HCWA Towaliga Plant Selected Best in Georgia
Following a year in which it was recognized with an honorable mention in the judging for best water plant in Georgia, the HCWA Towaliga Plant has been voted the Plant of the Year by the Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP). That award headlines several the Authority brought home from the GAWP 2019 Spring Conference, which was held April 23-24 in Columbus, Georgia.
GAWP recognized the Towaliga Plant as the best operated water plant in the state among those similar facilities with a capacity between 15 to 25 million gallons per day (MGD). The Towaliga Plant has a capacity of approximately 24 MGD. The Authority’s Tussahaw Water Treatment Plant received a Certificate of Achievement within this same category.
Each year, GAWP recognizes municipal water treatment plants that have been operated in an outstanding manner, within categories based on the size of the facility. The Plant of the Year Award, which is given to the best managed and best operated facilities in Georgia, put the Towaliga Facility and the HCWA in competition with some of the largest plants and water systems in Georgia. To win this award, not only is the score from judging considered, but all aspects of the facility are under review, such as safety, maintenance operations, documentation, lab operations, and industrial monitoring.
In 2016, the HCWA received the Plant of the Year Award for its Tussahaw Water Treatment Plant, and the Towaliga Plant won the Award previously in 2015. So, both of the Authority’s water production facilities have been branded the best in Georgia within the last few years.
In addition to receiving the Plant of the Year Award, the HCWA had two employees who were honored with respective industry awards. Barry Brand, HCWA Operations Supervisor for the Tussahaw Plant, has been inducted into the GAWP Golden Hydrant Society.
The Golden Hydrant Society, organized through the Georgia Section of the American Water Works Association (GAWWA), recognizes water professionals for outstanding service and achievement to advance the drinking water industry. Each year, five water professionals are inducted into the Society following their nominations by peers.
In addition, the Authority’s Brandon Dubbs, an Operator at the HCWA Tussahaw Water Treatment Plant, has been tabbed the Top Water Plant Operator in Georgia’s District 3.
Brandon is one of eight district winners in Georgia who has excelled in his duties and has set an example for others in the profession. The district winners, which are considered high honors, will be in the running for the Operators Meritorious Service Award later this year, which is the water industry’s recognition of the best water plant operator in the state of Georgia.
Two HCWA employees also finished first and second in the statewide Meter Madness Competition, which challenges water professionals to assemble a standard residential water meter as fast as possible. Chris Walker, Water Service Technician, won the event with a time of 32 seconds, while Jeremy Henson, Landscape Technician, finished in a close second with a time of 34 seconds. Both will represent Georgia in the Meter Madness Nationals, hosted by the American Water Works Association (AWWA) in Denver, Colorado in June.
Finally, the HCWA Towaliga and Tussahaw Water Treatment Plants have both received GAWP Platinum Awards for 100% permit compliance for 12 consecutive years. During this time, neither plant has been in violation of permits for pretreatment or treatment of drinking water.
“As a result of years of planning and financial stewardship, we have constructed some of the best water and sewer facilities in the state, which is evident in these awards,” says Lindy Farmer, HCWA General Manager. “But our greatest asset is our employees, who continue to be leaders within our industry. I’m so proud of their work, and as an Authority, we’re humbled and honored to receive such recognition from our industry and from our peers. We hope the greatest benefactors will be our customers and our community, who receive our best efforts to provide safe, quality water and sewer services every day.”
More information on HCWA industry awards are available on the Authority’s website at www.hcwa.com.
Media contact:
Chris Wood, Ph.D.
P: 770-757-1681
E: chris@jwapr.com