National Public Works Week

Each year, the American Public Works Association (APWA) and the City of Thousand Oaks celebrate National Public Works Week in recognition of the thousands of men and women nationwide who provide and maintain essential city infrastructure and services. Infrastructure such as streets, water and sewer pipes, traffic signals, street signs, and more, which are collectively known as Public Works.

This year’s National Public Works Week took place from May 18 - 24th, and the theme, “People, Purpose, Presence”, highlighted three cornerstone ideals that motivate public works professionals to serve in their communities every day. Meeting the needs of people is what gives public works its sense of purpose.

The City of Thousand Oaks’ Public Works Department is made up of 181 employees who maintain and service:

1. 380 miles of streets
2. 570 miles of concrete sidewalk
3. 40,000 street signs
4. 27,000 street trees
5. 232 miles of water pipes, 16 reservoirs, 16 pump stations, 7 million gallons of water delivered each day
6. 340 miles of storm drain pipes, 3,600 catch basins
7. 415 miles of wastewater pipelines, 38,000 customers, 8 million gallons of wastewater treated per day

To celebrate Public Works Week, the City hosted an open house on May 20^th and 21st, where 783 students and 347 adults toured the City’s Municipal Service Center to see how the City’s Public Works Department operates and maintains its infrastructure. Visitors learned how City crews repair water and sewer pipes, sidewalks, potholes, trim trees, install and maintain traffic signals, maintain City buses and fleet vehicles, and more. The guided tours provided an interesting and fun “behind-the-scenes” perspective.

The APWA offers a national designation that formally recognizes public works agencies for utilizing model procedures and best management practices. The City is proud to be an active member and supporter of the local APWA Ventura County Chapter. In 2010, the City’s Public Works Department was the first city in Ventura County to be APWA accredited and has been re-accredited every 4 years since then.