Georgia County Government - May/June 2008 - (Page 34)

Clayton County Water Authority Recognized Among State’s Most Progressive he Clayton County Water Authority (CCWA) has long been recognized as a leader in the water industry for its environmentally sound approach to wastewater treatment and resource management. Recognized by state and national associations of water professionals, through innovative programs such as land application of treated wastewater and the development of systems for producing marketable compost and fertilizer products from solid waste, the county has become a standard-setter in Georgia with regard to water provision and wastewater service. With the addition of its Stormwater Managment Program, the CCWA now is also the county’s one-stop shop for all water issues. Clayton County Government, its cities and the Water Authority worked together to implement the program. The CCWA took full responsibility of all stormwater services on July 1, 2007. Stormwater utilities are not new to the Metro Atlanta region, but Clayton County is one of the fi rst jurisdictions to have a unified utility that includes unincorporated areas and local cities. The Clayton County Board of Commissioners and the city councils of Forest Park, Jonesboro, Lake City, Lovejoy, Morrow and Riverdale adopted the Clayton County Stormwater Utility Ordinance in 2006, placing the T new countywide utility under the management of the Water Authority. In addition, Clayton County’s CCWA-operated Melvin L. Newman Wetlands Center serves as a launch-pad for the Authority’s community education efforts. The Center is a 32-acre site that includes a wetlands trail and a 4,800-square-foot building complex comprised of an exhibit/learning area, a 50-seat auditorium, offices and a conference facility. Since its opening in 1995, the Wetlands Center has hosted more than 205,000 guests, primarily school children, to the importance of conservation and watershed protection. Wetlands System State of the Art The Blalock Reservoir (260 acres) opened in Clayton County in 1992, adjacent to the existing Shamrock Reservoir (68 acres). The natural recharge of the Blalock Reservoir from the existing CCWA facilities is critical, as Blalock is a major source for drinking water within the county. Because the ability of wetland ecosystems to improve water quality naturally was well recognized, a Master Plan prepared by CH2MHILL for CCWA in January 2000 recommended the construction of treatment wetlands to meet the needs for expanded capacity at the new wastewater reclamation facilities. Two separate Today, the City of Riverdale is located in the “Southern Crescent” of Clayton County, approximately 10 miles south of Atlanta. The City is only 5 miles south of Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, one of the nation’s busiest airports. www.riverdalega.gov Battle& Battle Inc. Distributors, A Wholesale Distributor of Batteries and Rubbermaid Products Communications, EMS, Biomedical, Automotive Batteries Nickel Cadmium - Alkaline - Mercury Controller & Vice President 2410 Park Central Blvd. Decatur, GA 30035 Office (770) 987-8147 Fax (770) 987-9177 www.battleandbattle.com E-mail: sylviabattle@prodigy.net 350 Newton Ave. Oakland, CA 94606 (510) 663-0678 SYLVIA BATTLE Building Greatness Daily WESLEY A. BARNES, P.E. SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT Brindley Pieters & Associates, Inc. Suite 1104 International Tower 229 Peachtree Street, N.E. Atlanta, Georgia 30303 404.224.9260 404.224.9268 Fax wbarnes@bpa-engineers.com www.bpa-engineers.com 34 GEORGIA COUNTY GOVERNMENT http://www.battleandbattle.com http://www.bpa-engineers.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Georgia County Government - May 2008

Georgia County Government - May 2008 Contents President’s Message County Matters ACCG 2008 Annual Meeting: Highlights County Focus: Clayton County Negotiating a Professional Service Firm Contract: Part 3 Counties Get Involved in Efforts to End Sexual Abuse of Children Smart Growth Scorecard Gives Communities a Way to Grade New Developments Wireless Technologies Critical for First Responders Research Corner: The ACCG Policy Process RDCs Assist the USS Georgia Flag Project Extension News: Animals Take Spotlight in Disaster Planning Georgia’s Grand Old Courthouses: Grady County NACo News: Green Initiative Launches Searchable Database Insurance News: ACCG Announces New Inmate Medical Savings Program County Parade Index of Advertisers

Georgia County Government - May 2008

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