Paul Vojtek (center), Craig Palmer and Dave Motherwell, reviewing plans for Phase III improvements, were instrumental in the conversion from traditional filtration to membrane filtration.
COVER STORY | LOCAL PROFILE
ERIE WATER WORKS Delivering World-Class Water, First-Class Service for 25 Years For those who live and work in Erie, Pennsylvania, it’s sometimes easy to overlook the fact that water — our region’s greatest natural resource — is in abundant supply and clean drinking water is always within reach.
EWW’s primary goal is to: “To guarantee a continuous, uninterrupted, reasonably priced supply of quality water to its customers which assures public health while promoting regional stability and future development.”
“I always say if people take their water for granted, we are doing our job,” insists Paul Vojtek, chief executive officer and chief financial officer of the Erie Water Works (EWW), which provides water service to more than 62,000 customers — residences and businesses — throughout the Erie region.
Through its oversight and more than $277 million in investments, the EWW has taken calculated steps — starting with the extension of its lease agreement on September 11, 2001 — to ensure that it had the financial support to put its operations in a position to provide high-quality water that meets or exceeds all local, state and federal regulations. “From that point until today,” explains Vojtek, “We’ve strategically invested in the infrastructure as well as new technology, making Erie’s water system more reliable, and capable of providing the finest quality water available through a public water system.”
These customers use water for a multitude of purposes. And, for businesses, clean, potable water can be essential to their operation and production line, as well as employee health and sanitation. Equally important, the availability of water for fire protection can mean the difference between staying in business or a catastrophic loss.
Paul Vojtek, CEO and CFO Erie Water Works
Since April 2016, the City of Erie has been rated a Class 1 in the Public Protection Classification from the Insurance Services Office (ISO). In 2015, of the 48,000 fire protection areas in the United States, only 132 communities achieved a Class 1, the ISO’s highest rating.
Investments and Upgrades
In fact, a significant amount of EWW’s infrastructure has been upgraded with a $50 million investment at the 85-year-old Richard S. Wasielewski Water Treatment Plant, formerly known as the Sommerheim Water Treatment Plant, located along Presque Isle Bay in Millcreek Township. More than $6 million was spent on the completion of Phase I, which included the installation of new highefficiency pumps, piping and electrical switchgear. Phase II, focused on improving the treatment process. The installation of Ultrafiltration Membranes transformed the water treatment plant from a traditional
“What many people don’t realize is that we also provide fire protection,” explains Vojtek. “If the power grid goes down, one of the things you have to worry about is fire. With the combination of emergency backup power generators and millions of gallons of storage, the ability to pump water and keep our system pressurized mitigates that threat.” In 1865, the Erie Water and Gas Company was incorporated to do just that — provide both safe drinking water and readily available fire hydrant water for the City of Erie. It wasn’t until January 1, 1992, that the EWW, also known as the Erie City Water Authority, assumed operation of the City of Erie’s water system. It operates independent of city government, and is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors appointed by the mayor and members of Erie City Council. For the past 25 years, the EWW has been the organization making sure water is properly treated to meet clean water standards.
4
JUNE 2017 • mbabizmag.com
EWW staff members Dave Motherwell, Ron Loader, Pete Hirneisen, Ron Costantini and Craig Palmer are essential to the day-to-day operations of the Erie Water Works.