Robert Sperling’s fascination with cities began long before he stepped into an engineering classroom. As a child, he designed miniature communities with Plasticville buildings, train layouts, and model bridge and roadway sets. As he got older, he began studying maps to imagine the city’s highways, buildings, and public spaces.

“My aspirations were always to be involved in the planning and building of city infrastructure.” he says.

An engineering scholarship—as well as a less than two block walk to campus—drew him to the University of Utah.

Engineering education looked very different in the 1970’s. All disciplines were housed in the Merrill Engineering Building. Programs were run on the Univac 1108 computer using stacks of Hollerith cards, with results available the next day—provided no cards had been mistyped. Slide rules handled multiplication and trigonometry; addition and subtraction were done by hand. “We did have indoor plumbing,” he notes with humor.

Sperling quickly gravitated toward water and wastewater courses. Environmental engineering was not yet a standalone discipline; environmental principles were integrated into other classes. His master’s degree—earned at the U concurrently after his bachelor’s degree in 1975—solidified his direction, launching a career focused on water systems and public health.

Sperling spent most of his professional life with the Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities, where he served as Water Design Engineer. He provided engineering support for three treatment facilities, numerous wells and springs, storage tanks, pump stations, and the city’s water distribution system. He oversaw in-house designers, coordinated with consulting firms, and worked closely with inspectors and contractors to ensure projects were completed safely and effectively.

Over the decades, he witnessed significant advances in regulation and safety standards—such as The Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act—that strengthened the reliability and safety of public water systems.

Projects that Shaped a Career

Earning his M.B.A. in 1980 further positioned him for the projects he’d later lead.

Notably, Robert led a four-person team crawling through the Parley Canyon Water Interceptor—a 30-inch-diameter pipeline conveying water approximately four miles from the Parley Water Treatment Facility. At times, the team was three-eighths of a mile from daylight, inspecting the pipe’s interior for needed repairs.

He also oversaw the removal of the Reservoir Park water reservoir at 1300 East and 100 South. When initial plans called for demolishing a historic concrete wall, neighborhood concerns prompted a redesign. The wall was preserved, and the reclaimed space was transformed into an open community area. The project earned recognition from the Utah Historical Society for its preservation efforts—an example of balancing infrastructure needs with community priorities.

Service Beyond a Career

In 1994, Sperling was invited to serve as a citizen representative on the University of Utah’s Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC). Thirty-two years later, he continues in that role.

When he joined, the committee reviewed roughly a dozen recombinant DNA research protocols each year. Today, its scope has expanded to include synthetic nucleic acid research, human and animal pathogens, acute biological toxins, and other potentially hazardous materials. The committee conducts risk assessments and ensures proper containment measures are in place to protect researchers, the public, and the environment.

While most of the committee’s reviews are routine, Sperling notes that the importance of biosafety oversight becomes clear when something goes wrong in a laboratory. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the committee approved research related to the virus, underscoring its role in enabling critical scientific work while maintaining safety standards.

Sperling continues to serve on the IBC because he believes in giving back. Volunteering provides purpose, and he considers himself fortunate to contribute—even in a small way—to efforts that protect researchers, communities, and the environment.

Robert Sperling with his daughter is at the Park City Water Treatment Facility.