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PCWASA AND FAYETTE WATER SYSTEM HOSTING GA MODEL WATER TOWER COMPETITION

Oct 13, 2016 by Chris Wood, Ph.D.

The Peachtree City Water and Sewerage Authority (PCWASA) and Fayette Water System are hosting the 2016 Georgia Model Water Tower Competition for Fayette County Schools on Friday, Oct. 21, at J.C. Booth Middle School in Peachtree City. Judging of the student model water towers begins around 9:15 a.m.

PCWASA and Fayette Water System are supporting this local/regional event to provide an opportunity for Middle School Students from Fayette County Schools to participate in the Georgia Model Water Tower Competition, which requires participants to design and build water towers with specific size and height requirements. This is the first year an event affiliated with the Georgia Model Water Tower Competition is being held in Fayette County, featuring students exclusively from Fayette County Schools.

Judges for the Fayette County Model Water Tower Competition will consist of professionals from the water industry, engineering firms, and other volunteers. PCWASA Division Manager Keisha Lisbon Thorpe is Past Chairman of the Georgia Model Water Tower Competition Committee, while PCWASA General Manager Stephen Hogan serves as a volunteer advisor for the students.

The Georgia Model Water Tower Competition, which was first held in 2012, is organized by the Georgia Section of the American Water Works Association (GAWWA) and the Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP). This event requires that students apply what they’ve learned through STEM Curricula – science, technology, engineering and math – in order to complete this science project.

The student water tower models are judged based on three criteria, including structural efficiency, hydraulic efficiency, and design ingenuity. Judges also will conduct interviews with the students about their entries. The model water towers may be designed and constructed from any materials. However, students are rewarded for using creative designs and innovative resources, such as everyday household items.

The objective of the Georgia Model Water Tower Competition is to make participants more aware of the importance of reliable drinking water, while introducing them to rewarding (career) opportunities available in the water profession. To do so, the competition requires students to develop an idea into a functioning water tower, just as water professionals do within the industry.

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

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S&P UPGRADES PCWASA BONDS TO AA+

Sep 12, 2016 by Chris Wood, Ph.D.

Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Global Ratings has raised its issuer credit rating (ICR) on the Peachtree City Water and Sewerage Authority (PCWASA) from “AA-“ to “AA+” while noting that the future financial outlook of the utility is stable.

This upgrade in the PCWASA bond rating reflects what S&P calls a combination of an “extremely strong enterprise risk profile and a very strong financial risk profile.” The upgrade also reflects the S&P’s opinion that PCWASA has very strong economic and financial metrics, when applied to the S&P revised criteria for utility bond ratings referred to as the “Rating Methodology and Assumptions for U.S. Municipal Waterworks and Sanitary Sewer Utility Revenue Bonds,” published earlier this year.

According to Primary Credit Analyst Scott Withrow, this upgrade in PCWASA’s overall credit rating reflects S&P’s opinion of the Authority’s overall financial capacity, or creditworthiness, to pay its financial obligations.

S&P concluded that PCWASA has a very strong enterprise risk profile because of four factors. First, the utility’s service area is broad and diverse, and second, the Authority has very low industry risk because it’s a provider of an essential public utility. Third, the utility has affordable service rates in the context of the service area’s income levels, and finally, PCWASA benefits from good operational management practices and policies.

The very strong financial risk profile of PCWASA, according to S&P analysts, is attributed to four characteristics of the PCWASA system.

First, PCWASA has extremely strong historical all-in coverage metrics that are expected to continue in the future, and second, the Authority also has a very strong liquidity position. Third, PCWASA has a moderately high debt-to-capitalization ratio of about 58 percent, with no additional debt plans in the future, and finally, the Authority benefits from good financial management practices and policies.

“In our opinion, the utility’s overall financial position is sound, characterized by strong coverage and liquidity metrics,” says Withrow. “System liquidity has remained stable and very strong.”

Although the Authority’s unrestricted cash reserves are used to fund ongoing capital improvements to the PCWASA sewer system for better delivery of services to the utility’s customers, S&P noted that PCWASA is expected to maintain reserves at levels that are considered very strong in the near future, even when paying for capital projects with cash flow rather than taking on additional debt.

