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A Report to the

Community2017

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Board Members

Executive Management

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John ChafinCHAIR

Marie Barber Rodney GivensSECRETARY/ TREASURER

Vivian Baldwin BOARD MEMBER

Robin Malone BOARD MEMBER

Dr. Cephus Jackson BOARD MEMBER

P. Michael ThomasGENERAL MANAGER

Jim PoffASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER

- OPERATIONS

Bernard FranksASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER

- SUPPORT SERVICES

VICE CHAIR

Rodney GivensJohn WesterveltBOARD MEMBER

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The Clayton County Water Authority (CCWA) was created by an Act of the Georgia General Assembly on March 7, 1955 to provide water and sewer services to just over 450 customers while employing a staff of eight employees. Since then, the Authority has grown to provide water, sewer and storm water services to more than 279,000 residents throughout Clayton County and its six cities through approximately 80,500 customer accounts. The Authority has five raw water reservoirs and can produce up to 42 million gallons per day of potable water and treat up to 38.4 million gallons of wastewater. Plus, the Authority maintains approximately 1,500 miles of water distribution pipes, 1,400 miles of sewer conveyance pipes and storm water infrastructure throughout the county and its cities.

Clayton County is situated just south of Atlanta, Georgia with Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson International Airport located in the very northern part of the County. The county is one of Georgia's smallest counties in terms of land size with an area of only 143 square miles. Yet, with more than 275,000 residents, it is one of the state's most densely populated. Within Clayton County, there are six incorporated cities: Forest Park, Jonesboro, Lake City, Lovejoy, Morrow and Riverdale.

Despite having limited surface or ground water supplies available, the Water Authority has developed a truly sustainable water supply through the utilization of treatment wetlands for the recycling of treated wastewater. During the second worst drought on record in 2007 when many utilities in north Georgia were in danger of running out of water, we were able to proclaim that “it’s raining every day in Clayton County” because of the recycling of over 10 million gallons per day of reuse water.

The Clayton County Water Authority is governed by a Water Authority Board of Directors composed of seven members. Each board member serves on a part-time basis for a term of five years and may be reappointed for additional terms. Members of the Board are appointed by the Clayton County Board of Commissioners. In addition to the Board of Directors, there are approximately 395 employees, managers, supervisors and staff from six primary departments, who carry out the day-to-day mission of the Water Authority. This mission is to provide quality water and quality services to our community.

The award-winning Authority is recognized as an industry leader, with utility peers from all over the nation and world visiting our system to learn more about processes such as our leak detection program and our use of constructed wetlands.

Recognized as a ‘Utility of the Future – Today’ by partnership of water sector organizations, including: the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, the Water Environment Federation, the Water Environment and Reuse Foundation and the WateReuse Association. CCWA was one of only 61 utilities in U.S., Canada and Denmark who were honored for exceptional performance.

WHO WE ARE

A Message About the Taste and Odor Issue in Fall 2017For our customers in the north half of Clayton County who received poor tasting and smelling water from us in the fall, we want to sincerely apologize. It is an honor to be part of the team that provides water, sewer and stormwater services to the Clayton County community. Our team strives to provide quality products and services. Each year brings its own challenges to achieving our mission. The issue is now resolved. We are working hard and will be making significant capital investments to minimize the chance of a similar event happening in the future.

We are dependent on several relatively small reservoirs for storing our water supplies before we treat it and distribute it to our customers. At times, we can have algae blooms in these reservoirs that are difficult to predict and control. These algae can release small amounts of an organic compound that causes an earthy or musty taste and odor. Humans can taste and smell these compounds at very low levels – as little as three drops of the compound in 1 billion drops of water. There are no health effects to humans from these very low concentrations of these compounds, but we realize that the taste and smell can be offensive.

Our pledge to you, our customer, is to continue to invest in reservoir management, plant treatment technologies and operational improvements to hopefully meet your quality water expectations 100 percent of the time. While this may not always be possible, it is certainly our goal.

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Mission

Providing Quality Water and Quality Services to Our Community

LETTER FROM OUR GENERAL MANAGER, P. MICHAEL THOMAS

It is an honor to be part of the team that provides water, sewer and stormwater services to the Clayton County community. Our team strives to provide quality products and services and each year brings its own challenges to achieving our mission.

