When a pipe bursts at 3:00 a.m. or a complex research facility requires ultrapure water systems, Facilities Services relies on Lead Plumber Steve Crook. Since joining UC Riverside in October 2018, Steve has extended his plumbing expertise to keep the university’s critical infrastructure running smoothly, balancing daily maintenance with emergencies.
Steve approaches every morning by reviewing work orders and developing a game plan for the plumbing team. However, working in a dynamic university environment means that plans often change in an instant. Steve frequently drops everything to manage major campus crises, such as basement floods, sudden water main breaks, or reverse osmosis/de-ionized water system failures. With research facilities depending on continuous utilities, Steve knows that a single plumbing issue can shut down a building and halt crucial academic progress.
Steve’s roots in the plumbing trade run deep. Growing up with a father in the plumbing wholesale business, Steve remembers learning about parts as early as age four. Watching local plumbers explain needed parts to his father, he wanted to learn more to earn his way into the business. He spent a high school summer working for a local plumber, paving the way for a full-time role at Plumbing Specialists after graduation, where he prepped supplies and managed materials. After 12 years with Plumbing Specialist, he spent another 19 years with Tonkin Plumbing, where he honed his skills in highly specialized environments like hospitals, pharmaceutical labs, and breweries.
This rare background in medical gas and pharmaceutical infrastructure has provided a level of plumbing expertise that distinctly sets him apart from industry peers. Plumbing Supervisor Rich Cordova notes that Steve possesses a rare combination of specialized technical plumbing knowledge and high-level problem-solving skills that cannot be replicated. In a research-intense environment, Steve understands that reliable plumbing infrastructure is critical to maintaining continuous scientific operations and experimental integrity.
Taking a significant pay cut to leave a high-travel private sector job, Steve brought his talents to the university to stay closer to his family. Today, he helps lead a dedicated, tight-knit team of five plumbers who manage the entire campus. UCR presents distinct challenges: old infrastructure, varying piping standards, and five different types of campus acid waste systems. Despite these hurdles, Steve tackles massive infrastructure projects head-on. He recently helped spearhead the rebuild of the campus’s main water pump pit, bringing enormous 400-horsepower and 200-horsepower vertical turbine pumps back online to optimize the university's water supply. He also significantly improved operational efficiency by consolidating the campus's deionized water and reverse osmosis maintenance to a single contractor.
Working in research spaces requires a detailed approach. Steve and his team must carefully plan their operations to avoid disrupting sensitive experiments with noise, vibration, or incorrect materials. For instance, when setting up systems requiring ultrapure nitrogen, Steve must clean tools with specific solvents and send materials out for specialized vendor cleaning to ensure zero hydrocarbon contamination.
Outside of his university position, Steve actively builds and creates. He restores his cars, tackles major home renovations like building his own roof, and plays bass on his church’s worship team. He also dedicates his time to helping others, traveling to Mexico on mission trips to build homes and roofs for orphanages.
Ultimately, Steve credits his success to the strong relationships he builds across campus. Whether he is collaborating with researchers, coordinating with vendors, or relying on his supervisor Rich Cordova for support, Steve firmly believes that "teamwork makes the dream work."
