Ventura County Public Works Agency is proud to join public works agencies from across the nation and invite you to celebrate National Public Works Week with us. In addition to the services mentioned in this “What Is Public Works” video, our local VCPWA also includes Engineering Services, Watershed Protection, and many more services that keep our communities a healthy, safe place to live, work and play.  Our teams put together a virtual curriculum to display some of what we do – help teach our next generation of children that Public Works is everywhere you look!

Resources: Ready & Resilient Coloring Page

Interested in a career with Public Works? We hope that after watching our agency director and some of our employees talk about their jobs and why they enjoy working here, you’ll be inspired to look further into joining our team and making a difference in the quality of life in Ventura County.

Take a look as we highlight some of the work that our Water and Sanitation staff does on a day to day basis! Their days are always busy as they are responsible for administration, customer service, maintenance, design, construction, and inspection of several water and sanitation sewer utility systems located throughout Ventura County. Follow along with Joe, Gary, and Christopher!

Resources: Waterwise Word Search | Water: Who needs it? | Water We Do! It’s Up to You and Me | The Water Cycle

In everything we do, safety always comes first! Phil and Cynthia from Central Services showcase some of the safety procedures we practice here at public works including the 3 point contact rule, stump grinding, and the safety processes of loading, securing, and unloading equipment.

Recycle organics to improve soil and cut pollution! Recover food to feed people, not landfills! This video describes countywide efforts to recycle food scraps and recover edible food for human consumption. It explains how to participate and why California requires all cities and counties to keep organics out of landfills.

Recycle organics to improve soil and cut pollution! Recover food to feed people, not landfills! This video describes countywide efforts to recycle food scraps and recover edible food for human consumption. It explains how to participate and why California requires all cities and counties to keep organics out of landfills.

Recycle organics to improve soil and cut pollution! Recover food to feed people, not landfills! This video describes countywide efforts to recycle food scraps and recover edible food for human consumption. It explains how to participate and why California requires all cities and counties to keep organics out of landfills.

Recycle organics to improve soil and cut pollution! Recover food to feed people, not landfills! This video describes countywide efforts to recycle food scraps and recover edible food for human consumption. It explains how to participate and why California requires all cities and counties to keep organics out of landfills.

Watershed Protection Operations and Maintenance Division discusses the importance of the Channel Cleanout Process to ensure stormwater gets released into the ocean as quickly as possible. Learn how you can help!

Resources: Environmental Careers | Environmental College Degrees | Word Search Pollution awareness

Meet some of the faces of the Central Services IT department: Kevin Coe, Eric Weinstein, Erik Esola, and Keith Kleinkopf! They talk about their education experience and responsibilities at public works including web design, computer programming, and database, app and software development.

In the event of natural disasters like wildfires and earthquakes or even a planned rolling blackout keeping traffic signal operations continuous to control vehicle and pedestrian traffic flow is crucial. Find out how the Ventura County Public Works Agency is prepared to tackle any emergency situation with its battery backup system technology at signalized intersections.

Yep, Public Works helps make buildings too, including hospitals and firestations! This video shows you examples of the various aspects of building construction, and how the Engineering Services department takes a project from plans to reality.

Roads & Transportation’s priorities are the preservation of infrastructure and public safety – ensuring that our roads are safe for use. The content of this video teaches you about the Pavement Management Program, showing the process and technology of how County maintained roads are inspected and evaluated.

Resources: Water Conservation Pledge | The Water Cycle 

California is susceptible to earthquakes, which can lead to danger and damage, including soil liquefaction. Do you think your LEGOs could stay standing during an earthquake? Engineering Services Land Development and the County Surveyor’s office teamed up to talk about the hazard of soil liquefaction and demonstrate a few of the techniques they use to stay prepared.

In this video, Larry Dibble from the County Surveyor’s Office takes you through the process of monument preservation, pointing out different survey monuments throughout Ventura County and what they represent. *Don’t try this at home* 

Did you know survey well monuments are a permanent marker set by a land surveyor to mark or reference a point on a property or landline? They run down the center of many streets in our community – keep an eye out next time you’re outside. This video will show you how the County installs and sets a Well Monument.

If you are a student looking to get your foot in the door at Public Works, Central Services has you covered. This presentation features a full webpage walkthrough on how to apply to become a student worker as well as interviews from current student workers who will give you the motivation and inspiration to apply!

Have you ever wondered why our roads ranked as one of the highest in the entire state of California? It’s all thanks to our help Operations and Maintenance crew. They help keep our streets in a safe clean driveable condition every day. Let us show you a small glipse into a typical day in the life of a Roads & Transportation – Operations and Maintenance.

In an intersection, do you know what determines which lights turn green and when? Traffic loops are coiled wires in the roadway that control and operate the effective, efficient and safe passage of traffic. How? They detect the presence of vehicles, motorcycles, and bicycles at signalized intersections and have the ability to extend signal phasing to maximize green times for particular motorized movements. This presentation by Roads & Transportation captures the who, what, when, where, why, and how this process works!

VCPWA’s Water and Sanitation works to provide uninterruptible high-quality water, reduce waste, prevent pollution and promote sustainable management of materials within the unincorporated communities of Ventura County. This video shows how Ventura County Waterworks uses the Correlator, a computerized component that pinpoints the exact position of a leak, to both identify water leaks and make system improvements.

Resources: What is the Water Cycle | Water Cycle-Color Sheet 

Have you ever wondered what happens to all those hazardous waste and electronic waste items that residents bring to our facility? Join us for a tour of the Pollution Prevention Center where residents of the unincorporated area and the cities of Ojai, Santa Paula and Fillmore can responsibly dispose of their unwanted household hazardous waste and electronic waste.

Resources: Waterwise Word Search

Join Inspector Will Randall and Student Worker Andrew Garcia on a field visit to an active construction site for the Tsumas Creek Channel Improvements Project. Interested in becoming a Student Worker with the Ventura County Public Works Agency? See the link below to watch a step-by-step video from our Central Services Department on how to apply to become a part of our team.

Resources: CCW Coloring Book

Ever wondered how concrete becomes concrete? Join Inspector Will Randall on his visit to a batch plant to see the concrete creating process from beginning to end!

Resources: Staying Safe on the Job

Reclaimed water, also called recycled water, is wastewater that has been treated so that it can be used again for a variety of purposes. Let Ventura County Waterworks staff show you the process on a virtual tour of the Waste Water Reclamation Facility in Moorpark, CA.

Resources: Water Activity Book