In 2017, high winds, flooding and power outages due to Hurricane Irma tested the reliability of our infrastructure. We were pleased that we were able to maintain our facilities and services without interruption during that event. Another challenge was an algae bloom in the Hooper Reservoir that provides water to the northern half of Clayton County. This created water quality that was less than desirable. We are working hard to minimize the potential for these types of events in the future.

Despite the challenges described above, our Authority continues to be an industry leader in innovation, efficiency and community service as recognized by several industry awards listed on page 5. We continue to be financially sound and our water, sewer and stormwater service charges are among the lowest in the Metro Atlanta area. We are aggressively reinvesting in our infrastructure to ensure we are able to provide quality water and service for our residents and businesses.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you.

P. MICHAEL THOMAS, CCWA GENERAL MANAGER

MISSION, VISION, AND CORE VALUES

Vision

Utilizing Innovation to Provide Industry-Leading Service for our Community

Core Values

Customer & Community Focused Excellence Integrity Great Place to Work5

Industry Leading Service

Awards

CCWA Utility/System Awards | 2017

GAWP Wastewater Plant of the Year Award for the 3 MGD - 5.9 MGD Advanced Treatment Category (2017)

Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP) Top Wastewater Operator for District 3 Herlon Fayard

Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP) Top Water Operator for District 3 Lesley Rathburn

Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) Distinguished Budget Presentation Award

Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting

Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP) Distribution System Gold Award

Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP) Collection System Platinum Award

Georgia Local Government Personnel Association (GLGPA) Award of Excellence for Medium size programs

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Rivers Alive Stream CleanupCCWA hosts an annual Rivers Alive Stream Cleanup in October so community volunteers can help clean trash and debris from a local waterway. This is event is part of the statewide Rivers Alive volunteer cleanup event that targets all waterways in the state of Georgia, including streams, rivers, lakes, beaches and wetlands. The statewide efforts are sponsored by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Division’s Georgia Adopt-A-Stream Program and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs’ Keep Georgia Beautiful Program. Learn more at ccwa.us.

2012 195 Volunteers1,100 lbs. collected

2013 171 volunteers1 ton collected

2014 230 volunteers1.2 tons collected

2015 330 volunteers2.93 tons collected

2016 271 volunteers2.5 tons collected

Fix a Leak WeekCCWA celebrates national Fix a Leak Week in March to remind customers the importance of finding and fixing leaks. Leaks waste water and can make your monthly water bill spike. The most common culprit is your toilet or dripping faucet. Even a small toilet leak can waste thousands of gallons of water. Visit ccwa.us to learn useful tips on finding and fixing leaks.

Household Hazardous Waste Collection DayCCWA hosts Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day in April to give Clayton County residents the chance to drop off a wide variety of items we often have stored somewhere around the house that have a detrimental effect on our environment. Items include: household paints, pesticides & herbicides, automotive and household batteries, motor oil, transmission fluid, antifreeze, fluorescent bulbs, fire extinguishers, over-the-counter and prescription medications. For more information, visit ccwa.us.

OUR FOCUS ON OUR CUSTOMERS AND COMMUNITY

National Drinking Water WeekCCWA celebrates National Drinking Water Week in May. An Open House is held at the Terry R. Hicks Water Production Plant to give customers a chance to take a behind the tap tour to learn how we produce reliable, safe drinking water. Along with tours, staff shares information on the value of tap water, Newman Wetlands Center, public recreation areas, and the importance of finding and fixing leaks. This event is great for scout groups, environmental clubs, students, families and anyone else who is interested in learning more about what goes on behind the tap. Learn more at ccwa.us.

Wetlands and Watershed FestivalCCWA hosts its Wetlands and Watershed Festival at the Newman Wetlands Center in October to give visitors a chance to enjoy nature while learning about our environment in a fun way. The festival features a wealth of activities for all ages to enjoy, including environmental exhibits & activities, guided trail hikes, live animal exhibits, children’s nature crafts, wetlands scavenger hunt…and more. Many watershed and environmental groups from Georgia and the southeast also participate in the festival. Learn more at ccwa.us.

