laying the foundation
In 1995, I graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor's degree in Forest Management. Shortly thereafter, I moved to Southern Oregon to begin what I expected would be a long career in my field of study. For five years, I worked a variety of short-term positions with the Bureau of Land Management, gaining skills that would later become the backbone of a fledgling business called Alpine Environmental. In the process of conducting stream surveys, cruising and marking timber sales, and inspecting forest projects, I collected experience with natural resource protection, GIS mapping, and contract administration. However, when permanent employment remained elusive in a struggling timber economy, I began looking for other opportunities.
completing the framework
That new opportunity came in the spring of 2000 when I was offered a position with the Okanogan County Health District, located in north central Washington. Because the job offered much needed benefits for my growing family, I quickly accepted the employment offer and relocated to the Tonasket area where I've made my home ever since. Working as a public health inspector gave me exposure to a wide array of related fields - wastewater treatment and disposal, food safety, emergency preparedness, disease control, hazardous waste remediation, and of course, drinking water sanitation. Over the course of my seventeen year career in public health, I obtained certifications for septic system inspections and public water system sanitary surveys and also completed the rigorous testing to become a Washington State Registered Sanitarian.
opening the doors
Washington State began implementing the requirement for public water system Certified Operators in 2003. I was approached by a system in Kettle Falls, Washington when they were unable to find a qualified individual in their local area. Seeing an opportunity to earn a little extra spending money, I took the exam and became a Certified Operator. Over the next ten years, Alpine Environmental grew steadily with a water system here, another one there. It began to look as though this had the potential to become a legitimate full-time enterprise.
reaching new heights
Alpine Environmental became a Satellite Management Agency in 2012, providing operation and management contracts throughout most of north central Washington. Today, we offer service across seven counties - Chelan, Douglas, Ferry, Grant, Lincoln, Okanogan, and Stevens. In August of 2017, in response to continued demand for water system services, I terminated my employment with Okanogan Public Health and am now focused entirely on water system operation. It's our intention to offer additional services in the near future, becoming a full-service management and consulting entity. Our goal is to deliver on every promise, honor every commitment, and go above and beyond the expectations of every customer while still offering the most competitive pricing available. We are extremely grateful to the long-term customers who have helped us grow to the place we are today. If we've not yet had the pleasure to serve you, it's our hope that we can earn your confidence as well.
who we are
douglas hale
My favorite activity is spending time with my four kids. My oldest daughter is pursuing a MS in freshwater ecology at Oregon State. I have a son studying rangeland management at University of Idaho and a daughter at Carroll College in the anthrozoology program. My youngest son is a sophomore in high school. When we can be together, we play music together at bluegrass music festivals around the Northwest and take road trips to the amazing National Parks throughout the country. I raise a few Scottish Highland cattle each year, I enjoy taking photos of antique abandoned vehicles, and I try to stay in shape by riding my mountain bike on a regular basis.
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Emily hale
My wife, Emily, provides the logistical and secretarial support for the business. She's proud to be a stay-at-home mom and has homeschooled our children through the eighth grade. She graduated with me from the UW School of Forestry and shares my passion for exploring our National Parks. Distance running and backpacking are her favorite fitness activities. Emily referees local soccer games and is a certified Master Food Preserver.
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lois hale
My newest "employee" is also my mother, who works on a contract basis to handle our bookkeeping accounts. Since 1969, Mom has handled all of the finances for my father's landscaping business and now served for many years as the treasurer for her local irrigation board. She once said there are only two things she won't do: plumbing and auto repair. Retired from work in the health information field, she now does computer-aided drafting for my sister's interior design business. She loves quilting, knitting, and sewing and is never far from a good book.
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our commitment and pledge
We are committed to the concept that if something is worth doing, it is worth doing with excellence. Every report will be written, every communication will be made, every site visit will be performed to the highest standard possible. When a promise is made to accomplish some task, we will follow through every time. The time it takes to accomplish a job is less important than how that job will appear to those who review it.
Our pledge to every customer is that in all aspects of service, there will be nothing less than complete honesty and integrity. The level of trust needed of a water operator can't be built if corners are cut, if promises are unfulfilled, if details are forgotten. To achieve that level of trust, we operate on the principle of total transparency through full and open communication. We will strive for perfection in every job, but when mistakes are made, they will be quickly acknowledged and corrected at our expense. If you can sleep easily at night, confident that Alpine Environmental is handling every detail of your water system operation, then we have accomplished our goal.
Our pledge to every customer is that in all aspects of service, there will be nothing less than complete honesty and integrity. The level of trust needed of a water operator can't be built if corners are cut, if promises are unfulfilled, if details are forgotten. To achieve that level of trust, we operate on the principle of total transparency through full and open communication. We will strive for perfection in every job, but when mistakes are made, they will be quickly acknowledged and corrected at our expense. If you can sleep easily at night, confident that Alpine Environmental is handling every detail of your water system operation, then we have accomplished our goal.