Photo Contest Rules

Then & Now Photography Contest

Deadline for the “Then and Now” Photography Contest has been extended to February 14th for the 7-12th grade category only

Cherokee County Water and Sewerage Authority is hosting a photography contest themed “Then and Now” for Cherokee county students K– 12 (traditional or home-schooled). The deadline is December 17, 2020. Submit an entry to lori.forrester@ccwsa.com along with the title of the photograph, student’s name, school and grade, and the narrative.

Students must have an old original photograph or photograph of the original photograph from Cherokee county (or close by) that contains a waterway, mill, dam, dock, or fish weir along with a current photograph of the same location. A “then” photograph found on-line from a historical source will be accepted. Students can use resources from different locations throughout the area: older family and friends who grew up in the area, Cherokee County History Museum, Funk Heritage Center, Allatoona Dam, and Woodstock Visitor Center. Submissions must also include a 50-100 word narrative that explains the photograph and what local resource(s) were used. Two winners will be selected, one from the K-6th category and 7th– 12th category. There is a $50 prize as well as one framed 8 x 10 of the winning photograph.

Have questions? Contact Lori Forrester @ 770-479-1813 ext. 246 or lori.forrester@ccwsa.com

A Day Without Water Winner

The Winner is — Campbell Munsey!

Cherokee County Water and Sewerage Authority (CCWSA) is pleased to announce the winner of the Imagine a Day Without Water essay contest is Campbell Munsey from Etowah High School. Thank you to all the students who participated in the essay content, we hope that it helped you understand the value of water. Go here to learn more about the value of water

The Winning Essay

A Day Without Water
by Campbell Munsey

Drip. The water drips down the spout. It is hard to imagine life without water. How would you flush your toilet? What foods would you be able to eat? What would you do without clean, filtered water from your sink? These questions would spiral around in our minds as we struggle to fathom what our day would look like. Water is an important source in our lives, and without it, the results would be deadly.

Without water, we would not be able to have filtered water from our sinks, whether they are in our kitchen or our bathroom. With the sinks in our kitchens, we use the water to clean dishes and fill up a cup of water to drink. We would not have water to use for our dishwashers, so we would have to use paper plates and plastic utensils, which would just fill up more of the landfill. On average, each person needs eight glasses of water every day to prevent dehydration. Without clean water to drink, it would be impossible for us to get this much water per day in a healthy way, causing dehydration. People that play sports would have no way of staying hydrated while running around in the sun. If our bodies do not contain the amount of water needed, we could potentially die.

Water is also used in bathrooms to help flush the sewage down your toilet. As Americans, we are used to the luxury of having water in our toilets to flush down the dirty water. If we did not have water in our toilet bowls, the sewage would build up and create bacteria and an unpleasant smell. People might even try throwing their waste away like you do with a dog to prevent the room from smelling. As humans, we use lots of water to take showers on the daily. Without water for just a day, it would not be a big deal to skip one shower, but if you went without water for a longer period it would become a problem.

Another use of water is in the process of making food. Whether you are growing crops for agriculture or cooking steak, water is involved in each process. For crops like fruits and vegetables, water is needed to clean the crops and to help them grow. Without water, the crops would not be able to live, which would cut out a big selection of our food supply. Fruits and vegetables are two of the main food groups that humans need every day, so they are vital to our lifestyle. For meat, tons of water is used in the meat production process. In order to make just one pound of meat from beef, it takes 2,400 gallons of water. Many Americans eat meat in every meal as their protein, so they would have to rely on nuts and other sources to give them their protein.

Overall, water is an important source for many aspects of our lives. Whether you use it for showering, flushing your toilet, or using it to wash your food, you use water more than you probably knew you did. If the world had to go a day without water, we would have to find alternatives and discover new ways to live.

https://www.peta.org/blog/meat-industry-wastes-water

Value of Water

Cherokee County Water and Sewerage Authority is sponsoring an “Imagine a Day Without Water” essay contest for 6-12 grade Cherokee County students. There will be a $50 prize for the winning essay. The deadline is October 16th, 2020. Contact lori.forrester@ccwsa.com with any questions. Find all the details in the flyer – VOW Essay Contest 2020

For more information about:
Value of Water Campaign – http://thevalueofwater.org/
Imagine a Day Without Water- https://imagineadaywithoutwater.org/

Contest Winners

Drinking Water Week 2020
Cherokee County Water and Sewerage Authority (CCWSA) is pleased to announce the winners of the Drinking Water Week coloring contest. “There when you need it” was the theme of Drinking Water Week. The contest was open to K – 3rd grade Cherokee County students. The coloring contest focused on the drinking water process from the source to the tap. Congratulations to all our winners!

