HCWA's Metro Water District STREAM Award
The Henry County Water Authority (HCWA) was one of five metro Atlanta water utilities to be recognized by the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District (Metro Water District) with its annual STREAM Award. The Authority was honored for its Rain to Drain education program for local teachers.
The Metro Water District’s STREAM Awards salute programs and projects of excellence put on by water utilities across the Atlanta Region. Utilities honored with a STREAM Award have demonstrated exceptional leadership and innovative water resource management.
STREAM Awards honor projects completed by Metro Water District members that are Sustainable, Thoughtful, Regional, Engaging, Applicable, and Measured (STREAM). Each year, the Metro Water District applies the STREAM Award to different planning areas, with this year reflecting the best projects and practices by members in water resource management.
The HCWA received an honorable mention STREAM Award for its Rain to Drain workshops, which are held annually during the summer for a select group of teachers from Henry County Schools. Since the start of the program five years ago, Rain to Drain has educated approximately 70 teachers on how STEM curricula can be enhanced in their classrooms by introducing students to the water treatment process. As a result, teachers and HCWA staff attest to the value of experiential learning that can take place through the use of HCWA facilities and operations to bring STEM curricula to life.
The HCWA Rain to Drain Workshops began in 2017, through a partnership between the Authority and Henry County Schools. During the week-long workshops, teachers tour the Authority’s Tussahaw Water Treatment Plant, the Walnut Creek Water Reclamation Facility, the Engineering Division, and the Cubihatcha Outdoor Education Center.
During the Rain to Drain Workshops, the Authority provides teachers with hands-on activities that can be used in the classroom. As a result of the Rain to Drain Workshops, the Authority also extends invitations for teachers to bring their students on field trips to HCWA facilities throughout the school year, to further highlight applied science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
“Our STREAM Award recipients are shining examples of the innovative work taking place across the region,” says Metro Water District Chairman Glenn Page. “They have embraced innovation, communication, and collaboration, to make significant advancements that improve the quality of life in metro Atlanta.”
These most recent STREAM Awards come on the heels of the Metro Water District’s 20th Anniversary in 2021, which celebrated metro Atlanta communities working together to address the region’s water challenges.
The Metro Water District is dedicated to developing comprehensive regional and watershed-specific water resource planning to be implemented by local governments in the 15-county metro Atlanta region, which includes Henry County. These plans conserve water supplies, protect water quality and recreational opportunities, as well as minimize potential adverse impacts of development.
“We are honored to receive the STREAM Award from the Metro Water District, which reflects the dedication and teamwork of our staff, led by Lindsey Sanders, our Environmental Compliance Coordinator, who organizes the Rain to Drain Workshops,” says Tony Carnell, HCWA General Manager. “Our partnership with Henry County Schools has introduced teachers to the many resources we have available to assist them in the education of their students.”
Caption for photo:
HCWA Operations Supervisor Barry Brand (far left) leads Henry County teachers on a tour of the award-winning Tussahaw Water Plant during a Rain to Drain teacher workshop held prior to the pandemic. The HCWA received an Honorable Mention STREAM Award from the Metro Water District for its Rain to Drain program. These workshops introduce educators to opportunities for teaching STEM curricula through the use of HCWA facilities.
Media contact: Chris Wood, Ph.D.
P: 770-757-1681
E: chris@jwapr.com or john.wood@gcsu.edu