George Murgel, PE, PhD

Over 40 Years of Engineering Experience

George is one of our most experienced engineers. After an extensive and accomplished career, he wished to return the the world of consulting and HECO was delighted when he joined our team in 2016. His work is manifested in the many projects he has managed, most notably work in water and wastewater projects for the National Parks Service.

               OUT OF THE OFFICE 

Woodworking, good science fiction literature, attempting to keep tabs on his three furry cats, and spending time with family.

               WORK HISTORY & EXPERTISE

George began his engineering career in 1978 after completing his master’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering. He spent the next eight years working for various consulting firms in St. Louis; Portland, Maine; and Kalispell, Montana. He returned to academic life to complete requirements for a doctorate in Civil and Environmental Engineering leading to a nearly 25-year stint as an Assistant and later Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina Charlotte, and then again more recently, Boise State University where I taught courses in environmental engineering and process chemistry, water and wastewater treatment system design, hydraulics, hydrology, and introductory surveying along with other service courses like statics and strength of materials. He joined Holladay Engineering which is now HECO Engineers in 2016. George has since provided project management and design services on a variety of projects for the U.S. National Park Service including site assessment of water and wastewater facilities, design development services, and project management at a variety of national parks and monuments throughout the Western United States.

He has been involved with the National Council for Examination of Engineers and Surveyors (NCEES) for nearly 15 years as a design development engineer for the environmental engineering Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, chair and lead of same module, selected and served as vice-chair, and then chair of the entire FE exam development committee. He is also the current chair of the Examination of Professional Engineers (EPE) Committee. Appointed to the Idaho Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors in 2012, he was served as board chair in 2016 and 2017, as he was at no surprise reappointed to a second five-year term in 2017. He recently received the Distinguished Examination Service Award at the 98th Annual NCEES meeting in August of 2019.

 

“I am thankful for being hired at HECO where my academic degrees and experience was considered by many others to make me overqualified when seeking to return to consulting.”

Education & Training

  • Ph.D., Civil & Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, 2016
  • MSCE, Civil Engineering, Montana State University, 1978
  • BSCE, Civil Engineering, Montana State University, 1976

Registration

Registered Professional Engineer:

  • Idaho
  • Oregon
  • Arizona
  • Montana
  • Nevada
  • Washington

I appreciate that George is always willing to lend his teaching skills and share his knowledge to all team members. He doesn’t talk down to others and isn’t condescending. He does a great job of modeling HECO’s Golden Rule traits and he always does this with a smile and a laugh. We are fortunate that the “Dr. Is In” with HECO! I do wonder if he has a Tardis hidden somewhere…

- Coworker

More EXPERTS

Great teamwork can make things go from subpar to spectacular. Each member of the HECO team is talented, experienced, and dedicated to the providing the highest quality of work.

John Blom, PE

John Blom, PE

President

Lea Walker

Lea Walker

Engineering Tech

Brett Anderson

Brett Anderson

VP - Industrial & Commercial BG

Andy Gehrke, PE

Andy Gehrke, PE

VP - Snake River Valley Business Group

Our PROJECTS

From small jobs to complex and challenging ones, we approach every project with a commitment to excellence.

Stehekin Wastewater Treatment Plant Replacement

Stehekin, Washington is located along the northeast shore of Lake Chelan in the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area near the south end of North Cascades National Park.  The National Park Service owns and operates a physical-chemical wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), which was designed and constructed in 1974-76 to treat 25,000 gallons per day (gpd) of domestic wastewater from the community near Stehekin Landing.  HECO completed a Condition Assessment Report on the facility, identifying WWTP building and wastewater treatment system deficiencies in order to determine the scope and need for a new wastewater treatment system.

Replacement of Non-Compliant Water Treatment System

Tuolumne Meadows is a popular destination located on Highway 120 in Yosemite National Park.  It is a high use area and is one of the Park’s most prominent attractions.  A surface water treatment system provided treated drinking water for employees and recreational visitors in the Tuolumne Meadows area.  The water treatment system was constructed in 1967 with filtration upgrades in 1984.  It was an aged facility with outdated technology.  HECO evaluated alternatives, which included treatment technologies best suited for remote sites with limited operating staff.

Providing Safe Routes to School

The project included improvements to the sidewalk condition on S. Plymouth Avenue, from a distance of approximately 1300 feet.  Sidewalk improvements include removal and replacement of existing full width sidewalks with 10 ft wide sidewalks, ADA compliant pedestrian ramps, installation of a decorative street lighting system supplemented with roadway lighting as per AASHTO standards with underground electrical conduits for power supply.  The project length is approximately 0.25 miles in length and improved the west side of S. Plymouth Ave.  The HECO Team assisted the city with obtaining funding, and design of the project.

Eagle Road Underpass Pathway

This project involved linking three existing pathways on the east and west side of Eagle Road by construction of a pedestrian underpass under Eagle Road.  Project highlights include installation of pavement, landscaping, benches, lighting, and railing along the underpass portion of the pathway.  The project passes through the existing bank and riprap along the north bridge abutment and the pathway was excavated into existing fill material on the north bank of the river while a concrete cut off stem was constructed.  Riprap armament was relocated on the lower sections of the riverbank.

Wastewater Treatment Facility Improvements

This project included the construction of improvements to the municipal wastewater facility to meet a DEQ issued consent order and to provide adequate capacity for existing connections.  The City’s existing facility was a non-discharging facility and had reached capacity requiring frequent pumping and transport of wastewater to other facilities.  This project designed 19 million gallons, total volume, of new HDPE lined reservoirs to allow for a fully evaporative system and not require any discharge.  The facility was designed utilizing property that was located approximately 110 feet below the existing facility, which eliminated the need for pumping facilities and thereby a very sustainable system with very low operating costs.