Clean Water 2020 Newsletter Vol. 5, No. 2

Newsletter Vol. 5, No. 2

Columbia Goes for LEED® Gold with New Water & Sewer Administration Site

Meet Your Co-Workers

David Mann Q. Who are you, and what do you do?

DM. I am David Mann and I am a Senior Mapping Technician for the City of Columbia. I help maintain and update the City’s wastewater network within GIS and provide analy cal support for Clean Water 2020 and City staff.

Aerial view of the Water & Sewer Administra on Site in the final stages of construc on.

On Tuesday, October 17, the City of Columbia and Columbia Water celebrated the opening of its new water and wastewater administra on building, the City of Columbia’s first building registered with the cer fica on goal of LEED® Gold level.

“This is a classic example of what we can do when we’re working together and we dream big – when we focus on neighborhood revitaliza on, when we focus on sustainability, when we focus on sustainability and adap ve reuse, when we focus on just being smart in what we do,” said City of Columbia Mayor Stephen K. Benjamin during opening remarks.

“I see the beauty of this building. What it’s going to do to our neighborhood. Crime has decreased just because it started being built,” shared Diane Wiley, a community leader from the nearby Belvedere Neighborhood. “I thank you very much for this, the beauty of this.

LEED® Gold level symbol

Q. What is the most interesƟng thing about you that we wouldn’t learn from your work bio?

DM. I love to travel. At mes growing up, I lived in Sri Lanka, Turkmenistan, and England because of my parents’ occupa ons and every couple of years my sister and I plan trips together. Our most recent trip was to Barcelona in December 2016.

Q. What’s the best experience you’ve had working for the City of Columbia?

DM. The best experience I’ve had with the City was also a tough

Diane Wiley, Community Leader

I never thought this could be, because the building was just run down,” Wiley told City representa ves as she thanked them for efforts to improve the West Beltline corridor.

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Meet Your Co-Workers David Mann conƟnued

...I see the beauty of this building. What it’s going to do to our neighborhood. Crime has decreased just because it started being built.

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The project renovated a brownfield site on West Beltline Boulevard, conver ng a blighted former auto dealership with acres of concrete and empty service bays into a beau ful work space designed to improve the local community. The new 15,300 square foot administra ve building, renovated exis ng outbuildings, and improvements to the over 10-acre site feature:

• Removal of over 2.5 acres of asphalt from the site with drainage designed to allow rain to filter naturally into the soil to improve water quality and stormwater control; • Water efficient landscaping to reduce water use by 50%; • Light fixtures designed to reduce light pollu on at night; • Low flow toilets and fixtures to reduce building water use by 30%; • A green roof and building design to reduce building energy use; • Reuse, salvage, or recycling of 75% of site building materials and use of recycled content in new materials.

You can watch the ribbon cu ng ceremony for the new water and wastewater administra on building and highlights of the site at youtu.be/Z6LHNVFCsM4.

experience for a lot of people who lived it – “it” being the flood. At the me, I was just ge ng used to working with the CW2020 program and then the rain came. It was a great learning experience for me early on in my career, having to be flexible to ever-changing projects, priorities, and deadlines.

Another great experience would have to be training with and comple ng my first (and s ll only) half-marathon with John Riggs and Bill Davis amongst others. It was refreshing to get to know upper-level City staff in a different light than the occasional map request and to accomplish a personal goal with the help of colleagues.

Q. Oreos or Chips Ahoy, and why?

DM. Chips Ahoy with my lunch, Oreos with my milk.

Phillip Allan Q. Who are you, and what do you do?

PA. I am Phillip Allan and I am a Senior Mapping Technician for the City of Columbia. It’s my job to make sure that all the wastewater assets, such as manholes and pipes, and their condi on, are in their correct loca on in our Geographic Informa on System (GIS) database. My current focus is on the sewers west of the Congaree River and those that are near the Downtown/Vista area.

Water & Sewer Administra on Site building tour

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Meet Your Co-Workers Phillip Allan conƟnued

Councilman Edward McDowell, Jr., Councilman Howard Duvall, Jr., City Manager Teresa Wilson, neighborhood leader Diane Wiley, and Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine cut the ribbon to open Columbia Water’s new water and wastewater administra on building as Assistant City Manager for Columbia Water, Clint Shealy looks on.

2017 Wastewater Maintenance Division BBQ The midyear Wastewater Maintenance Division BBQ was held on May 19, 2017 at Earlewood Park.