Grand prize winner – Juliana Amplo from Cherokee Charter Academy – 3rd grade

Second grade – 1st place – William Shaffer from Boston Elementary

First grade – 1st place – Holden Sampson from Ballground Elementary

Kindergarten – 1st place – Noah Alsobrook from Clayton Elementary School.

There were six additional honorable mentions. All winners received an icecream gift card. Thank you to all that submitted an entry! This year we had to get creative to reach the students since the students were not in the classroom.

Tower Competition

“FROM TODAY’S YOUTH COME TOMORROW’S LEADERS – LET’S LEAD SOME TO THE WATER PROFESSION!” This is the mission statement of the planning committee for the Georgia Association for Water Professionals (GAWP) Model Water Tower Competition (MWTC). This annual competition was hosted by Cherokee County Water and Sewerage Authority (CCWSA) in Cherokee County for the second time on March 6th, 2020 at E.T. Booth Middle School. This STEM activity focuses on students learning complex concepts such as hydraulic and structural efficiency while thinking green and using recycled materials. The competition expanded to include 3 schools this year: E.T. Booth, Creekland and Mill Creek Middle School. Approximately 150 students participated in the competition. They had a total of 8 weeks to plan, design and build their water towers. Each school had engineering professionals mentoring them along the way with design, structure, and functionality of the towers. Eight model water towers advanced to the county competition from each school. Prizes were given for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place plus superlatives. E.T. Booth MS’s water tower “Snow Day” took home the 1st place prize. Mrs. Reeder, from E.T. Booth, can proudly display the district MWTC waterdrop trophy. In total $4000 was invested into the MWTC from CCWSA, CedarChem, Bermex, Hayes Pipe Supply Inc, Freese and Nichols, Brown and Caldwell, Engineering Strategies Inc and Hazen and Sawyer. Thank you to all the volunteers that made the competition possible by judging and leading student activities. We are looking forward to this competition being a part of our educational programs for years to come.

Science & Engineering Fair

Cherokee County Water and Sewerage Authority (CCWSA) recognized six Cherokee County students at the NWGA Regional Science & Engineering Fair on February 8th, 2020 at Alliance Academy for Innovation High School. The students were recognized for excellence in their projects that focused on the environmental field. Students excelled at all levels from elementary school through high school.

This was the first year that elementary school students participated in the regional science and engineering fair. Hunter Hawkins from Hasty Elementary School was recognized for his project “How can farmers solve the problem of erosion?“ Three students from E.T. Booth were recognized: Madeline May for her project “Which Homemade Water Filter is the Most Effective at Cleaning Water and Particulates?” , Lydia Wooley with her project “What are the Different Types of Microplastics and Inorganic Waste in the Lakes?” and Victoria Ramos-Jackson with her project “Lead along the Roadways: Which has more Lead?” All three placed 1st and will be advancing to the Georgia Science and Engineering Fair. Two students from Woodstock High School were recognized: Isabel Plower with her project “The Effect of the FAS ll Pathway on Agro-Industrial Waste” and Brodie Solomon with his project “The Effect of Water Pump Filtration on Microplastics in Freshwater.” Brodie Solomon placed 3rd with his excellent project on Microplastics filtration (see photo below). Isabel Plower placed 1st and will be advancing to the Georgia Science and Engineering Fair. The recognized students received a certificate, goodie bag and a $50 gift card.

Isabel Plower, Woodstock High School Science and Engineering Fair Winner Will England presenting Madeline May with her CCWSA goodie bag Brodie Solomon’s project on Microplastics filtration

We’ve got winners!

2020 Photo Contest Winners!

Cherokee County Water and Sewerage Authority (CCWSA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2020 CCWSA student photography contest.

The theme of the contest this year was the human water cycle. Students were asked to consider: Where does the water that you use every day come from? How does it get to your home, school, and local businesses? Where is it stored? How does fire protection fit into the cycle? Where does it go after you use it? What is the connection to food production and energy? Student photographers were challenged to capture interest and beauty in the human water cycle. The winning photographers did that beautifully!

In the 6th – 8th grade category Caleb Miller, 7th grade student from Creekland Middle School, is the winner with his photograph titled “Tower at Sunset.”

In the 9th – 12th grade category Leila Raymond-Kaina, 12th grade student from Cherokee High School, is the winner. The students received a framed copy of their winning photograph and a check for fifty dollars.

The photographs are proudly displayed at the CCWSA main office, Rose Creek Water Reclamation Facility (WRF), Fitzgerald Creek WRF, Riverbend WRF, Etowah River Water Treatment Facility, and H. Q. Lathem Reservoir.

