{"id":4138,"date":"2026-09-22T09:00:41","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T13:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/?p=4138"},"modified":"2026-09-21T11:53:18","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T15:53:18","slug":"hispanic-heritage-rafael-rodriguez","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/hispanic-heritage-rafael-rodriguez\/","title":{"rendered":"PWD Hispanic Heritage Month Spotlight: Rafael Rodriguez"},"content":{"rendered":"

During Hispanic Heritage Month, PWD is proud to celebrate the rich cultures, histories, traditions, and contributions of the Hispanic and Latino communities.<\/p>\n

We are shining a spotlight on some incredible employees who help to keep our department running as we share their stories, celebrate their heritage, and learn about their work.<\/p>\n

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Rafael Rodriguez<\/h2>\n

Water Distribution Crew Chief<\/strong>
\nEmergency Support Services\/Distribution<\/h3>\n
18 years at PWD<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Explain what you do at PWD? What are some of your daily responsibilities?<\/h5>\n

I help provide operational coverage for leak detection throughout the city. My tasks range from handling customer service issues and dispatching crews to issuing work orders, documenting work, and referring complaints.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

What is something that you really like about your job?<\/h5>\n

Being able to serve the public, building bonds with other employees, and accomplishing successful work that impacts communities.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

What would you tell a younger version of yourself who wanted to work at PWD, but wasn\u2019t sure about working for the department?<\/h5>\n

Go for it – take a chance! You will make a difference working at PWD.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Being bilingual, how has having those language skills helped you at work?<\/h5>\n

It has helped me to be able to communicate with the Hispanic community and to be able to help residents feel at ease about resolving water issues.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

How has your cultural background helped to shape you into the person you are today?<\/h5>\n

I am proud of my heritage! It has influenced everything in my life, from the food I eat, my communication, the way that I approach situations at work, etc.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Today, we’re talking with Rafael Rodriguez, a Water Distribution crew chief with Emergency Support Services\/Distribution, who has been with PWD for 18 years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":45728,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[558,564],"class_list":["post-4138","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-community","tag-employee-spotlight","tag-hispanic-heritage-month","wpautop"],"acf":{"suggested":null},"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/phila.gov\/blog\/hispanic-heritage-rafael-rodriguez\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"PWD Hispanic Heritage Month Spotlight: Rafael Rodriguez","url":"http:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/hispanic-heritage-rafael-rodriguez\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/hispanic-heritage-rafael-rodriguez\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":""},"articleSection":"Community","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Justin Martin"}],"creator":["Justin Martin"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"@PhillyH2O Blog","logo":""},"keywords":["employee spotlight","hispanic heritage month"],"dateCreated":"2026-09-22T13:00:41Z","datePublished":"2026-09-22T13:00:41Z","dateModified":"2026-09-22T13:00:41Z"},"rendered":"