OWASA invests $10 million to save energy, enhance water quality andenhance odor control at the Mason Farm Wastewater Treatment Plant
You may notice chlorine taste and odor in our water inMarch and early April due to annual change in disinfection
• Reduceelectricityuseattheplantbyabout20%through useofmoreefficientequipmentforbiologicaltreatment. Theenergyefficienciesareconservativelyexpectedto saveabout$125,000annually.
• HelpmeetpendingStatestandardsfurtherlimiting nitrogenlevelsintreatedwastewater.
• Enhanceodorcontrolattheplant.Tenofthesixteen biologicaltreatmenttanksattheWWTPwillbecovered, andfoulairfromthetankswillgothroughcarbonfilters toremoveodor.Theodorcontrolimprovementsare thelatestphaseofworkbasedonourgoalof eliminatingoff-siteodorfromtheWWTP.Operating costsoftheodorcontrolimprovementswilloffsetsome oftheenergysavingsnotedabove.
InMarch,wewillusechlorineinsteadofchloraminestodisinfectourdrinkingwater.
ChloraminesareacompoundofchlorineandammoniawhichOWASAhasusedsince2002fordisinfectioninmonthsotherthan
Apublic,non-profitagencyprovidingwater,sewer&reclaimedwaterservicestotheCarrboro-ChapelHillcommunity.
NewsletteroftheOrangeWaterandSewerAuthority|February-March,2013|Volume22,Number1
CONTACT US
Orange Water and Sewer Authority400JonesFerryRoadCarrboro,NC27510
Customer Service phone and email:[email protected]
Office Hours: 8AMto5PM,Mon-Fri
Emergencies and Main Office phone:919.968.4421www.owasa.org
Thiswinter,acontractorwillbeginworkon$10 millionofimprovementsatourMasonFarmWastewaterTreatmentPlant(WWTP)nearFinleyGolfCourseinsoutheastChapelHill.Theprojectwill:
“This is one of our largest capital investment projects, and it will bring multiple benefits in future decades in terms of cost and greenhouse gas reductions, excellent quality of the treated water that we recycle at Morgan Creek, and being a good neighbor,”saidJohn Kiviniemi,our Wastewater Treatment and Biosolids Recycling Manager (at left in the photo above with Todd Norman, Operations Supervisor).
March.Disinfectionwithchloramineshasimprovedtheoverallqualityofourwateranditstasteandodor.However,theStaterequiresustouseonlychlorinefordisinfectiononemonthperyeartoensureahighlevelofdisinfectioninourwatersystem.Toremovechlorinefromourwater,youcan:• Filterthewaterwithactivatedcarbon.Waterpitcherswithactivatedcarbon filtersaresoldlocally.• Letwatersitforadayorso.(Wesuggestkeepingthewaterinanopencontainer storedinarefrigerator.)• Boilthewaterforoneminutetoevaporatethechlorine.• Addafewlemonslicestoapitcherofwater.Thelemonhasascorbicacid,which neutralizesthechlorine.(continued on back)
Español EsteboletíninformativocontieneinformaciónsobrelosserviciosdeaguayalcantarilladodeOWASA.Paraobtenerunatraducción,porfavorllameal919.537.4221omandeuncorreoelectrónicoa:[email protected].¡Muchasgracias!
Stephen Dear tooktheoathofofficeasamemberoftheOWASABoardinJuly,2012asaCarrboroappointee.
Mr.DearhasbeentheExecutiveDirectorofPeopleofFaithAgainsttheDeathPenalty,anationalorganizationbasedinCarrboro,sinceAugust,1997.From1990to1995,hewastheExecutiveDirectoroftheNCRuralCommunitiesAssistanceProject,whichprovidestechnicalassistanceandorganizingservicestosmallcommunitiesacrossNorthCarolinaonwaterandwastewaterissues.
Stephenhasalsoworkedasawriter,servedinthePeaceCorpsandinternedinRalphNader’sofficeattheCenterfortheStudyofResponsiveLaw.HereceivedaBachelor’sdegreeinpoliticalsciencein1985fromtheUniversityofRichmond,andaMaster’sdegreeininternationalstudiesfromClaremont(California)GraduateUniversityin1989.
Michael Hughes, P.E.,beganservingontheOWASABoardinAugust,2012asanOrangeCountyappointee.
MichaelisemployedasAssistantEngineeringManagerwiththeCityofDurham.Mr.HugheshasservedastheDesignGroupSupervisorwiththeDurhamPublicWorksDepartment;theManagingPartnerforhisengineeringandlandsurveyingfirm;SeniorProjectManagerfortwolargeengineeringfirms;andasofficer,directorandshareholderinlanddevelopmentcompanies.Hehassuccessfullymanagedcomplexprojectsandbudgetsandastaffofasmanyas25personnelaswellassubconsultants.
Hehasbachelor’sandmaster’sdegreesincivilengineering.Mr.HugheshaslivedinOrangeCountysince1989.
Stephen Dear, Michael Hughes appointed to OWASA Board
OWASA has begun to use the social medium Twitter as an additional way to provide information to citizens. To follow OWASA, click on the Twitter logo at the bottom right of our homepage,www.owasa.org.
OWASA begins use of Twitter
Go Green! (paperless)
You may notice chlorine...(continued from cover)
OWASAcrewswillreleasewaterfromvariousfirehydrantsonMarch1st.Thepurposeofthis“flushing”ofwaterpipesistoensurethatwaterwithchlorinegoesthroughtheentirewatersystem.
Theflushingofwatermainsmaycausesomediscolorationofourwaterbecausenon-toxicsedimentinourwaterpipesmaybestirredup.Toclearupthewater,pleaseruncoldwaterthroughabathtubfaucet,etc.for5to10minutes.Ifthediscolorationdoesnotclearup,pleasecontactusat919.968.4421.
Tip! Toreceiveourelectronicnewsreleases,pleasesendanoteto [email protected].
Tochoosepaperlessbilling,pleasegotoourwebsite,www.owasa.org,clickonMANAGEMYACCOUNT,register(ifyouhavenotalready)orsign-in,andselectE-BillingunderthePreferencestab.
ThefirsttimeyouvisitManage My Account,youwillneedtoregisterwithyour6-digitcustomernumber,whichisprintedonOWASAbills.
Eachmonth,youwillreceiveane-mailnoticefromowasa@owasa.orgthatyourbillisreadytoviewonourwebsite.(Youmayneedtoadjustyourspamfiltertoreceiveelectronicbillnoticesfromowasa@owasa.org.)
PleasecallOWASACustomerServiceat919.537.4343orsendane-mailtocustomerservice@owasa.orgifyouhaveanyquestionsorneedhelp.
Ouron-lineaccountinformationincludes: •currentbalance, • theduedateforthenextpayment, •currentandpastbillsviewableintheformatofour paperbills, •water/seweruseandbillinghistory, •e-mailconfirmationofpaymentsand •billsforOWASAserviceatpastaddresses.