Hornaday Weekend

Cherokee County Water and Sewerage Authority (CCWSA) participated in the 2019 Hornaday Weekend at the Woodruff Scout Camp in Blairsville, Georgia on November 9th. The scouts learned about the water and wastewater process. Along with what F.O.G means (fats, oil and grease) and the effects on the environment. Water quality in our local waterways was discussed with Georgia Adopt-A-Stream kits, a water quality sonde, automatic sampler and macroinvertebrates. “Cherokee’s Safe and Sustainable Water begins here”.

Hornaday Weekend 2019

Drinking Water Week

CCWSA is proud to announce the winners of the Drinking Water Week coloring contest. Students from all over Cherokee County (homeschool, Ballground ES, Clayton ES, R.M. Moore ES, Oak Grove ES, Free Home ES, Little River ES, Holly Springs ES and Arnold Mill ES) submitted over 750 entries, which made it difficult to choose the best entry from each grade. Winners received a $10 ice cream gift card.

Kindergarten winner
Clara Sloan Bujeker
Homeschool

1st grade winner
Michael Jo Prose
Ballground ES

2nd grade winner
Jianelly Bermudez
Oak Grove ES

3rd grade winner
Campbell Haskett
Arnold Mill ES

Drinking Water Week 2019

Water community invites consumers to ‘Protect the Source’ during Drinking Water Week

Cherokee County Water and Sewerage Authority (CCWSA) kicks off Drinking Water Week Sunday May 5th with an invitation to “Protect the Source” throughout the Etowah River Watershed.
CCWSA, the American Water Works Association and the water community across North America will celebrate Drinking Water Week by recognizing the vital role drinking water plays in daily lives. Focus will be placed on ways in which water consumers can take personal responsibility in caring for their tap water and protecting it at its source.
“Drinking Water Week is a special opportunity to shine a light on all of the ways we can protect our water source and ensure it is there for future generations,” said AWWA Chief Executive Officer David LaFrance. “When we, as consumers and community stewards, learn about and gain an appreciation for our drinking water sources, it becomes easy to understand the importance of protecting them.”
To commemorate the week, water utilities, water organizations, government entities, environmental advocates, schools and other stakeholders will celebrate the importance of drinking water through presentations, events and festivals to provide information on how consumers can understand and appreciate their water.

CCWSA Community Events:

CCWSA Drinking Water Week Kids coloring contest -Eligible kids are currently in Kindergarten through 3rd grade. Coloring Sheets can be downloaded from here or picked up at the CCWSA main office and R.T. Jones Library (display in children’s area). Entries must have the kids name, grade, and parent/guardian contact information on the back. All entries must be turned in at the CCWSA main office or at the library Drinking Water Week Display by May 19th. One lucky winner will get a $10 ice cream gift card! Click here for the coloring contest sheet

Display at R.T.Jones Library – A Drinking Water Week display will be in the children’s area from May 5th through the 12th. Go by and check it out. Coloring contest sheets can be picked up and dropped off at the display table.

Water/Wastewater Process Enviroscape presentations – Presentations will be at the CCWSA main office conference from off the main lobby on May 6th, 8th and 10th @ 11 am and 3 pm. Contact Lori Forrester at 770-479-1813 Ext. 246 or lori.forrester@ccwsa.com to sign-up. Space is limited. Click here for the Enviroscape presentation flyer

Cherokee County Water and Sewerage Authority encourages getting to know local H20 during Drinking Water Week.

As Drinking Water Week continues, the CCWSA joins the American Water Works Association and water professionals across North America in encouraging water consumers to get to know their local H2O.

Finding information about local water is simple. As required by the Safe Drinking Water Act, water utilities must provide customers with an annual water quality report, also called a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR). A CCR identifies the quality of local drinking water and if any contaminants are detected and if so, which ones. Also available in the report is information on a community’s local source for drinking water. The water source for Cherokee County Water and Sewerage Authority is the Etowah River. CCWSA’s Source Water Assessment and 2018 CCR can be found on the website under the OUR WATER tab. Additionally, information on local source water is available through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s “How’s My Waterway?”.

“Drinking Water Week highlights a vital piece of our daily lives,” said AWWA Chief Executive Officer David LaFrance. “Whether your drinking water source is an aquifer, stream, lake or reservoir, we hope everyone uses Drinking Water Week as an opportunity to learn about and gain an appreciation for their drinking water source.” More information about local water sources is available on DrinkTap.org.

About Drinking Water Week
For more than 40 years, AWWA and its members have celebrated Drinking Water Week, a unique opportunity for both water professionals and the communities they serve to join together in recognizing the vital role water plays in daily lives.

For more than 40 years, AWWA and its members have celebrated Drinking Water Week, a unique opportunity for both water professionals and the communities they serve to join together in recognizing the vital role water plays in daily lives.