountant $ 117,864
Principal Project Accountant $ 117,864
Senior Plant Operator III $ 117,572
Senior Plant Operator III $ 117,572
Operations Shift Supervisor $ 117,388
Operations Shift Supervisor $ 117,388
Hydrogeologist $ 116,199
Hydrogeologist $ 116,199
Senior Maintenance Technician Grade III $ 116,021
Senior Maintenance Technician Grade III $ 116,021
Principal Project Accountant $ 115,737
Principal Project Accountant $ 115,737
Senior Programmer Analyst $ 115,679
Senior Programmer Analyst $ 115,679
Senior I & E Technician $ 115,407
Senior I & E Technician $ 115,407
Senior Chemist $ 115,340
Senior Chemist $ 115,340
Recharge System Operator $ 114,934
Recharge System Operator $ 114,934
Senior Maintenance Technician Grade III $ 114,713
Senior Maintenance Technician Grade III $ 114,713
Principal Project Accountant $ 114,346
Principal Project Accountant $ 114,346
Senior Distribution Technician $ 114,223
Senior Distribution Technician $ 114,223
GIS/Database Supervisor $ 113,719
GIS/Database Supervisor $ 113,719
Senior Scientist $ 113,206
Senior Scientist $ 113,206
Senior I & E Technician $ 112,766
Senior I & E Technician $ 112,766
Senior Administrative Coordinator $ 112,646
Senior Administrative Coordinator $ 112,646
Senior I & E Technician $ 112,566
Senior I & E Technician $ 112,566
Property Manager $ 110,873
Network Administrator $ 110,275
Senior Scientist $ 109,268
Senior Scientist $ 109,268
Senior Environmental Specialist $ 109,096
Senior Hydrogeologist $ 108,938
Senior Hydrogeologist $ 108,938
Senior Scientist $ 108,910
Senior Scientist $ 108,910
Assistant District Secretary $ 108,460
Assistant District Secretary $ 108,460
Senior Planner $ 108,421
Senior Planner $ 108,421
Hydrogeologist $ 108,179
Construction Inspector $ 108,174
Senior Chemist $ 107,371
Senior Chemist $ 107,371
Network Administrator $ 107,289
Maintenance Technician Grade II $ 106,187
Buyer $ 105,335
Principal Communications Specialist $ 104,902
Senior PCS Programmer $ 104,888
Senior Environmental Specialist $ 103,638
Legislative Affairs Liaison $ 103,190
Senior Chemist $ 102,715
Senior I & E Technician $ 102,430
Maintenance Technician Grade II $ 102,163
Senior I & E Technician $ 100,204
Field Headquarters Operations Supervisor $ 100,121