WWD Superintendent Robert Judy welcomed everyone, “We get together every year to show our apprecia on for everything you all do and because I don’t get to spend enough me with each of you and some mes crews Wastewater Maintenance Division staff BBQ don’t even get to spend a lot of me together.” He thanked the meal prep team, Pee Wee, Pren ss, Mar n, Darnell, Tony, Carlton, and more, for all their hard work on the dinner and setup. Introduc ons were made for Columbia Water leadership and Ka e Barlet introduced the division’s newest members, Carol Sforza’s 3-month-old Anthony, Ebouni and Rodric Moultrie’s 3-month-old Raelyn, and her own 3-month-old Aiden.

Q. What is the most interesƟng thing about you that we wouldn’t learn from your work bio?

PA. I am a member of the Society for Crea ve Anachronism, which is an organiza on that is dedicated to recrea ng and reenac ng the arts, sciences, and figh ng styles of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. I par cipate by going to events all over the Carolinas in a period-inspired doublet ou it and compete in sword figh ng tournaments.

Q. What’s the best experience you’ve had working for the City of Columbia?

PA. The best part of my job is ge ng to go out into the field and find a manhole that I found in an old record drawing. It’s all the joy of solving a puzzle, but in real life!

Q. Cowboys or aliens, and why?

PA. Aliens, definitely! I grew up watching all kinds of science fic on shows like Star Trek. Alien cultures are fascina ng to think about.

Meet Your Co-Workers is a new get-to-know-you series that features the lighter side of City of Columbia staff. If you want to take part or nominate someone else, please email info@cleanwater2020.com.

Longevity Service Awards were presented to Jerome Smith who reached his 30-year anniversary in January and Terron Murray who reached his 15-year anniversary in March.

Wastewater Safety and Training Coordinator Pren ss Brooks reported 591 recordable incidents to-date, no ng that the division is on track to come in lower than last year which ended at 2,696. Brooks introduced Wastewater Operator Doug Rauth, Clean Water 2020

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a member of the division’s newly formed Safety Commi ee. “We just started,” said Rauth, “and it takes a lot to get a program off the ground. We all need your par cipa on so it can get be er as the years go along.” Rauth stressed the importance of everyone’s involvement to help the commi ee work on issues and resolve them. The commi ee asks everyone to contribute to help make your job safer. If you need something or know of a change that needs to be made please reach out.

“Safety Is No Accident” mugs were presented to all staff as reminder to always keep safety at the forefront and as a thank you for all the hard work this year.

Judy opened the mic to the group and teams congratulated each other on their successes to-date. Staff praised one another for their teamwork on projects completed, their camaraderie, determina on, and educa onal achievements.

There may also have been some teasing.

The committee asks everyone to contribute to help make your job safer. If you need something or know of a change that needs to be made please reach out.

Wastewater Maintenance Division staff BBQ

Grill masters at work.

Second Annual Plant Diaper Drive Challenge In June, the Metro Wastewater Treatment Plant, Canal Water Plant, Clean Water 2020, and Wastewater Maintenance par cipated in the Second Annual Plant Diaper Drive Challenge hosted by Power in Changing. Power in Changing is a local non-profit 501(c)(3) organiza on that provides diapers, wipes, and training pants to local families in need within Richland, Lexington, and Kershaw coun es. During the week-long event, employees were invited and encouraged to purchase items of any size or brand or donate a minimum of five dollars towards the purchase of products. For the second year, Metro WWTP won the challenge and received a luncheon from the sponsor, Power In Changing, as well as the highly coveted Diaper Drive Challenge Trophy donated by Metro WWTP. Between the four loca ons, 4,506 diapers and wipes were collected, which exceeds last years’ total by over 2,000! Those items will help as many as 230 families!

Le : Superintendent David R. Wiman accep ng the Diaper Drive trophy.

For more informa on on Power in Changing visit their website at www.powerinchanging.org.

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Metro Wastewater Treatment Plant Laboratory Update

by Sarah Hickman - Laboratory Manager, Metro WWTP

David Wiman, the team is crea ng new shi change dashboards and have made the program more user-friendly by simplifying search criteria, adding addi onal parameters to track, and se ng programming data limits.

Metro WWTP Hach WIMS Dashboard

Plant laboratory staff par cipates in events and ac vi es outside of the Plant to engage with the community and gain addi onal skills. In 2017, the Plant established an Opera ons Challenge Team to compete against other South Carolina teams at the 27th Annual South Carolina Environmental Conference held in March at the Myrtle Beach Conference Center. Opera ons Challenge gives par cipants an opportunity to learn from different areas in wastewater including process control, laboratory, safety, and maintenance and collec ons. Team member Melissa Engle recalls, “I learned a lot and love represen ng the City of Columbia.”