“We are extremely excited to receive this upgrade in our bond rating,” says Stephen Hogan, PCWASA General Manager. “We’ve come a long way over the course of the past several years, working hard to improve services while operating in a fiscally responsible manner. Our Board has provided great leadership and oversight, which has equipped our Staff with the resources to warrant this most recent favorable bond rating.”

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

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PCWASA INVESTS IN MANHOLE REHABILITATION

Aug 15, 2016 by Chris Wood, Ph.D.

Data collected by RedZone Robotics identified PCWASA manholes in need of repair. The utility then invested approximately $339,000 to rehabilitate 214 manholes within the sewer system.

The Peachtree City Water and Sewerage Authority (PCWASA) continually invests in upgrades to its system, in order to improve the reliability and efficiency of its sewer collection and treatment services for more than 10,500 customers.

The latest evidence of system upgrades comes in the completion of rehabilitation on 211 manholes, which were previously in poor or failing condition. The utility’s manhole rehabilitation project is ongoing, but with this first phase completed, the Authority has addressed some of the most vulnerable parts of its sewer system.

The manholes most in need of repair were identified following a nearly two-year study conducted by RedZone Robotics to assess the condition and functionality of the entire PCWASA sewer system. The results of the RedZone YES (Your Entire System) program allowed the Authority to categorize the sewer system’s manholes according to four conditions – rating them as either good, adequate, poor, or critical.

To categorize those manholes in most need of repair, the PCWASA staff and consulting engineers from CH2M Hill poured through the extensive, detailed data collected by RedZone Robotics. The PCWASA staff brought the additional engineering expertise in for data analysis in order to expedite the first and most critical phase of the manhole rehabilitation project.

In October of last year, following the recommendation of the utility’s staff and project engineers from Integrated Science & Engineering (ISE), the PCWASA Board of Directors awarded the contract for this first phase of the manhole rehabilitation to Enviro Trenchless, LCC. This contractor provided the Authority with the low bid of $339,000, among the five qualifying bids.

Work on the manhole repairs began last November and was completed this summer. Some of the specifics of the contract included surface preparation, manhole leak repair, rebuilding manhole pipe seal, invert, bench and wall when needed, repair of the manhole chimney, including grade adjustment, and providing cement liners and coating. Approximately 5 percent of the manholes within this first phase of rehab needed to be replaced completely.

To assure that sewer services went uninterrupted during the rehabilitation process, the Authority contractors also provided bypass pumping of sanitary sewers in the areas of the system where manholes were under repair.

Authority officials note that the project was completed without incident and within budget, and the results should begin to pay immediate dividends for customers in the form of more reliable performance of the sewer system.

“This is an example of a project that’s out of sight and out of mind for most customers, but no less important to the efficient operation of our system,” says Stephen Hogan, PCWASA General Manager. “I’m thankful for the foresight of our board to allocate the funding to complete this work, and for the dedication of our staff to oversee a long and laborious process – from the collection and analysis of data to identify the condition of our entire system, to the safe and successful completion of this first phase of manhole rehabilitation.”

By investing in the rehabilitation of these manholes that were in the poorest condition, the Authority will improve its wastewater collection and treatment efficiency through the reduction of inflow and infiltration of storm water into the sewer system.

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

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SPENCER PASS LAW PROVIDES ADDED ROADSIDE SAFETY

Jul 11, 2016 by Chris Wood, Ph.D.

The newly added provisions of the Spencer Pass Law in Georgia will provide added roadside safety for PCWASA utility vehicles and employees.

This past legislative session, Gov. Nathan Deal signed House Bill 767 to amend the Spencer Pass Law, which now provides additional safety measures for utility vehicles and protection for citizens and utility employees such as those working in the field for the PCWASA.

This Act to amend Article 1 of Chapter 6 of Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relates to general provisions regarding uniform rules of the road, to include utility vehicles among those – such as tow trucks and highway maintenance vehicles – warranting this procedure outlining proper procedures for passing.

Citizens should take caution when approaching a site with utility vehicles in service, which will be identified for protection by traffic cones and/or flashing lights colored yellow, amber, red, and now white (added because of the prevalence of this colored light among utility vehicles such as those of the PCWASA) at the site.

