Jodie Crandell, QEP, QISP ToR
Senior Project Manager

What is your current role and how long have you been with KERAMIDA?

I am a stormwater compliance professional working out of KERAMIDA’s Sacramento office, as well as a Certified Auditor performing California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA) Certified Sustainability audits for wineries in California. I have worked at KERAMIDA from 1994-2000, and then from 2017 to the present.

What do you love about this line of work?

I love working with people to help them understand the effects of their operations on the environment and how they can lessen the impact of their actions. Here in the last few years, it has been my sincere pleasure to work with enthusiastic, smart young people and help them on their career journey.

What continues to drive your passion for environmental/compliance work?

I thrive in working with people and organizations to come up with creative ways to reduce the environmental impact of manufacturing operations. For example, I especially love working with folks to stop discharging stormwater and instead retain the water on-site and recharge groundwater or feed a water feature that keeps the water on-site.

Why is stormwater management important?

Stormwater management in all areas and on all scales is vitally important. We need to start understanding that stormwater is a valuable resource to be protected and cherished. KERAMIDA is a member of the California Stormwater Quality Association (CASQA), and many of our California Stormwater Practitioners volunteer time on CASQA committees and work groups. We all work toward a sustainable stormwater future, with appropriate and balanced regulations, policies, and enforcement. The success of these endeavors begins and ends with helping everyone understand what happens to the water when it falls from the sky and moves across our natural and urban areas.

What does a stormwater professional do on an average day?

We have a rainy season in California, followed by a dry season with hardly any rain at all; not a drop. When it is not raining, our work is focused on supporting clients with their Annual Reports, Annual Site Visits, assistance with the online system for Industrial General Permit compliance, revisions to Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans and site maps, and general routine support. If a facility exceeds the established levels for one or more pollutant, then we help them evaluate their site to determine where the exceedances are coming from and what Best Management Practices to implement to reduce the impact at the discharge location. When it is raining, we focus our time on ensuring that sampling kits are on-site and sampling results are uploaded to the online system by the deadline, as well as supporting client needs, including employee training.

In addition to stormwater compliance, you are a Certified Auditor for the CSWA Certified Sustainable program. What do you look for during a CSWA Certified Sustainable Wine audit?

I use visual observations and document review to conduct my audits. There are 144 sustainability criteria for vineyards and 105 for wineries. I must see the actual vineyard or winery at least once every 3 years, if practicable. Document review includes Water Management Plans, engineered irrigation systems, Employee handbooks and training programs, and Distribution uniformity tests for irrigation systems, to name just a few. Observations include the irrigation systems themselves, trellising of vines and row spacing, owl boxes for vertebrate predators (natural pest controls in general), pesticide storage and dispensing, pond systems, vineyard machinery, fuel storage, and dispensing areas. The vineyard manager or winery management accompanies me during the audit to ensure continuity and efficiency.

What do you believe is the most important or meaningful element of your job?

At this point in my career, the opportunity to mentor others and help them on their way is quite meaningful to me.

What are some of your favorite hobbies outside of work?

Birdwatching, cat rescue, jigsaw puzzles, reading, cooking, and gardening.