Our company
O&M consulting services help cities across the country
One city in Florida needed help with its water plant’s deep-well injection system. A suburb of Sacramento, Calif., wanted to add an electronic operations and maintenance manual to help its water plant employees be more productive. And in Washington and Ohio, staff turnover at two wastewater facilities meant that additional management resources needed to be called in. All of these cities recently called on O&M consulting experts at CH2M HILL OMI. Whether it’s to complete a one-time project or to provide short-term technical expertise, we have the people to help utilities get through critical projects. CH2M HILL is the only firm in our industry that offers such a broad range of O&M solutions, and you can find out more on the O&M consulting section of our Web site.
Oregon Indian tribe signs 5-year O&M contract
 It’s not just cities that ask for additional O&M expertise. Businesses often do too. Earlier this month, the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians signed a 5-year contract with CH2M HILL OMI to operate and maintain the tribe’s brand-new water and wastewater facilities. The Creekside water development supports several businesses owned by the tribe, including the Seven Feathers Hotel and Casino Resort, a restaurant, an RV resort, and a truck/travel center along Interstate 5 near Roseburg, Ore., which serve thousands of visitors every day. The .5-million-gallon-per-day water plant and .7-mgd wastewater plant feature state-of-the-art technologies. CH2M HILL OMI has been providing consulting and startup services, and the work developed into a full-contract-operations agreement.
Our work earns three safety, conservation awards
Every day our people aim to deliver work that lives up to our industry’s highest standards. Three CH2M HILL OMI-operated projects recently were recognized with top awards. At the wastewater plant in Augusta, Ga., we earned the 2007 George W. Burke Jr. Facility Safety Award, sponsored by the Water Environment Federation and the Georgia Association of Water Professionals. In Lowndes County, Ga., where we operate wastewater facilities, our people won the GAWP 2007 Groundwater Treatment Safety Award for the first time, reflecting more than five years without a safety incident. And aided by the management expertise of CH2M HILL OMI, Venice, Fla., won a 2007 Water Conservation Award for Excellence from the Florida Section American Water Works Association. The award honors a new program to use more reclaimed water for irrigation, rather than letting it go to waste.
Our communities
Lending a helping hand to Habitat in New Orleans
Exchanging laptops and cell phones for hammers and saws, more than two dozen employees and municipal leaders attending this week’s Congress of Cities in New Orleans came together to support CH2M HILL OMI’s volunteer day for Habitat for Humanity. To kick off the day, senior vice president Gary Miller presented a $2,000 check to New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity executive liaison Catherine Neale – an amount reflecting $5 for every client expected to attend the company’s reception the following night. Then the team got to work, installing siding, door frames, window sills, closet shelves and more at three St. Bernard Parish homes. The work of some team members went toward the 320-hour “sweat equity” goal of New Orleans legend Al “Carnival Time” Johnson, who lost his home in the Lower 9th Ward during Hurricane Katrina. Johnson, a Mardi Gras icon for more than 40 years, is living in Houston but soon will have a Habitat home in Musicians’ Village, the project conceived by Harry Connick Jr. and Branford Marsalis to build 70 homes for displaced musicians. Our thanks again to all of our partners who helped us make a difference in this great community.
Volunteers turn old trailer into treasure
Our employees in Live Oak, Fla., donated their time and talent to help the Suwannee High School agriculture program and the Future Farmers of America chapter by restoring an old trailer for them to use as a produce stand. Volunteers refurbished the donated trailer’s framework, gave it a fresh coat of paint and added a roof. Now students can take their fresh produce to market, using the money they raise to fund future activities. Since 1997, CH2M HILL OMI has operated and maintained Live Oak’s water and wastewater plants and spray field, and we have provided public works services since 2005.
Our partners
Prescott Valley, Ariz., pioneers successful effluent auction
The Town of Prescott Valley, Ariz., made news last month for its pioneering program to auction the rights to 2,724 acre-feet of effluent that comes from the town’s wastewater plant every year. The auction yielded more than $67 million that the town can use to achieve its water and sustainable growth goals. “We are doing something that no one else has done,” town manager Larry Tarkowski told the Arizona Daily Sun. All water interests must be used within the town. The effluent comes from the town’s 3.75-mgd wastewater treatment plant, operated and maintained by CH2M HILL OMI for nearly 15 years. We also manage the recharge program that returns effluent into the ground for further filtering through natural processes.