When approaching a utility vehicle in service, drivers should make a lane change into a lane not adjacent to the utility service vehicle, if possible within these particular safety and traffic conditions. Or, if such a lane change is not possible, drivers should reduce speed to a reasonable and proper speed for the existing road and traffic conditions, which should be less than the posted speed limit, while also being prepared to stop.

Fines for violations of this Code could be as much as $500 in most cases. In terms of the new language of this amended Spencer Pass Law, utility service vehicles now include those being used by an employee or contractor of a local authority providing utility services, which now include water and wastewater, making the Law applicable for the PCWASA and its personnel and customers.

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

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DO YOU KNOW HOW YOUR WASTEWATER IS TREATED?

Apr 18, 2016 by Chris Wood, Ph.D.

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The wastewater treatment processes of PCWASA have been designed to treat domestic, commercial and industrial discharges from Peachtree City residents, businesses and industries, which are connected to the Authority’s collection and conveyance system.

The wastewater flow from PCWASA customers passes through the system’s splitter box prior to treatment in one of the utility’s two wastewater treatment facilities, with a combined treatment capacity of 6 million gallons per day (MGD). The Authority currently averages approximately 3.1 MGD of combined wastewater treatment at its two facilities.

The splitter box provides the Authority with the flexibility to designate the amount of flow to be treated in each of its wastewater treatment facilities. Such flexibility benefits PCWASA customers, especially during periods of peak demand or occasions when one of the treatment facilities must be taken off line for maintenance.

Once wastewater enters one of the two PCWASA treatment facilities, it is screened to remove non-biodegradable materials, such as plastic, paper, etc. The waste stream then flows to a grit collection mechanism to further remove non-biodegradable substances, such as sand or rocks, which could be harmful to equipment. From there, the wastewater enters the activated sludge treatment process.

During this phase of treatment, the pollutants in the wastewater are brought into contact with a population of activated organisms ready to consume the pollutants in the waste stream. This part of the treatment scheme requires some sort of aeration and mixing to keep the organisms alive and to bring them in constant contact with the pollutants.

After enough contact time has elapsed, the mixing subsides and the solids (organisms) and the cleaned (waste) water are separated by gravity. The water then flows through a filtering mechanism and onto disinfection.

PCWASA also uses ultra violet light for further disinfection of wastewater, prior to permitted discharge into a receiving stream, such as Line Creek, or storage in a holding pond for reuse during irrigation of either nearby recreational fields or Planterra Ridge golf course.

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

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PCWASA AND GEORGIA 811 COMMITTED TO SAFETY

Apr 4, 2016 by Chris Wood, Ph.D.

As a utility advocating for safety through its involvement in Georgia 811, PCWASA is joining other utilities to recognize April as Safe Digging Month in Georgia.

In addition to overseeing the safety of its employees and contractors in the field, the Authority is an advocate for safety among Peachtree City residents who may be pursuing a project around the house that warrants locating underground utilities. For that reason, call before you dig! Georgia 811 is the number to dial to assure your project is completed safely and without incident.

Georgia 811 is a non-profit corporation dedicated to preventing damage to Georgia’s underground utilities while promoting public safety. The organization functions as a communication system. It connects member utilities and companies like PCWASA with professional excavators and homeowners who are planning mechanized digging activities, such as excavation, tunneling, grading, boring and demolition.

Georgia 811 encourages homeowners planning even a small, non-mechanized digging project to call before you dig, so you can ensure your personal safety and the safety of those around you. These projects can include installing a fence, deck, swing set or mail box, planting trees or landscaping.

The notification system provided by Georgia 811 for its members affords them an opportunity to locate and identify any underground facilities they may have in an area where digging is planned.

Georgia law mandates that before beginning any mechanized digging or excavation work, you must contact Georgia 811 by calling 811 or 1-800-282-7411 at least 48 hours, but no more than 10 working days, in advance to have utility lines marked.

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

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PCWASA WINS STATEWIDE AWARD FOR SYSTEM EXCELLENCE

Jan 8, 2016 by Chris Wood, Ph.D.

GAWP President Bill Zieburtz (right) presents the Collection System Silver Award to (l to r): Chris Crittendon, Division Manager of Collection/Conveyance, Keisha Lisbon Thorpe, Division Manager of Technical Services, and Stephen Hogan, General Manager.