AffordabilityCCWA offers Affordability Programs to help customers who find themselves facing a financial hardship. Our Hardship Assistance Program and Senior Citizen Discount Program are funded from cell tower revenue and our alliance partnership with Gas South. Our Hardship Assistance Program provides qualified customers up to $200 in assistance during a 12 month period. Our Senior Citizen Discount Program provides qualified seniors 65 or older with up to a $5 discount on their monthly bill ($2.50 off water and $2.50 off sewer). Both programs are administered by Clayton County Community Services Authority. Learn more at ccwa.us

Tap on the Go

As water professionals, we want our customers to trust that their tap water is safe. Our Tap on the Go team participates in community events so we can educate customers about their tap water and what goes on behind the scenes to produce reliable, safe drinking water. If you see our big, blue water tank, stop by to say hello. Learn more at ccwa.us.

Social Media

CCWA uses Facebook as a communication tool to educate customers and stakeholders about our operations, our Newman Wetlands Center and our Small Local Business Enterprise Program. Find us on Facebook @ClaytonCountyWater, @newmanwetlandscenter, and @ccwaslbe. Find us on Instagram @newmanwetlandscenter and

Twitter @claytoncountywaterauthorityslbe.

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Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs) are costly and harmful to the environment. They are an issue that all utilities have to deal with and continuously work to prevent. In 2017, CCWA’s Distribution & Conveyance staff started using SmartCover® Systems™ to monitor the flows in our sanitary sewer system to the prevent sanitary sewer overflows (SSO’s). SmartCover Systems continuously monitor the water level in a sanitary sewer manhole through a satellite communication network that provides maintenance staff real time information. This especially helpful during heavy rain events when sewer flows rise quickly. The SmartCovers are located in six (6) locations in Clayton County in difficult to reach areas, such as behind apartments complexes, sewer outfall lines and creek crossings, that have a history of SSOs. With a quick login, staff can monitor the covers via laptop, tablet or cellphone using a graph of the current water levels in each manhole. When the cover reads a change in water level, it sends an alert via text or email to alert Conveyance staff. This innovative technology helps prevent SSO’s before they occur, protecting the environment and saving CCWA maintenance costs.

SmartCover® Systems™ Help Prevent Sanitary Sewer Overflows

Innovative Water Reuse Program: The History Behind CCWA’s Sustainability Practices

Clayton County is divided by the sub continental divide and lies in the upper part of the Flint River Basin (which flows to the Gulf of Mexico) and the Ocmulgee River Basin (which flows to the Atlantic Ocean). The limited water resources available in the county have driven CCWA Management and Board of Directors to think outside the box and implement innovative approaches to water management as far back as the late 1950s.

In the 1970s, CCWA selected a spray irrigation Land Application System (LAS) as the preferred wastewater treatment method and constructed what at the time was the largest municipal spray irrigation system for treated wastewater in the United States. CCWA operated the LAS for almost 30 years.

During the development of CCWA’s 2000 Master Plan, constructed treatment wetlands were identified as the most reliable, sustainable option for both treatment and water supply augmentation. Constructed wetlands treatment is a natural process involving plants, soils and the bacteria naturally occurring within the aquatic ecosystem all playing a part in removing residual nutrients. These wetland systems provide filtration, plant uptake and an environment for microbial treatment of the water that flows through them. Constructed treatment wetlands have proven to require much less land, energy, and maintenance than the irrigation systems while continuing CCWA’s tradition of using natural systems for water reclamation.

INDUSTRY INNOVATION

Water Reclamation Facility

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From 2005 until 2010, the E.L. Huie Site in Jonesboro was converted from the aging LAS into a 532 acre constructed treatment wetlands site. The project was completed in four phases and was funded through a combination of municipal bonds, a GEFA loan and designated funds from CCWA. The site has 263 wetted acres and is currently designed to treat up to 17.4 Million Gallons per Day (MGD), which is almost all of the current daily flow from the W.B. Casey Water Reclamation Facility.

The transition from irrigation to wetlands has also resulted in significant energy savings due to reduced pumping. Rather than maintaining numerous valves, pumps and miles of irrigation pipes, routine maintenance now consists primarily of vegetation management. This fundamental change has enabled CCWA to decrease the maintenance staff through attrition. The operation used to require 100 to 150 acres of land for 1 MGD of treatment by irrigation, but now only needs 20 to 25 acres for wetlands treatment.

The constructed wetlands allow CCWA to increase its wastewater treatment capacity, while dropping the costs incurred in the process. The cost to build wastewater facilities using constructed wetlands is $4.73 a gallon, compared to nearly $10 a gallon using the more conventional methods.

