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Water Treatment Facility Receives Top Honors

The Etowah River Water Treatment Facility was recognized by the Georgia Association Of Water Professionals by receiving the Platinum Award for complete and consistent Safe Water Drinking Act permit compliance in 2023.  This is the 9th consecutive year that CCWSA has received this award.  GAWP also recognized Water Plant Operator, Ricky Brown, as the Top Operator for District 1.  The staff at the Water Treatment Facility work very hard to provide the citizens of Cherokee County with good quality water.  CCWSA is very proud of it’s staff and their effort to keep things running efficiently!  Way to go team!!   2023 GAWP Platinum Award

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Wastewater Facilities Awarded By GAWP

CCWSA’s Wastewater Facilities were recently recognized by the Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP) for complete and consistent National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit compliance for 2023.  Each facility received honors for exceptional operations.  CCWSA appreciates it’s staff for keeping things top-notch!  Good job!

Education Program Awarded

The CCWSA Education Team has been working hard this past year educating the children (and adults) of Cherokee County on all things water and how to preserve this precious commodity.  The Georgia Association Of Water Professionals recognized their effort and awarded the CCWSA Education Team the Education Program of Excellence Award and the Excellence In Communications Award for 2023!  In addition, the CCWSA Education Team received the Georgia Project WET (Water Education Today) Organization Of The Year Award for 2023.  Congratulations to the CCWSA Education Team for all your effort in teaching us how to be water smart!

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The Rivers Alive clean-ups were a huge success with 170 volunteers spending 520 hours to pick up 1600 lbs of trash. The volunteers cleaned up a total of 12 miles from around Little River and Etowah River. Our community has benefited greatly from the Fall Rivers Alive Clean-ups. Thank You to Everyone who volunteered.

Millions of tons of trash are left along our nation’s rivers and streams every year.  Roadside litter also makes its way into our waterways through storm drain systems.  All this trash takes away from the beauty and safety of our waterways. That’s why CCWSA’s Annual River Clean-Ups are so important. Join us in giving back to the community by helping clean up in and around our rivers in Cherokee County. Fall is a great time to get outdoors and enjoy the beauty and wildlife as well as make a difference. Sign-up to participate with your family and friends and see how pristine we can make our rivers. We sure could use the help!

Dates are subject to change if conditions are considered unsafe for any reason.
State guidelines regarding Covid-19 precautions will be adhered to at the event.
Sign-up in advance by e-mail Lori Forrester lori.forrester@ccwsa.com or call 770-479-1813 Ext. 246.

September 12th– Little River Clean-up (Click Here) We are meeting at Olde Rope Mill Park, Woodstock. There will be breakfast items and coffee provided in the morning. Individually wrapped snacks and water will be available during the clean-up. In lieu of lunch being provided at the park an alternate option will be provided as a “Thank You” for participating. Full neck buffs will be provided instead of T-shirts this year. Suggested items to have or bring: Old shoes, clothes (things you don’t mind getting wet or dirty) and heavy work gloves (optional) –gloves will be provided – but heavier gloves are useful for pulling and carrying larger items (such as tires).

 

October 24th – Etowah River Clean-up (Click Here) We are meeting at the Upper Etowah River Alliance Office – 180 McClure St., Canton. Breakfast snacks will be provided. Please bring your own water and drinks. Full neck buffs will be provided instead of T-shirts this year. Suggested items are old shoes, clothes and heavy work gloves – plastic protective gloves will be provided – but heavier gloves are useful for pulling and carrying larger items.

Cherokee County Water and Sewerage Authority (CCWSA) kicks off Drinking Water Week by celebrating tap water is “There When You Need It”

CCWSA kicked off Drinking Water Week by encouraging consumers to recognize their tap water is “There When You Need It”. Drinking Water Week is May 3-9 this year. CCWSA and the American Water Works Association (AWWA) will observe Drinking Water Week by recognizing the vital role tap water plays in daily life, the infrastructure that is required to carry it to and from homes and businesses, and the important work of water professionals “behind the scenes”. “With so much changing around us nowadays, it is comforting to know that our tap water is readily available for hygienic and drinking purposes,” said AWWA CEO David LaFrance. “Even during the coronavirus pandemic, water professionals across North America continue to report to work to collect, treat and distribute water to ensure the health and safety of their communities.” To commemorate the week, water utilities, water organizations, government entities, environmental advocates, schools and other stakeholders throughout North America and beyond will encourage consumers to understand and appreciate their drinking water.

CCWSA recognizes the importance of water infrastructure during Drinking Water Week

CCWSA recognizes the infrastructure that helps to transport water from collection to treatment to consumption is “There When You Need It” during Drinking Water Week. Drinking Water Week is May 3-9 this year. [Insert organization’s name] and the American Water Works Association (AWWA) will observe Drinking Water Week by recognizing the vital role tap water plays in daily life, the infrastructure that is required to carry it to and from homes and businesses, and the important work of water professionals “behind the scenes”. “Our tap water plays a vital role in keeping each of us healthy and safe during the coronavirus pandemic,” said AWWA CEO David LaFrance. “It is important to recognize the critical role water infrastructure plays, every day, in ensuring our tap water is there when you need it for drinking, cooking, or hygiene.”

