On the day we interviewed Water Resources Pipe Crew Leader Tyrone Moore, we happened to catch up with him on a job he enjoys the most, service work. That day, he and his crew of three were installing clean-outs on residential sewer service mains. A clean-out is the location where a sewer line can be accessed for clearing clogs. “Of all the jobs we do, I love service work the most,” he said.

Tyrone began his career almost 28 years ago as a General Utility Worker at the Wastewater Treatment Plant. Within the first year, he moved to Water Distribution as a Machine Operator and later a Pipe Layer before moving into his current position. 

His crew is primarily responsible for light to medium water and sewer main (aka pipe) construction. They also install residential and commercial water and sewer services off our existing mains, replace valves, install two-inch meter vaults, and maintain and repair existing water and sewer mains. The work they do mostly involves mains ranging from 8-14 inches in diameter.

When needed, water crews will also help each other out. “When we have a bigger project that needs more manpower, we’ll combine crews to get the job done,” said Tyrone.

One of the things Tyrone says he’s enjoyed most over the years is working with our customers. “I enjoy explaining to customers what we’re doing,” he said. “I take the time to show them and make sure they understand. I also enjoy working with the guys. I just like what I do. That’s why I’ve been here as long as I have.”

For three years, Tyrone served on the Lighthouse Steering Team. “It was an honor to represent the Water Department with Lighthouse,” he said. “Doing observations for Lighthouse prepared me for the safety contacts we do now with our crews for SafeAlign. When I first started, we just did our jobs without talking about the safety aspect. Now we do safety briefings before we start a job. It lets us see things from a different perspective. We know that if we don’t have time to do it safely, we don’t do it.”

Tyrone and his wife, Jacklyn, grew up in Beaufort County and still live there, along with their three grown children, Laquanda, Nakeeta, and Jamar, and five grandkids. They also consider their nephew, Jayveon, like a son.

In his spare time, Tyrone plays the keyboard at Straightway Holiness Church and is also the deacon there. He picked up his musical talent from his parents. His mother played the keyboard at the church he grew up in, and his father, who was also a church deacon, would occasionally sing at church. “I had good parents who didn’t just send me to church, they took me and got me involved.” Now his son also plays the keyboard along with the guitar and drums.

After graduating from Washington High School, Tyrone worked for the Forest Service in Beaufort County before joining GUC. “I just want to say that I’ve really enjoyed my years here at Greenville Utilities,” he said. “I can really and truly say that GUC has been good to me and my family. Folks here are not just concerned about the customer, but also those of us who look out for the customer. You can’t have good customer service if you don’t have good people on the job.”

Favorites:

Movie - Die Hard
Snack - Banana Pudding
Vacation - New England
Book - The Bible