Each June and October, CH2M HILL OMI sponsors events for operations and maintenance professionals where they get a chance to demonstrate their skills. Our roots are in water and wastewater O&M, so we support these events as our way of giving back to the industry. This issue of NewsSplash takes a closer look at one of the many volunteers from our company who offers his own time at one of these events. We also take a look at a renewed partnership in Pennsylvania and a fundraising festival in Georgia.
Our company
Pennsylvania County continues long partnership with CH2M HILL OMI
Continuing a long-standing tradition of successful partnership, the Lehigh County Authority renewed its contract for the operations and maintenance of its Pennsylvania treatment plant. A unanimous vote by the Authority renewed the contract for an initial five-year term, with three additional five-year options. CH2M HILL OMI has operated the industrial pretreatment/municipal facility since 1995. Project manager Bill Haberstroh and his team, shown in the photo below, are committed to delivering everyday excellence on the job and have created revenue-generating programs, such as septage receiving, that provide steady and predictable income for the county. The CH2M HILL OMI team also has an enviable safety record at the facility, working more than 74,000 hours without an injury. We thank Lehigh County for its continued faith in CH2M HILL OMI and look forward to continuing our partnership.
Our partners
Fayetteville named 2nd best city for recession recovery
Fayetteville, Ark., continues to be recognized among the best cities in the nation, this time being named second-best city for recession recovery by Forbes magazine. The ranking, which recognizes the Northwest Arkansas metropolitan area of Fayetteville/Springdale/Rogers, was based on economic factors such as income, home prices, gross domestic production and unemployment rate. Fayetteville has been mentioned in more than 40 national quality-of-life rankings, including best college town, best place to raise a family and best place to retire. More than just a university town and home of the global headquarters of retail giant Walmart, Northwest Arkansas is becoming known as the “Green Valley,” a region raising the bar on environmental awareness and setting a new example for sustainability. CH2M HILL OMI has managed the city’s wastewater facilities since 1987. In January, The United States Conference of Mayors recognized the partnership between Fayetteville and CH2M HILL OMI with an outstanding achievement award in its annual public/private partnership awards competition, recognizing efforts to promote sustainability at the city’s wastewater facilities and in all city operations.
Our communities
Thunderbolt, Ga., tastes success at first annual festival
Employees in Thunderbolt, Ga., participated in the town’s first Taste of Thunderbolt Festival, held in May. The important community event raised funds to support Thunderbolt’s new recycling program and featured more than 40 vendors and featured food from local restaurants. Echoing the city’s positive environmental message, the CH2M HILL OMI team, (shown in the picture below with Thunderbolt Mayor Anna Maria Thomas, wearing the white shirt) offered information on water conservation techniques and passed out dye tablets to residents so they could check for leaky toilets in their homes. CH2M HILL OMI employees also stirred up a pot of shrimp gumbo and entered a grilled, rum-soaked shrimp with mango-lime relish in the cooking contest, placing in the top three. Since 2007, CH2M HILL OMI has performed a range of services for Thunderbolt, including O&M of the city’s wastewater collection system, water production and distribution, street maintenance, meter reading, and dry trash pickup.
Our industry
NAWC and WPC join forces to focus on critical water and wastewater challenges
The National Association of Water Companies and the Water Partnership Council have joined forces under the NAWC banner to address critical water infrastructure challenges. By combining forces, the two trade associations will more effectively increase awareness of private-sector solutions to address U.S. water and wastewater infrastructure challenges. Senior vice president and director of business development Rich D'Amato will represent CH2M HILL OMI on NAWC's new Public-Private Partnership Council, which will work on issues such as water infrastructure planning, management and financing, and water and energy efficiency. CH2M HILL OMI was a founding member of WPC, which represented a diverse group of companies providing water and wastewater operations and maintenance services to  nearly 2,000 cities and communities. The combined strength of the two like-minded organizations will make it possible to meet the needs of a growing population and ensure that water is managed in the most efficient and effective manner possible.
Our people
Senior operations specialist gives back at operator competition
For the past six years, CH2M HILL OMI has sponsored Top Ops, a college bowl-style competition for water operators held at the American Water Works Association’s Annual Conference & Exposition. Top Ops, held this year in San Diego, brings out the best in the industry. Darrel Blanchard, senior operations specialist with CH2M HILL OMI, has devoted his time and expertise to the competition for more than eight years, serving as chairman since 2002. With more than 45 years in the water industry, Darrel has the knowledge and experience to challenge the competitors' know-how. He leads the charge to create a catalog of tough questions – all validated by the Association of Boards of Certification – and spurs on the competition with his signature game-show-host style. Competitors from more than 40 sections throughout the country endure grueling preliminary competitions to make it to the finals. This year 16 teams battled before a standing-room-only crowd. The Florida Section's Palm Coast Water Buoys took the top prize for the second straight year. Congratulations to all the outstanding water and wastewater operators who competed and to Darrel (shown in the picture below, on the left) for his dedication to our profession.  |
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President’s perspective
I just got back from the annual American Water Works Association conference and exposition, so my head is full of drinking water images. The conference was in San Diego, which gave our leadership team a chance to visit the San Diego County Water Authority’s Twin Oaks Valley Water Treatment Plant. CH2M HILL designed, built and now operates this modern technological wonder – the world’s largest membrane filtration plant. Touring the plant with our highly trained staff made me realize how important water operators are to the protection of our public health and well-being. CH2M HILL also sponsors a contest at the AWWA conference called “Top Ops,” a kind of operator college bowl that pits teams of operators from around North America against one another to demonstrate their knowledge of water operations and maintenance.
In North America and in many other developed countries, we never think twice about turning on the tap – the water is always there for drinking, cooking, cleaning and fighting fires. Water operators, and their counterparts on the wastewater side, are unsung heroes. And our mostly invisible water and wastewater infrastructure is the most important resource we never think about – until the bills come in the mail, or until something goes wrong.
I recently had a chance to address The United State Conference of Mayors on the importance of sustainable water infrastructure. Increasingly, water professionals are urging a “triple bottom line” approach to balance economic, environmental and social needs in providing water and sewer services. It’s important for our public officials to focus on the need for investment in infrastructure. But let’s also keep in mind that without the operators on the ground, the human element, our investment would be worthless. So if you have a few minutes this week, thank your local water operators for a job well done.
Respectfully,
Elisa M. Speranza
President
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Conferences are a great way for us to connect with clients, share our technical expertise and support our industry. When your plans call for you to attend a conference, make sure to look us up. Here are some of the upcoming hot spots where you can meet CH2M HILL OMI: |
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Clients in government and industry rely on the people of CH2M HILL OMI 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 company serves clients in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Puerto Rico and the Middle East.
Headquartered near Denver,Colo., employee-owned CH2M HILL is a global leader in full-service engineering, procurement, construction and operations for public and private clients. With more than $6.4 billion in revenue and more than 25,000 employees worldwide, CH2M HILL delivers innovative, practical, sustainable solutions – helping clients develop and manage infrastructure and facilities that improve efficiency, safety, and quality of life. The firm long has been recognized as a most-admired company and leading employer, including being named by FORTUNE magazine as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For (2009) and one of America's Most Admired Companies (2008). CH2M HILL is an industry-leading program management, construction management and design firm as ranked by Engineering News-Record (2008).
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