Water & Sewer Committee

Sammy Rich, City Manager John Boyd, Director WATER AND SEWER DIVISION Customer Service Department Bryan Parris, Director Operations Department Brandon M. Cook, Director Water Reclamation Facilities Jeff Hill, Director Water Treatment Facilities Wayne Stanley, Director WATER AND SEWER COMMITTEE MEETING City Hall, 601 Broad Street, Sam King Room Thursday, April 4, 2024 9:00 AM PRESENT: Chairperson Jim Bojo Commissioner Bill Collins (absent) Commissioner Randy Quick Commissioner Wayne Robinson Mr. Sammy Rich, City Manager Mrs. Meredith Ulmer, Assistant City Manager Mrs. Toni Rhinehart, Finance Director Mr. Doug Walker, Public Information Officer Mr. John Boyd, Division Director Mr. Bryan Parris, Customer Service Director Mr. Jeff Hill, Water Reclamation Facilities Director Mrs. Jacquelyn Turpin, Assistant Water Reclamation Facilities Director VISITORS: David Crowder, WRGA News Tom Couch, citizen CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Jim Bojo welcomed everyone and called the meeting to order. REVIEW OF THE MINUTES No changes to the February 1, 2024, minutes were suggested, and minutes were approved by common consent. Minutes prepared by: Bryan Parris, Customer Service Director Water and Sewer Committee/ Commission Minutes, April 4, 2024 Page 1 of 3 FINANCIAL REPORT Mrs. Rhinehart reported February water revenues were down for 2024 from 2023 by $164,532, sewer was down $442,869 and penalties were down by $8,929 with total Operating Revenues down $581,360 which was expected due to the rate decrease. However, the increase in Interest Income of $497,234 in Nonoperating Revenues offsets most of that loss. Expenses are in line with where they should be with a slight increase of $59,445 from this time last year. Transfers were up at $500,000 due to all the projects going on at the time. Total Cash Balance is at $182,288,420 YTD 2024 compared to $181,076,724 YTD 2023. Chairperson Bojo asked if it was possible to borrow funds from ourselves to run the water lines out to Enterprise Corner? Mr. Rich replied yes that was something we could do. Chairperson Bojo then asked how long would it take to get that started? Mr. Boyd stated the water design is complete and all, but the sizing was completed for sewer. Mr. Boyd stated he would also recommend waiting until both water and sewer could be run at the same time. OLD BUSINESS None NEW BUSINESS Water First Designation Mr. Boyd explained the Water First Designation recognized local governments achieving excellence in water resource management and communities receiving this designation were also eligible for financial and other benefits from the State of Georgia, such as a 1% discount on loans we may seek. He pointed out the Divisions first designation was in 2007 and only 54 of the states 673 public utilities received this designation. Boyd stated we would have an MOU to present at the next Commission meeting for signature if the committee approved. Water Reclamation Overview Mr. Hill presented the committee with an overview of Water Reclamation stating there were two facilities operated by the department’s 34 employees. The main facility, Rome Water Reclamation Facility, is located on Blacks Bluff Rd in South Rome and a smaller secondary facility, Coosa Water Reclamation Facility, is located on Ausburn Rd in Coosa. Both facilities operate 24 hours per day and 365 days per year. Mr. Hill including listing of new equipment approved in current year’s budget including a utility vehicle, mower, and a lab grade glassware washer. Hill explained the Rome plants treatment process included several stages beginning with Preliminary Treatment, where larger items such as trash are removed through coarse screening and then a second fine screening and flow measurements are taken. The process then moves into Primary Treatment in the primary clarifier. Secondary treatment was then explained including sludge removal. The final stage of the water treatment process before disbursement into the river is Chemical Disinfection using liquid bleach. Hill then explained the treatment of the sludge removed in secondary treatment which included the use of bacteria and a digester. The sludge is then pressed to remove any remaining trapped water. The pressed sludge is then stored in a covered storage area for further drying before being disposed of at the landfill. Minutes prepared by: Bryan Parris, Customer Service Director Water and Sewer Committee/ Commission Minutes, April 4, 2024 Page 2 of 3 Hill then moved on to the Coosa plant explaining it was a much smaller plant with a design flow of 6.0 MGD and a permitted flow of 2.0 MGD. Commissioner Quick asked what was the difference between design flow and permit flow. Hill explained the design flow was what the plant could treat, and the permit flow was what the State allows. He added that unlike water withdrawal permits if the wastewater coming in exceeds the permitted amount it still goes through the plant and is treated. Hill explained that the plant was a little different than the Rome plant, but the processes were very similar. Hill showed one of the differences at the Coosa plant was how the sludge is processed. Here the sludge is dried by the sun in drying beds and then taken to the landfill. Hill also stated the department has been working on an inhouse project for the past few years to upgrade the process by installing a screw press which will compress the sludge to remove the excess water replacing the drying bed process. OTHER None Adjourn There being no further business to discuss the meeting was adjourned. Respectfully submitted. John Boyd, Director Rome Water and Sewer Division Minutes prepared by: Bryan Parris, Customer Service Director Water and Sewer Committee/ Commission Minutes, April 4, 2024 Page 3 of 3