As team coach and Plant Laboratory Manager, I also serve as Chair of the Water Environment Associa on of South Carolina Laboratory Commi ee. The commi ee recently hosted a workshop providing relevant industry informa on to over 250 professionals.

The Metro Wastewater Treatment Plant (Plant) laboratory has been running smoothly since regaining its cer fica on in December 2015 from South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC). The laboratory analyzes samples for total suspended solids, pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, total residual chlorine, and fecal coliform which are then reported to DHEC on the Plant’s monthly Discharge Monitoring Report. The laboratory is also cer fied to test for E. coli and has started processing samples to ensure that the Plant will meet the limits for its upcoming renewal of the NPDES permit expected in late 2017 or early 2018.

In addi on to regulatory samples, laboratory staff also analyze process control samples to help Plant staff operate more efficiently. We have recently started processing bleach analysis tests. The Plant uses sodium hypochlorite (bleach) for disinfec on. The tes ng helps confirm the strength of the bleach to verify that suppliers are providing the product that they promise and to ensure adequate disinfec on.

Another way laboratory staff improves efficiency is by upgrading so ware and programs. We have started to customize Hach WIMS, the Plant's data collec on, analyzing, and monitoring tool.

Together with Metro WWTP Superintendent,

We hope to continue participating in these educational and extracurricular events to attract top talent, change perception, and help Metro to become a leader in the wastewater field.

In addi on, several interns from the University of South Carolina and Benedict College have trained in the laboratory and tours of the Plant bring visitors by regularly. Staff always prepares fresh slides for visitors to see the microorganisms that are currently ac ve in the aera on basins.

Microscope with HD camera

We hope to con nue par cipa ng in these educa onal and extracurricular events to a ract top talent, change percep on, and help Metro to become a leader in the wastewater field.

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Storytellers & Shutterbugs Do you have a tale to tell or photos from the worksite to share? If so, the Clean Water 2020 Employee Newsle er wants you! Ge ng published here is a great way to share ideas with your coworkers. We’re always looking for original ideas, mely topics, and onsite photos. To submit your ar cles or ideas, please contact us at info@CleanWater2020.com.

Dana Higgins to Head SCAPWA Board of Directors

Contingency Emergency Response Plan Training

Dana Higgins, Director of Engineering for Columbia Water, has been named Vice President of the South Carolina Chapter of the American Public Works Association (SCAPWA).

Higgins has been serving on the SCAPWA Board of Directors since 2009 and has served as Chair of both the Scholarship and Awards Committees.

“I have been involved with [SC] APWA for many years and I am excited to con nue to shape the future of our group by serving in a leadership posi on,” Higgins said. “We are looking forward to highligh ng some of the great things Columbia Water and City Public Works do, both on the state and na onal levels of APWA.”

Dana Higgins, Director of Engineering for Columbia Water

City of Columbia’s Wastewater Division during ICS training.

Higgins will serve as President Elect of SCAPWA in 2018 and will become Chapter President in 2019 when she will bring the statewide conference to Columbia.

The City of Columbia’s Wastewater Division came together in March for an Incident Command System (ICS) tabletop training session. The primary focus was to gauge the City’s preparedness to protect the public during a catastrophic event using its Con ngency Emergency Response Plan (CERP). The CERP provides guidance and procedures for staff responding to an emergency. Working in teams, and facilitated by Columbia Fire Department staff, they were presented with an incident or catastrophic event, e.g., flood or power failure, and then had to handle the emergencies that followed such as sanitary sewer overflows, major line breaks, pump sta on failures, and citywide power outages.

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We are looking forward to highlighting some of the great things Columbia Water and City Public Works do, both on the state and national levels of APWA.

The team evaluated the risks, made assessments, responded to immediate needs, ini ated recovery efforts to deal with the emergency, and then completed a debriefing of the exercise.

Since March, staff has used the CERP and the ICS structure to prepare for impending events, such as Hurricane Irma.

Following training, staff has a be er understanding of their roles and responsibili es, feels more organized for emergency response, communicates with external and internal partners be er and coordinates their resources across division lines more efficiently. The training has built confidence in staff to be ready, responsive, and resilient when facing a crisis.