CCWA is one of the few metropolitan water utilities in the country utilizing constructed treatment wetlands as a final treatment stage of water reclamation. By using constructed treatment wetlands to recharge our water supply, CCWA has developed a truly sustainable water supply. This innovative approach garners industry attention throughout the U.S., and the world, as peers look to Clayton County to learn more about our sustainability practices.

INDUSTRY INNOVATIONE.L. HUIE JR. CONSTRUCTED TREATMENT WETLANDS

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Innovation Team

Innovation is what sets CCWA apart from most other water utilities. General Manager P. Michael Thomas formed an Innovation Team of employees from across the company in January 2017 to help identify and implement innovative processes, equipment and projects so that we can be true to our vision of ‘Utilizing Innovation to Provide Industry Leading Service For Our Community’.

The team focuses on building a culture at CCWA that encourages and rewards innovation; increasing employee buy-in for new ideas and processes; identifying innovative technologies, equipment, and processes; and adapting to our rapidly changing world and developing processes – financing, evaluation, testing, and deployment.

2017 was a busy year as they worked on the following projects:

• Solar Energy Procurement Agreement • Energy Conservation and Management • LED lighting retrofits • Energy Star Program • Water Meter Data Analytics • Community Fats, Oils, & Grease (FOG) Recycling Program • Satellite Leak Detection • Hydropower Generation within our conveyance infrastructure • Innovation Program Framework (Operating Manual) • Smart Covers in Wastewater Conveyance

INDUSTRY INNOVATION ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

CCWA relies on 10-year Strategic Master Plans to set its priorities for meeting the community’s needs in a cost effective way in its ongoing effort to be an industry-leading utility. The 2010 plan, reviewed and updated in 2015, identified managing aging, underground infrastructure, such as wastewater collection pipes, cost effectively as a challenge to be addressed.CCWA launched Project PipeFix in late 2015. This long-term program to renew the large pipes known as outfalls throughout the wastewater collection system. The effort will be completed in numerous phases across the county. The Flint River Outfall Replacement is just one of these projects.

The Flint River Outfall Replacement Project is the first to take place in Project PipeFix since the pipe is the oldest in our system. Outfalls range from 18 inches in diameter to 60 inches and form the backbone of the wastewater collection system. Smaller sewer pipes that serve neighborhoods and business districts feed into outfalls which then carry the wastewater to one of CCWA’s water reclamation facilities.

The entire Flint River Outfall is 10 miles long and is one of the oldest and dates back to the 1950s. This outfall is being replaced in phases. CCWA’s contractor is installing a new 60-inch line made of more advanced, corrosion resistant materials. The new line replaces the current 24-inch and 48-inch lines. The 24-inch line will be removed to make room for the 60-inch line. The 48-inch line will be “abandoned in place.” Leaving out-of-service lines in-ground minimizes the need for new easements from property owners.

Phase 1a renewed 4,300 feet of pipe in 2016 starting at our W.B. Casey Water Reclamation Facility on Flint River Road for a total cost of $4.7 million. Phase 1b continued the project another 10,300 feet along the Flint River to Hwy. 138. This section cost a total of $6.3 million. Work on Phase 2 begins in early 2018 renewing 12,200 feet of pipe up to Valley Hill Road and will cost a projected $8.4 million. Phase 3 will run from Valley Hill Road to Southern Regional Medical Center, and will be completed by 2020.

Project Pipefix: Flint River Outfall Replacement Project

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Since 1960, CCWA has developed 10-year master plans to identify regulatory challenges, growth drivers and the infrastructure needed to respond to these conditions. In response to a decrease in growth following the rapid growth of the 1990s, the development of another 10-year capital plan was not enough.

In 2010, CCWA developed its first Strategic Master Plan (SMP). The change in our operating environment required that Authority to be more efficient and disciplined, not only in its operations, but also in how it prioritized its operating activities and capital projects or programs. The first step in this process was to identify the major operational components or attributes that are required for our utility to effectively, efficiently and economically provide water, wastewater and stormwater services to our customers. From this effort emerged our strategic goals that provide the impetus for CCWA to address it challenges, improve its performance and continue its success. CCWA maintains the seven strategic goals first established in the Strategic Master Plan – Product Quality, Customer Satisfaction, Employee and Leadership Development, Operational Optimization/Resiliency, Financial Viability, Infrastructure Stability and Stakeholder Understanding, Support and Community Sustainability.

