one word: Job Security
Basically a monkey or a cheap computer program can control the water levels. However, possibly a careful personal touch event by maybe by holding back water or dumping it real quick that upsets the smarter people causes an uproar. Having to answer lots to these incidents and make all kinda bs reasons up to confuse people is job security. The end result is like being a weatherman, people hate you but they keep coming back and creating a secure highly paid work environment.