New Haven, Conn., wins ‘municipal excellence’ award
Congratulations to New Haven, Conn., which just won a 2007 Award for Municipal Excellence, sponsored by the National League of Cities and CH2M HILL and presented annually at the Congress of Cities. New Haven took the gold in the “population 50,000-150,000” category for its program to strengthen relations between the city and new immigrants. The Awards for Municipal Excellence recognize outstanding programs that improve the quality of life in America’s communities. In New Haven, we operate and maintain the city’s 40-mgd wastewater treatment plant and interceptor sewer collection system.
Our people
Saluting the service, commitment of our veterans
 Did you know that nearly 10 percent of our employees have served in the U.S. military? CH2M HILL OMI people have served in every branch of the armed forces, done about every job, and commanded about every vehicle, including tanks, planes, helicopters, submarines, aircraft carriers, high-speed transports and light cruisers. Some saw combat in Vietnam and the Gulf War, and more recently, Operation Iraqi Freedom. And some are still serving in the military’s reserve components and the National Guard. We created a special internal employee tribute to honor Veterans Day earlier this month, thanking our people for their service not only to this company but also to our country.
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President’s perspective
Back in 1982, city leaders in Lebanon, Ore., gave a young company a chance and awarded CH2M HILL our very first full-contract operations and maintenance agreement. Their confidence in our work then helped launch what is now the industry leader in O&M consulting, solutions and services.
Twenty-five years of partnership – and a recent renewal for 10 more – is a milestone that makes us all proud. (As part of the renewal process, our company’s design-build expertise was selected for a critical $4 million treatment process upgrade too.) Coming during this season of gratitude, it also makes us reflect and appreciate the opportunity to serve not only this terrific client but so many others around the world. While it’s always important to me to thank our clients in each issue of NewsSplash, on behalf of all of our employees, I want to especially commend the long, successful relationship we’ve enjoyed in Lebanon and thank all of our partners for their years of trust in us.
One more note: Thank you to the municipal leaders we work with who were reelected or elected in November. Your commitment to public service is what helps makes great communities possible. Particular congratulations to officials elected for the brand-new city of Chattahoochee Hill Country, Ga. – a city we’re helping start up.
As always, please contact us with any comments, feedback or concerns. In the meantime, have a very Happy Thanksgiving.
Mark A. Lasswell, P.E.
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Conferences give us a great way to continue connecting with clients, sharing our technical expertise and supporting our industry. Plus, they’re fun! Here are some of the upcoming hot spots where you can meet CH2M HILL OMI: |
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Now on the Web
Nov. 26-27
Jan. 14-16, 2008
Florida Public-Private Partnership Summit & Exposition
Melbourne, Fla.
Presentations will feature CH2M HILL's municipal services partnerships in Johns Creek and Sandy Springs, Ga., and senior vice president Gary Miller will be one of the experts on a water partnership panel.
Jan. 23-25
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Clients in government and industry rely on the people of CH2M HILL to provide a range of custom-tailored operations and maintenance solutions. The company’s services include water and wastewater system optimization; contract O&M of water, wastewater and other utilities; and complete municipal operations, including administration, public works and community development – all backed by a commitment to safety, quality, innovation and customer service. Founded by CH2M HILL in 1980, the Denver-based company serves clients in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada and Puerto Rico.
Headquartered in Denver, Colo., employee-owned CH2M HILL is a global leader in engineering, construction and operations for public and private clients. With more than $5 billion in revenue, CH2M HILL is an industry-leading program management, construction management and design firm, as ranked by Engineering News-Record (2007). The firm’s work is concentrated in the areas of transportation, water, energy, environment, and industrial facilities. The firm has long been recognized as a most-admired company and leading employer by business media and professional associations worldwide. CH2M HILL has more than 23,000 employees in regional offices around the world. |
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