Meet Vic Kelson, Executive Director, Evansville Water & Sewer Utility
Hometown: Aurora, Colorado
Age: Did not provide
Family: Two grown children
Education: Bachelor of Science in chemical and petroleum-refining engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado; Ph.D in environmental science, Indiana University, Bloomington
EWSU Executive Director Salary: $123,636
Vic Kelson has always been interested in water, and he explains some of this originates with his upbringing in Colorado – a state where water is scarcer, and where land is not as lush and green.
Water, Kelson says, “is what moves me and excites me.”
After moving to the Hoosier State, Kelson spent much of his professional career in Bloomington, where he earned a Ph.D. in environmental science from Indiana University. He worked on water supply issues and resources management for 16 years with Layne, a subsidiary of Granite Construction, Inc.
In 2016, Kelson was appointed director of the City of Bloomington’s municipal utilities department, overseeing water and wastewater operations. He already was familiar with the public sector, having served on the Monroe County Council as well as on a township board.
As Mayor Stephanie Terry’s choice to lead the Evansville Water and Sewer Utility as executive director, Kelson has had no choice but to hit the ground running. The utility is planning a new $258 million water treatment plant, and it is in the midst of multiple federally mandated projects to nearly eliminate combined stormwater and wastewater overflows.
Kelson says he’s getting up to speed on everything while also relying on veteran EWSU staff members, who he credits for easing his transition.
He’s taking time to learn Evansville, and as a resident of Downtown, he rides a bicycle to work every day.
“It is different, but it’s been a delight,” Kelson says. “I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the city, getting to know the community. It’s a very laid-back, friendly city. It’s a lot of fun to be in a completely new place, and then living Downtown, it feels like I’m on vacation a lot because everything is new.”
What To Know About The water and Sewer Utility
How big is the Evansville Water & Sewer Utility? It has an annual budget of $165 million, and its inventory includes about 1,000 miles of waterlines, 800 miles of sewer lines, and total infrastructure worth about $1 billion. A large percentage of the utility’s property was built in the 1930s and 1940s. EWSU is funded by customer rates: The average city monthly water bill (based on 5,000 gallons of usage) spiked by $3.10 this year, and increases of $2.83 in 2025 and $2.30 in 2026 are coming as EWSU takes a century-old water plant offline and builds a new one.
