Dec 17, 2012 by Dr. Chris Wood

PCWASA General Manager Stephen Hogan advises a student on the design of a water tower during the first annual Georgia Model Water Tower Competition.

The Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP) and the Georgia Section of the American Water Works Association (GAWWA) sponsored the first state Model Water Tower Competition for students during this past fall term, with the help of the Peachtree City Water and Sewerage Authority (PCWASA) and fellow industry leaders.

The Model Water Tower Competition was organized by a steering committee led by Keisha Lisbon Thorpe, PCWASA Division Manager of Technical Services, and Andy Patceg, an engineer with Brown and Caldwell. In addition, PCWASA General Manager Stephen Hogan was among 25 additional volunteers who worked the day of the event as advisors or judges of the competition.

The water towers constructed and submitted by the middle school students contestants from metro Atlanta were judged according to their structural efficiency, cost efficiency, hydraulic functionality, and design ingenuity. The event featured entries from 40 students from the 7th and 8th grades who gathered at Woodland Middle School in Stockbridge for the competition.

This first annual event provided an opportunity for middle school students to design and build a water tower out of household items. The goal of the friendly competition is to educate students about the water treatment process and the importance of properly designed and operated infrastructure, with the water tower serving as an example. Event organizers hope the success of this year’s event will facilitate growth in the number of students and schools wanting to participate in future competitions.

“This is a fun way to educate students about our industry and its role in their community, while challenging them to think about the importance of water and sewer as public services, in addition to encouraging them to consider a career in the profession,” says Jack Dozier, Executive Director of GAWP.

The Model Water Tower Competition was started by the Florida Section of the American Water Works Association in 2004. Since that time, a number of states have sponsored similar competitions, with the Georgia section of AWWA and GAWP joining the ranks in 2012.

“We were excited about the opportunity to help organize the first statewide Model Water Tower Competition in Georgia, because we saw this as an opportunity to educate our young people about what we do and its importance to their everyday lives,” says Stephen Hogan, PCWASA General Manager. “If we also can help them gain an appreciation for science and the water and sewer industry, they’ll be prepared to oversee the community’s infrastructure when that time comes in their future.”

Check out the photo gallery from the student Model Water Tower Competition on the “Learn More” link below.

Media contact:
Chris Wood, Ph.D.
770-757-1681 (phone)
jcwood@uga.edu

Nov 5, 2012 by Dr. Chris Wood

Jack Dozier (right), Executive Director of the Georgia Association of Water Professionals, presents a proclamation to PCWASA Chairman Mike Harman (left) and General Manager Stephen Hogan (center), recognizing the Authority for 25 years of service.

The work of the Peachtree City Water and Sewerage Authority (PCWASA), its board and staff, received high praise from the state’s leading industry association during the utility’s 25th Anniversary celebration, held recently to coincide with an open house at the Authority’s headquarters and Rockaway Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Executive Director Jack Dozier and Deputy Director Pam Burnett, of the Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP), were featured guests at the PCWASA anniversary luncheon, presenting a proclamation to the utility’s board and staff for 25 years of service to Peachtree City and the water/wastewater industry. During the presentation of the proclamation, Dozier noted that PCWASA has supported the health and economy of the Peachtree City community by providing efficient and cost-effective wastewater management facilities to serve the public and to protect the environment.

“Most people in our country take for granted the availability of safe drinking water and wastewater services, but approximately 2 million deaths occur annually across the world as a result of unsafe or unattainable water or wastewater services,” says Dozier. “(PCWASA) does an outstanding job in sewer collection and treatment, so your customers don’t have to worry about the quality of your system. This (PCWASA) staff is recognized by fellow professionals as being among the best in the state.”

As noted in the proclamation, Dozier praised PCWASA for providing professional services in five specific areas that warranted acclaim: (1) Environmental stewardship through superior practices of wastewater treatment, reuse, and recycling; (2) Fiscally sound operations through economic ups and downs; (3) Continuous enhancement of services, facilities, and performance; (4) Leadership in public education and use of technology; and (5) Exemplary cooperation with other water management agencies.

In addition to hosting an employee luncheon to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of PCWASA, the utility also opened its doors to an open house at its headquarters and Rockaway Wastewater Treatment Facility, located at 1127 Highway 74 South in Peachtree City. Customers attending the open house were able to tour the Rockaway Plant, meet the Authority’s staff, and learn more about the Authority’s projects and processes that are being advanced on their behalf, to improve the PCWASA system.

Among the vendors participating in the Authority’s 25th Anniversary open house were professionals from RedZone Robotics, who demonstrated the use of the Solo robot to inspect the Authority’s sewer lines, manholes, and collection system. In addition, officials from AGL Energy Services were on hand to explain how biosolids are removed and recycled following the wastewater treatment processes at PCWASA, prior to being packaged and marketed to customers as Class A (pathogen-free and safe for public use) biosolids that are ideal for use as a soil amendment of fertilizer for yards or gardens. Finally, PCWASA contractors at Brent Scarbrough & Company and Ca-Jenn provided a cured-in-place pipe lining demonstration.

“We were very excited and pleased by the turnout and level of participation from the public, our customers, our employees and board, as well as vendors and fellow water industry professionals, during our anniversary event,” says Stephen Hogan, PCWASA General Manager. “This was a significant milestone in the history of the Authority, and we wanted to recognize how far we’ve come as a utility in 25 years.”

PCWASA was originally created as the “Peachtree City Water, Sewerage, and Recreational Authority” in 1973 by an Act of the Georgia General Assembly. However, today the Authority operates according to the revised enabling legislation that went into effect on March 31, 1987, following the passage of House Bill 1132, Act 411, which established PCWASA as a legal, public corporation of the state.

Media contact:
Chris Wood, Ph.D.
770-757-1681 (phone)
jcwood@uga.edu OR chris@jwapr.com (email)

Jul 18, 2011 by Dr. Chris Wood

The Peachtree City Water and Sewerage Authority (PCWASA) is fortunate to have the professional expertise of approximately 40 employees with various responsibilities within the utility’s wastewater collection and treatment system, says General Manager Stephen Hogan. It is a diverse and accomplished work force, he adds.

One of those leaders on the PCWASA staff is also a leader within the Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP). Keisha Lisbon Thorpe, P.E., the Division Manager for Technical Services at the Authority, moderated a technical session on Diversity during the recent GAWP Annual Conference & Expo in Savannah. She also chairs the Diversity Committee for the Association.

As a result of Thorpe’s guidance, the technical sessions on Diversity at the GAWP Annual Conference featured panel discussions that included the topic of “The Why and How of Diversity in the Water Industry.”

Media contact:
Chris Wood, Ph.D.
770-757-1681 (phone)
jcwood@uga.edu