If there’s one thing that stands out about Thomas Nigh, says his boss, it’s Nigh’s attention to detail.

But that’s only the beginning. Nigh’s track record with the Roseburg Urban Sanitary Authority in Roseburg, Oregon, is so strong that in 2014 and again in 2015, he was recognized as Collections Operator of the Year for the Umpqua Basin Operators Section of the Pacific Northwest Clean Water Association.

“I consider Thomas my biggest asset here because of what he...