Just because a utility is small doesn’t mean it’s not good. That is the sentiment of officials from the Peachtree City Water and Sewerage Authority (PCWASA), as the utility operates a system in 2016 that has been rated among the best in Georgia.

During its yearend Fall Conference in Athens, the Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP) honored PCWASA with the industry’s Collection System Silver Award, for achieving a score of 94.9 on its annual system evaluation and audit for 2015. Silver Awards recognize sewer systems in the state that have achieved a quantitative score between 90 and 94.9 on an intense peer review by industry judges of all aspects of wastewater collection and conveyance.

With its score of 94.9, PCWASA was just one-tenth of a point away from the GAWP Gold Award, which was attained by only 10 sewer utilities in the state in 2015. PCWASA competes against much larger municipal systems for this type of statewide recognition, including those with both water and sewer operations. GAWP 2015 Gold Award winners included major metropolitan municipal and county systems such as Fulton, Cobb and Gwinnett.

“Our community and system may be smaller than those who received similar recognition by GAWP, but we are no less committed as a utility to providing excellent sewer services for our customers,” says Stephen Hogan, PCWASA General Manager.

“We are pleased to have this statewide recognition for operating above the industry standards and excelling in sewer collection and treatment as one of the best systems in Georgia,” adds Hogan.

Hogan also notes that the 2015 GAWP Collection System Silver Award is the first of this type of industry recognition for PCWASA during its short history as an autonomous public Authority, reflecting what he believes is a utility headed in the right direction with its sights set on improvement and perhaps bringing home the GAWP Gold Award in the future.

“Our employees are very dedicated water professionals who take their responsibilities seriously, while striving to get better and improve services for our customers every day,” says Hogan.

“I cannot thank them enough for what they do, and we also are appreciative for our Board of Directors, who provide us with the resources and support to do our jobs at such a high level,” concludes Hogan.

The GAWP Collection System Awards are based on an overall grade disbursement that includes 15% for the quality of the utility’s Management Program, 40% for the assessment of its Maintenance Program, 20% for the evaluation of Operations, and the remaining 25% for its handling of Capacity.

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

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PCWASA ENCOURAGING FUTURE WATER PROFESSIONALS

Aug 28, 2015 by Chris Wood, Ph.D.

PCWASA water professionals will assist with the 2015 Georgia Model Water Tower Competition, an event that will be held within four regions around the state this year.

The Georgia Model Water Tower Competition continues to grow as a water/sewer industry educational event, in part because of the efforts of water professionals from the Peachtree City Water and Sewerage Authority (PCWASA).

Keisha Lisbon Thorpe, PCWASA Division Manager of Technical Services, chairs the event organizing committee, after having been involved in this public outreach initiative since its inception. Lisbon Thorpe also is Chair of the Georgia Section of the American Water Works Association (GAWWA), which is organizing the event in cooperation with the Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP). PCWASA General Manager Stephen Hogan volunteers during the Competition as a student advisor.

Their efforts along with those of fellow water professionals have facilitated expanding interest in Model Water Towers among middle school students and their teachers.

The 2015 statewide event will feature schools participating at four regional locations. The PCWASA staff will be organizing the competition on Oct. 23rd at Woodland Middle School in Henry County. Other school systems serving as regional sites for this year’s Georgia Model Water Tower Competition include Cobb-Marietta, DeKalb, and Griffin-Spalding County.

The Model Water Tower Competition is designed to provide information to youth about water resource engineering, infrastructure, water treatment and water conservation, all in hopes that some participating students may become future water professionals. In the meantime, the event reinforces STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Education, which is being stressed by the U.S. Department of Education, through state and local educators, for public school curricula.

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

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DIVISION MANAGER TO LEAD STATE TRADE ASSOCIATION

Jul 24, 2015 by Chris Wood, Ph.D.

Keisha Lisbon Thorpe (front/left), PCWASA Division Manager of Technical Services, has been selected to Chair the Georgia Section of the American Water Works Association (GAWWA) this year.

The Division Manager of Technical Services at Peachtree City Water and Sewerage Authority (PCWASA) has been selected by her peers to lead the Georgia Section of the American Water Works Association (GAWWA), one of the highest ranking volunteer positions within the state’s water and wastewater industry.