High-quality water is “There When You Need It”

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has assured consumers that drinking water was safe to use as normal. The consistent and reliable quality of drinking water is at the heart of the theme for this year’s Drinking Water Week, “There When You Need It” which will be held May 3-9 this year. Cherokee County Water and Sewerage Authority (CCWSA) and the American Water Works Association (AWWA) will observe Drinking Water Week by recognizing the vital role tap water plays in daily life, the infrastructure that is required to carry it to and from homes and businesses, and the important work of water professionals “behind the scenes”. Many communities are fortunate to have reliable access to safe water when they turn on the tap. In large part, this stems from the regular testing CCWSA is subject to ensure that regulatory standards for water quality are met. In fact, every water system must publish a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR), which details its water quality. You can find CCWSA’s CCR’s that go back to 2005 at ccwsa.com under the Our Water tab. “Shortly after the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic, the EPA and CDC each reminded us that we should trust our tap water as we normally would for hygiene and hydration,” said AWWA CEO David LaFrance. “This proved to be extremely important because handwashing is an important way to stop the spread of the virus. We couldn’t do that without high-quality drinking water.”

CCWSA commends water professionals during Drinking Water Week

CCWSA commends the hardworking men and women ensuring tap water is “There When You Need It” during Drinking Water Week which will be held May 3-9 this year. CCWSA and the American Water Works Association (AWWA) will observe Drinking Water Week by recognizing the vital role tap water plays in daily life, the infrastructure that is required to carry it to and from homes and businesses, and the important work of water professionals “behind the scenes”. Reliable water service used for hygiene, hydration, and cooking is critical to our health and safety throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. At the beginning of the pandemic, several health organizations recommended normal hygienic practices, including handwashing for 20 seconds, which would play an important role in slowing the spread of the coronavirus. “During these difficult times, we reflect on the heroic work of health professionals and first responders who place themselves in harm’s way to keep us all healthy and safe,” said AWWA President Jim Williams. “I’ve referred to the water profession as a “vocation of distinction” before. In these difficult times, it is also a vocation of heroism.”

Drinking Water Week activities include:

  • EnviroScape presentations: Due to continued social distancing we will be doing the Water/Wastewater Process Enviroscape Presentation through video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDaiYZyVdN8
  •  Water Plant Operations information: We were initially offering water plant tours but due to continued social distancing we have had to cancel. Here are two great videos that explain Water Treatment Plants and Water Towers. Tours will be available in the future.

*How do Water Towers work? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZwfcMSDBHs&t=80s

*How do Water Treatment Plants Work? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_ZcCqqpS2o    

  • Coloring Contest: Coloring contest sheets for students grades K-3rd can be obtained here and dropped off at the drive-through/dropbox at our main office – (140 W. Main Street) or just take a photo of the completed coloring picture and e-mail it to lori.forrester@ccwsa.com with students name/grade. One or more lucky winner(s) will be selected to win a $10 ice-cream gift card. The deadline to turn the coloring sheets is May 11th.

Join us for the first of a three-part series that covers Georgia Adopt-A-Stream chemical, bacteria, visual, and macroinvertebrate workshops Learn how to monitor your local waterways. Please email lori.forrester@ccwsa.com to RSVP by 3/9/20 AAS training flyer

Part 1: Getting Started/Chemical
Friday, March 13, 2020
1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
@ Hollis Q. Lathem Reservoir
5436 Cowart Rd, Dawsonville, GA

  • Be sure to wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty and waterproof boots
  • Lunch will not be provided so be sure to eat before you come
  • Certification tests will be offered at the end of the program

Stormwater runoff, sometimes called storm sewer is..

  • rainfall that does not soak into the ground, but instead flows over the land into these surface waters.
  • important to replenish our water supply, but can also harm our watersheds if pollutants are collected along the way.

  • naturally occuring, but as development and the amount of impervious surface such as rooftops, roads and parking lots increase in a watershed, the natural capacity of the soil and vegetation to filter and take up rainfall decreases, and more rainfall becomes stormwater runoff.

Stormwater IS NOT …

  • going to the Wastewater treatment plant.

 

Wastewater, sometimes called sewage is…

  • water that has been used by homes, industry and business that must be treated before it is released back into the environment.
  • is either transported by a sewer system, called a sanitary sewer to a wastewater treatment plant, or it is treated onsite within a self-contained septic system.

Wastewater is NOT…

  • stormwater runnoff .
  • returned to the environment without treatment.

 

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Just a friendly reminder that the year-round Outdoor Watering Restrictions allows for use between 4:00 pm and 10:00 am.
Thank you for helping us during this dry time of year by using water wisely.
Drought - Watering Guidelines