STRATEGIC MASTER PLANNING

The SMP is a framework with tools for planning, managing and evaluating Authority-wide performance. It takes into account the long-term economic, environmental and social impacts – the triple bottom line – of CCWA’s business activities. It also provides a design template to guide services, projects, and operations for CCWA’s departments and budget units. Five year updates are done for each plan. A few of the current projects center around improvements to our water treatment plants and water distribution system, including:

These capital projects include work done at our three water production facilities and improving water quality in the reservoirs that supply these water plants. The Reservoir Control project is funded by the FY 2017 – 2018 budget and will cost $2.5 million. The initiative includes an oxygenation system for the Shamrock Reservoir. All of these items are to improve the raw water quality of these two reservoirs, which improves the quality of water we distribute to our customers.

This program focuses on the systematic replacement of 2-inch galvanized water mains with 8-inch water lines to improve water quality and fire protection. The affected areas of water distribution system targeted for water main replacements are the areas with the majority of water leakage and water quality complaints as well as fire hydrant spacing. The planning level estimated cost of this program is $35 million over a total of 28 years. The annual budget for Galvanized Watermain Replacement is $1.25 million, which will keep one crew busy 52 weeks a year and replaces about 2.4 miles of pipe. This project helps reduce water quality issues associated with the galvanized pipe.

A primary focus for the Authority over the next several years will be on its conveyance system. The estimated cost of all 10 projects affiliated with this outfall replacement is $57.9 million. Started in FY 2015 -2016, construction will span several years. Phases 1a and 1b are completed and a $25 million Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan approved by the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority in January 2017 will be used to assist with the funding of projects 3 through 6 of the 10-project rehabilitation program. This project helps reduce the likelihood of sanitary sewer overflows, which are costly and harmful to the environment. See page 13 for details on Project Pipefix.

WATER PRODUCTION FACILITIES IMPROVEMENTS

GALVANIZED WATERMAIN REPLACEMENTS

LARGE SEWER INTERCEPTOR REHABILITATION

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FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP

By charging customers rates and fees sufficient to cover the cost of the services provided, CCWA operates its two enterprise funds like a typical business without the support of tax dollars.

The Water and Sewer Fund has an annual budget of $100.2 million and utilizes $490 million of infrastructure to provide water and sewer services to more than 80,000 customers. The Stormwater Fund has an annual budget of $9.7 million and maintains $45 million of stormwater infrastructure for over 79,000 customers.

In addition, the revenue bonds that have been issued by the CCWA have been assigned an “AA+” (double A plus) bond rating by the major rating agencies. Bonds rated “AA+” are high quality and further support the Authority’s sound financial position as a public water utility.

DeKalb County

Douglas County

Rockdale County

Henry County

Average

Cherokee County

Fayette County

Fulton County

Clayton County

Cobb County $41.49

$47.27

$47.44

$47.69

$48.20

$58.74

$62.94

$68.04

$68.56

$70.76

$73.48

Douglas County

Financial Summary

TAP WATER IN PERSPECTIVE

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Small Local Business Enterprise ProgramCCWA is committed to actively seeking to do business with firms that are certified as small local businesses in Clayton County and the surrounding 10 counties which includes Cherokee, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Rockdale, and Spalding through its Small Local Business Program (SLBE).

During calendar year 2017, CCWA spent a little more than $6.3 million with 42 of the 153 certified firms. For a program that has only offered SLBE incentives for two years, we have made great strides in a short amount of time. However, there is more to accomplish. CCWA’s SLBE program hosts regular informational workshops and specialty workshops on a variety of topics of interest to small businesses. It also hosts a Small Business Expo in September and a Social Business Mixer in November.

To learn more about CCWA procurement opportunities and our Small Local Business Enterprise program, visit ccwa.us

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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT | CCWA AMBASSADORS – 2017 HIGHLIGHTSDuring 2017, 133 Ambassadors participated in 46 outreach events reaching 12,235 members of our community. Whether it is a career day at a local school or volunteering at our Wetlands & Watershed Festival, or another community event, our Ambassadors enjoy being part of our community. If you see us at an event, please stop by and say hello.

1600 BATTLE CREEK ROAD MORROW, GA 30260 // CUSTOMER SERVICE 770.960.5200 // WWW.CCWA.US