As Chair of the GAWWA, Keisha Lisbon Thorpe, P.E., will be instrumental in leading this group of professionals dedicated to providing resources for knowledge, information, and advocacy to improve the quality and supply of water in Georgia.

GAWWA advances public health, safety and welfare by uniting the efforts of the entire water community. GAWWA works cooperatively with the Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP) to achieve these goals and strengthen public confidence in drinking water.

Lisbon Thorpe has been active in GAWWA for approximately 15 years, in addition to her membership in GAWP. She has chaired the joint GAWWAGAWP state Model Water Tower Competition since its inception three years ago, in addition to past experience chairing the GAWWA Diversity Committee. This year she also was among the GAWP Level 1 Leadership Academy Graduates. Lisbon Thorpe will celebrate her 10th anniversary with PCWASA this October.

As PCWASA Technical Services Division Manager, Lisbon Thorpe plans, organizes, and directs the technical services and engineering functions of the Authority, including the management and development of annual budgets and the implementation of capital projects, construction services, utility locates, and filming of sewer lines. She also provides oversight of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the fats, oils, and grease (FOG) program, and information technology (IT) at the Authority.

“Keisha personifies the talent, expertise, and professionalism of our staff at the Authority, and we are lucky to have someone with her credentials and character as a Division Manager,” says Stephen Hogan, PCWASA General Manager. “She is well respected within our industry and a significant asset to our community as well as the state.”

Prior to joining PCWASA in 2005, Lisbon Thorpe was a Civil Engineer/Supervisor for the City of Atlanta Bureau of Water, following her tenure as a Process Control Engineer for United Water Services of Atlanta.

As for professional credentials, she is a Licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) in the State of Georgia as well as a Class I Water Supply System Operator, which is the highest ranking certification for treatment plant operators in the state. She obtained her Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering from North Carolina A&T and has a Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Florida.

Lisbon Thorpe’s academic research has been published in the Journal of Environmental Engineering, and she has been a keynote speaker on various industry topics for a number of organizations, including the American Society of Plumbing Engineers, the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), and at GAWP District Meetings and Conferences.

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

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STARR’S MILL SENIOR LEARNING AS PCWASA INTERN

Dec 11, 2015 by Chris Wood, Ph.D.

Starr’s Mill Senior John Adams is working at PCWASA as an intern this school year as a part of the Georgia Work-Based Learning Program.

The future of civil engineering is bright, if the most recent intern to work at the Peachtree City Water and Sewerage Authority (PCWASA) is any indication.

This school year, PCWASA welcomed Starr’s Mill Senior John Adams to its workforce as a high school intern eager to learn about building infrastructure to support quality growth and quality of life in the community.

Adams comes to PCWASA through the utility’s partnership with Starr’s Mill High School and the extremely effective Georgia Work-Based Learning Program. His love for civil engineering started at home and grew through STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) curricula he took at Starr’s Mill.

“About three years ago, I began working with my dad to help him fix up houses and that sparked my interest in civil engineering,” says the younger Adams, who has been accepted to Mississippi State University, where he will begin his college studies in civil engineering this fall.

John’s father Glenn is President and Owner of Property Magic, LLC, which analyzes distressed properties for investment and rehabilitation.

While interning at PCWASA during the first semester this school year, John rotated every two weeks to different areas of the utility, including administration, system operations, construction and maintenance in the field, wastewater treatment at the plants, and more. This semester, he is working with one of the Authority’s consulting engineering firms, gathering even more specific insights in civil engineering as it applies to the water/sewer industry.

The staff at Integrated Science & Engineering, Inc. in Newnan, especially Senior Project Manager Cary R. Dial, has joined PCWASA in taking John out into the field to provide him with salient work experience. The aspiring civil engineer from Starr’s Mill has assisted the Authority and its consulting engineers by inspecting sewer pipes in the Wynnmeade community, reviewing the pipe lining process for sewer line rehabilitation, calculating distances for service lines to tap into the PCWASA system, and much more.

“I really like it, because I’m learning what would otherwise take three or four years of school to learn,” says Adams, when describing his time at PCWASA and Integrated Science & Engineering. “It’s fun because I’m not just sitting at a desk; I’m out in the field working with really knowledgeable and nice people.”

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

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