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CD Deliverables to-date Consent Decree Deliverables ToͲDate

Status

CAP List (Checkbook)

Completed

Sewer Mapping Program (SMP)

Approved Dec. 9, 2014

Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) – Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP)

Approved Jan. 15, 2016

Maintenance Management System (MMS)

Approved Sep. 2, 2016

Satellite Sewer System Agreements (SSSA)

Approved Sep. 2, 2016

Transmission System Operations and Maintenance Program (TSOMP)

Approved Sep. 2, 2016

Continuing Sewer Assessment Program (CSAP)

Approved May 23, 2016

Gravity Sewer System Operations and Maintenance Program (GSOMP)

Approved May 23, 2016

WWTP Operations Program

Approved May 23, 2016

Contingency and Emergency Response Plan (CERP)

Approved May 23, 2016

WCTS Training Program

Approved May 23, 2016

Information Management System (IMS) Program

Approved May 23, 2016

Financial Analysis Program

Approved May 23, 2016

Infrastructure Rehabilitation Program

Approved Apr. 27, 2017

WWTP Training Program

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CD Deliverables to-date chart

Sanitary Sewer Overflows

SSO metric chart for July 2016 to June 2017

In June 2017, the Wastewater Collec on and Transmission System experienced 10 Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) events. Four of these events occurred during dry weather. The total number of SSOs for the 2016-2017 Fiscal Year is 173. This is a net increase of 18 over the 2015-2016 Fiscal Year which had 155 events.

This year’s increase in SSOs was due to collapsed lines, roots, and wet weather events. The overall increase in SSOs from the previous fiscal year (FY15/16) was 18 SSOs. The total number of SSOs per 100 miles of pipe for the City of Columbia was approximately 15.73.

As of June 2017 (FY16/17), the total SSO es mated volume was 1,696,679 gallons. In comparison, the total SSO es mated volume for the 2015-2016 Fiscal Year was 6,080,061 gallons. This was a net decrease of 4,383,382 gallons.

Remember, Customer Care is there for both staff and rate payers. The sooner we know about it, the sooner we can fix it. If you see or smell a sewer spill call Customer Care at 803-545-3300. Once inquiries are documented, crews are dispatched in an appropriate and mely manner then tracked for follow-up care.

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Columbia Water leads the way in Lower Saluda water quality program Columbia Water is excited to partner with the Midlands River Coali on to monitor water quality in the Lower Saluda River. The wastewater division will be working with local partners to monitor water quality in the river weekly during summer months to ensure a safe environment for area river users.

Columbia Water is providing funding to aid in the costs of sampling and water tes ng from eight monitoring loca ons. Tes ng was done weekly from June 21 and ran un l the end of September 2017. In future years, tes ng will run May through September.

Collected water quality informa on will be maintained online at www.HowsMySCRiver.org and updated weekly a er sampling and tes ng. This is the first program of its type for inland waters.

Clint Shealy, Columbia Water’s Assistant City Manager, is looking forward to the City’s involvement in the program. "Columbia Water is pleased to be a part of this river water quality monitoring ini a ve,” said Shealy. “We hope this informa on is helpful to our community as we use these precious river resources for recrea onal purposes."

The Midlands River Coali on is made up of river-related businesses, environmental groups, local and state government, property owners, industry, and other users of the river. Its main purpose is to ensure the safety of individuals during ac vi es on area rivers and to educate the public on issues related to natural waters.

Columbia Water Holds Quarterly Customer Drop-In On October 12, Columbia

2018 DROPͳIN DATES Water held its last quarterly customer drop-in of 2017 April 11, 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM in the Customer Care area Eau Claire Print Building of Washington Square.

3907 Ensor Street The event drew customers Columbia, SC 29201 with issues ranging from billing irregulari es to July 11, 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM concerns about new sewer Loca on TBD - Columbia, SC line replacement projects that could impact their October 10, 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM property. Representa ves Loca on TBD - Columbia, SC from Columbia Water and consul ng firms were on Customers review maps and learn more about upcoming projects. hand to discuss upcoming sewer infrastructure projects. City Customer Care Representa ves were also present tohelp customers with billing ques ons.

Columbia Water typically holds four Capital Improvement Project/Customer Care drop-ins per year to inform the community about upcoming improvement projects and provide a face-to-face opportunity to ask ques ons. The events are open to the general public and customers who may be directly impacted by CIP projects receive invita ons through the mail. The next drop-in is tenta vely scheduled for April 11, 2018.

For informa on on upcoming Water U lity Drop-Ins go to the City’s Customer Care U lity page (www.columbiasc.net/customer-care/u lity-billing).

To find informa on on upcoming and past Clean Water 2020 CIP drop-ins, go to the CW2020 events page (www.cleanwater2020.com/keeping-you-informed/events).

For suggestions or questions regarding the newsletter, please contact: Email: info@CleanWater2020.com Clean Water 2020 Clean Water 2020

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