The Team Behind the Scenes, Around the Clock 

When customers lose power, report a water main break or call New Braunfels Utilities in the middle of the night, there’s a team already at work. 

Staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, NBU’s Control Center serves as the operational hub for the utility’s electric, water and wastewater systems. While much of their work happens behind the scenes, Control Center operators play a critical role in monitoring system conditions, coordinating with field crews and responding to issues that impact customers across the community. 

In recognition of National Control Room Workers’ Day on June 12, NBU is highlighting the dedicated professionals who help keep essential services running around the clock. 

The work is rarely the same from one day to the next. A shift may include responding to outages, coordinating planned maintenance, dispatching crews, or helping customers with questions about utility service. Operators continuously monitor NBU’s systems, looking for irregularities and helping ensure issues are identified and addressed as quickly as possible. 

The Control Center is also responsible for coordinating switching operations that allow crews to safely perform maintenance and repairs on electric infrastructure. Every action requires communication, teamwork and attention to detail to help protect employees working in the field and maintain reliable service for customers. 

While customers may only interact with the Control Center during an outage or emergency, operators are actively monitoring utility systems every hour of every day. Their work helps support the safe and reliable delivery of the electric, water and wastewater services the community depends on.