OCTOBER 2019
Department of Watershed Management Receives Municipal Leadership MVP Award
Atlanta – The Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge (ABBC) announced that the Department of Watershed Management’s (DWM) Hemphill Water Treatment Facility is being awarded the 2019 Municipal Leadership MVP Award for its commitment to energy and water efficiency.
 
“When Atlanta signed onto the Better Buildings Challenge, city leaders committed to include municipal properties, many of which needed efficiency upgrades,” says DWM Commissioner Kishia L. Powell. “For DWM alone, this involved 28 facilities including drinking water plants, wastewater treatment plants and pump stations. In addition to implementing improvements that cut DWM’s energy use significantly, our agency also developed a model for measuring water efficiency for use by other cities, since Atlanta pioneered making water efficiency part of its Better Buildings Challenge framework.”

Since the ABBC initiative began in 2009, the Hemphill Water Treatment Facility has achieved 54.3 percent in energy savings. Hemphill is paving the way as a municipal leader in energy and water efficiency while setting high standards and establishing best practices for other municipalities to follow.

The Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge (ABBC) is a nation-leading public/private initiative. Led locally by the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Resilience and managed by Central Atlanta Progress/Atlanta Downtown Improvement District in partnership with Southface, Midtown Alliance and Livable Buckhead, the goal of ABBC is to reduce energy and water consumption by at least 20 percent in participating buildings across Atlanta by 2020.
The DWM Peachtree Creek Trunk Sewer Stabilization Project is the Largest Spiral Wound Pipe Rehab Project in the United States
The combination of innovative technology and efficient installers resulted in early project completion.
Article by Contributor for Trenchless Technology Magazine

Atlanta - The City of Atlanta, Georgia, recently faced the familiar challenge of failing underground infrastructure. The problem, however, was uniquely large; the Peachtree Creek Trunk sewer. This 90-in. arched concrete sewer constructed in 1934 required nearly two miles of rehabilitation.

The sewer runs beneath a section of the city largely undeveloped at the time of construction. Today, that same pipe alignment is surrounded by a thriving residential area, including a city park, golf courses, suburban communities and Interstate 75. The numerous above-ground obstacles demanded a trenchless technology to be used for all large-scale repairs. In addition to above-ground challenges, multiple bends are present along the pipeline, creating issues in designing a rehabilitation solution.

Recent events revealed a need to fix the old sewer. In September 2009, the City of Atlanta witnessed a major 500-year flood event, exposing structural failures within the Peachtree Creek Trunk. The sewer began to show its age with cracks, failures and concrete degradation that subsequently impacted the surrounding community and environment.

Read the full article on the Peachtree Creek Trunk Stabilization Project and how DWM addressed the structural failures of the 85-year-old concrete sewer: https://trenchlesstechnology.com/atlantas-large-sewer-problem/.
DWM Hosts a Day of Action for
National Imagine A Day Without Water 2019
Wednesday, October 23, 2019, is Imagine A Day Without Water, an annual national day of action to raise awareness and educate Americans about the Value of Water. In the City of Atlanta, DWM will host activities on this day of awareness that are free and open to the public:
 
DWM Goes Blue – DWM encourages you to wear a blue shirt to raise awareness about the value of water. Take a photo and post on social media using the #ValueWater and #ATLValuesWater
 
Wake Up to Watershed - No Water means No Coffee. Join DWM in front our headquarters at 72 Marietta St. NW for sidewalk trivia and complimentary coffee, courtesy of Chick-fil-A.
 
Digging Deeper for Blue - Join DMW at the Atrium at Atlanta City Hall, 55 Trinity Street SW, for a virtual reality tour of Water Supply Program (WSP). This 3 and 2-D video experience of our reservoir project highlights how Atlanta’s emergency drinking water supply will increase from 3 days to 30 days. The VR experience will be available 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
 
I’ll Drink to That: Clean, Safe, Reliable – Tour the award-winning Hemphill Water Treatment Facility. Tour times are 9:30 -10:30 a.m.; 10:45 – 11:45 a.m.; 12 – 1 p.m.; and 1:15 - 2:15 p.m.

To sign-up for a tour, visit https://www.atlantawatershed.org/idww/.

Flip the Switch for Blue – Corporate partners have pledged to join DMW in turning off aesthetic water features or to illuminate buildings with blue lighting in recognition of Imagine A Day Without Water. Flip the Switch for Blue begins Tuesday, October 22, at 6 p.m., lasting until Thursday, October 24, at 6 a.m. 
DWM to Host 4th Annual Trick or Treatment Tour!
Join the Department of Watershed Management for the 4th Annual Trick or Treatment Tour on Thursday, October 31, 2019, 5 – 9 p.m. Enjoy a FREE evening of Halloween fun! Kids and adults will enjoy games from our game-truck, smokehouse drills from the Atlanta Fire Department with candy and treats galore. Tours of the City’s drinking water treatment facility will also be available for ages 10 and up, and families can relax for a movie under the stars. Everyone is encouraged to come dressed in costume. Free parking is available. Onsite registration & check-in closes at 7 p.m.

To register go to http://bit.ly/DWMTrickorTreatment2019 . For more information,
call 404-546-3200.
DWM Invites You to Participate in the Adopt-A-Drain Program
The City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management has launched an Adopt-A-Drain program to help improve the quality of stormwater within the City of Atlanta’s watersheds as well as to keep the City informed about infrastructure maintenance needs. The Adopt-A-Drain program encourages volunteers to adopt a storm drain in or near their neighborhoods, commit to cleaning the drain of leaves and other debris and then monitor the condition of that drain for the duration of the adoption. Volunteers will receive training and a storm drain cleaning supply kit.

For more information, visit www.atlantawatershed.org/adoptadrain , or
call 404-546-1411.
City of Atlanta Water and Sewer Appeals Board
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your billing dispute or adjustment request, an appeal to the City of Atlanta Water and Sewer Appeals Board may be requested per City Ordinance Section 154-28 within seven days of the Department of Watershed Management’s dispute resolution decision. The Water and Sewer Appeals Board is a group of citizens appointed by the Atlanta City Council to conduct hearings to review the dispute. You have a right to an appeal only after your bill has gone through the formal dispute process and a decision has been rendered.
Department of Public Works Residential Bulk Collection
Residential bulk collection must be scheduled at least one business day in advance via ATL311. Scheduled bulk collection is Monday-Friday and is subject to availability. For a complete list of what is and what is not bulk, visit www.atlantaga.gov/solidwaste. To schedule bulk collection, dial 404-546-0311, or visit https://www.atl311.com/ .
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