The Surface Detector Array of the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Pierre Auger cosmic ray observatory is being constructed in Malargue, Argentina with the goal of probing the origins and physics of the highest energy cosmic rays. The rapidly growing surface detector array of the observatory has been in continuous operation for more than one year, already accumulating a large physics data set . In this talk we discuss the calibration and operation of the water Cherenkov surface detectors, and the reconstruction and analysis of the cosmic ray shower data.