There is a saying to always “expect the unexpected”. This certainly holds true in the water and wastewater industry. Planning and preparation will often mitigate the risk of interruption and the severity of instances, but sometimes the best laid plans won’t prevent issues from occurring. In Hall County, Georgia, a recent event at the wastewater treatment facility could have taken a devastating turn if it weren’t for successful planning and preparation.
According to Josh VanHorn, State Director for Georgia, “I would like to recognize our Hall County Team for exemplary performance. Matt Collins (Project Manager) showed exceptional leadership during a major control system malfunction at the Hall County wastewater treatment facility. The control system that operates the plant had completely failed. Not only once, but twice in a short period of time. The second failure occurred for a lengthy amount of time which resulted in 24/7 manual operation of the plant for multiple days. Through Matt’s leadership, along with Cortney and Tyree’s unyielding support, the plant was able to remain on-line without resulting in any environmental compliance events. This was a large undertaking that required careful consideration to planning, resource management, and knowledge of wastewater treatment operation.”
