In a ceremony, the mayor of Idar-Oberstein and municipal works manager Friedrich Marx, Uwe Weber, mayor of VG Herrstein-Rhaunen and current chairman of the water association for the Birkenfeld district, colleagues and staff representatives bid farewell to the two long-serving employees on their well-deserved retirement. Frank Forster was unable to attend the farewell ceremony in person for health reasons.
Holger Degenaar initially worked at the Flensburg site administration before joining Stadtwerke Idar-Oberstein in 1987 and has since been employed as a control room operator at the Steinbach dam. Frank Forster was hired by Stadtwerke Idar-Oberstein in 1995, where he initially worked in consumption billing and as a meter reader, before moving to Steinbachtalsperre as a control room attendant in 2004.
"Many people don't think about what it takes to ensure that drinking water of the best quality comes out of the tap at any time of day or night," explained Mayor Marx. The raw water has to be treated, checked and then distributed to the elevated tanks, "that's a lot of work, which also involves a great deal of responsibility." This requires employees you can rely on. "And that applies to both Holger Degenaar and Frank Forster," Marx emphasized. With their work, which is carried out around the clock in shifts, they have rendered outstanding services to the public. "I would like to express my sincere thanks and respect for this." In addition to a certificate of thanks, the head of the municipal utilities department also presented them with some gifts.
VG Mayor Uwe Weber pointed out how important a stable supply of drinking water, the number one raw material, is. "Neither humans nor nature can survive without water. We are currently seeing the consequences of a lack of water in the current weather situation." Weber also thanked the two soon-to-be retirees and wished them all the best for the new chapter in their lives. The representative of the staff council and the colleagues, who attended the farewell in large numbers, also presented gifts and joined in the good wishes.