ON GOOD AUTHORITY
Monthly Newsletter for Employees & Families of the Western Virginia Water Authority
Bernard's Landing
Extending Water Service Connections at Smith Mountain Lake
Inthefallof2021,theAuthoritywascontactedbyBernard's Landing Comprehensive Property Owners Association (BLCPOA) to extend public water along Scruggs Road to serve their property and facilities. Located at Smith Mountain Lake, Bernard's Landing is a 70 acre mixed-use resort property consisting of residential, recreation, conferenceanddiningfacilities.
On March 20, the system went on-line. A valve turning ceremony was held March 30 to celebrate the new connection. Scott Kroll, Director of Infrastructure Development noted after the ceremony, "Our staff received numerous complements and accolades from the managementandresidentsofCompassCoveandBernard’s Landing throughout the project. In addition to extending our water main to serve those two developments, we also pickedupseveraladditionalnewcustomersalongtheway."
The installation of a new 8" water main to Bernard's was a true display of teamwork, one of our Core Values Staff from Engineering, Field Operations CIP crews, Water Operations and Water Distribution operations worked together closely and contributed to the success of this project.
"Once our water was connected to the Western VA Water Authority system, I noticed drastic improvements. It is life changing for me and my family!"
Upcoming Dates
April: Celebrate Diversity Month
April: National Dig Safely Month
April 17-21: National Work Zone Awareness Week
April 22: Earth Day
April 22: RX Takeback Day
April 25: National Plumbers Day
April 26: Administrative Professionals Day
April 26: Utility Rodeo at Berglund Center
April 2023
From left: Leana Stoltz (COO Customer Operations); Scott Kroll (Director Infrastructure Development); Bob Barbour (President, BLCPOA); Taft Beasley (Utility Construction Manager); Mike Thomas (General Manager, Bernard's Landing)
Mike Thomas General Manager, Bernard's Landing
Our Field Ops Crews are preparing for the Utility Rodeo at the Berglund Center on April 26th On April 5th, employees competed against each other for the opportunity to represent WVWA at the Rodeo.
When: Thursday, May 11 Gates open at 6:05 and game starts at 7:05
Cost: $10 per adult/$9 per child (12 and under) Includes seating along third base line and dinner at the pavilion
April is Celebrate Diversity Month. During this month we celebrate diversity in the workplace The Authority has a wide range of diverse talent Below are some statistics about the diversity in our workforce
The IDEA Team was formed in 2021 to put into action and strengthen inclusion, diversity and equity at Western Virginia Water Authority. You can help build diverse workplace by participating in one of our four committees: Governance, Recruitment/Retention, Special Events and Education/Training To get involved with the
Age 1 31 61 7 23 70 57 58 91 44 14 White86% Race Black8% Asian2% Other3% Hispanic1% Gender M a l e 2 2 % 78% F e m a l e JoinUsForVA-AWWA Family Baseball Night! APRIL 2023 WATER AUTHORITY NEWS Utility Rodeo CelebrateDiversityMonth WOW Wednesdays: Upcoming Presentations
online by May 5! vaawwa.org/events/2023salembaseball/
you
it? Find the recorded presentations
SharePoint
Links)! May 3: Dana Hargrove Engineering 101 Tuneinat11:30onWebEx June 14: Steve Nichols Fleet & Safety
Register
Did
miss
on
(Video
IDEA
team contact Neil Norris in HR X2957
Prescription DrugTake BackDay Saturday,April22nd 10:00am-2:00pm Visit: takethemback.org for a list of drop off locations April 26, 2023 at The Berglund Center
Spring Hollow Spring Hollow Reservoir Reservoir
When the Water Authority found the GenX compound in the Roanoke River this past August, we stopped pumping water from the river into the Spring Hollow Reservoir
Although current daily production is only about 4-million gallons per day, the reservoir level has dropped to about 28-feet below full pond It has been this low before - in 2008 and the late 1990s
We are closely monitoring the river and hope to start pumping GenX free water in late spring or early summer.
Customer Service
Our Customer Service team answers almost 6,600 calls a month! This past month, the team had a Call Answer Rate of 97% and an Average Wait Time of only 40 seconds As shown in the chart to the right, customers ask a variety of questions; however, our most common inquiry is about the balance due on an account.
Kayak
Rentals Are Back!
Leadership Academy Graduate Recognition
Happy Spring! Kayak rentals are available again at the Cove again Hours at the Carvins Cove Reservoir have been extended to 6:30am - 9:30pm for the season
WATER
NEWS APRIL
AUTHORITY
2023
Congratulations to our Trainer Robyn Tuck and all the Supervisors and Managers who completed the Authority's first Leadership Academy Program!
World Water Day
Making an Impact on Water Policies and Legislation
The Virginia Section AWWA celebrated World Water Day (March 22) on Capitol Hill, meeting with Virginia legislators about water sector issues. Michelle Caruthers (Engineering) met with five US congressional offices, including two representing the Authority’s service area: Ben Cline’s and Morgan Griffith’s congressional aides. Main topics of discussion were infrastructure funding, PFAS, source water protection, and cybersecurity. Both offices appeared very interested in supporting the water sector concerns.
The Virginia Section of the AWWA met with a total of 10 congressional offices.
Administrative Professionals Day
April 26 is Administrative Professionals Day. Thank you to our Administrative Professionals across the Water Authority for all they do!
Happy Happy Happy Retirement! Retirement! Retirement!
April17
Everyday is something different. I worked as a project manager for a private lab for 12 years before I started here. The Water Authority was one of my projects. A job came available, and here we are 17 years later.
Liz Smith Laboratory Analyst Spring Hollow
EMPLOYEE HIGHLIGHTS APRIL 2023
Above: Virginia Section AWWA members in front of The Capitol Building on March 22, 2023
Left: Michelle Caruthers meets with Ben Cline’s congressional aide.
From left: Kim Suiter (Botetourt), Gayle Shrewsbury (Admin), Andrea Cowden (WPCP), Tiffany Cumbee (Water Operations), Michelle Niday (Field Ops), Tammy Eaton (Field Ops), Rachel Taylor (Engineering), Mary Caldwell (Field Ops), Jennie Muhlena (HR), not pictured: Terri Bashlor
Expanding Your Virtual Care Options Find complete care support, on your time, through the Sydney Health app Urgent care support for health issues, such as allergies, a cold, or the flu. New prescriptions1 for concerns such as a cough or a sinus infection. Chat with a doctor 24/7 without an appointment APRIL 2023 WATER AUTHORITY NEWS HR Benefit Highlight Know Your Colors! April is National Dig Safe Month Contact VA811 before you dig MarkingColorCodes Summer Water Conservation Tips Summer Water Conservation Tips Water when it is cool outside Water when it is cool outside Water your lawn or garden before 10am or after 7pm when temperatures are cooler to minimize evaporation You want the water to soak into the ground – not get evaporated to the clouds! Don’t overwater your lawn Don’t overwater your lawn If you water your lawn (or other plants outdoors), it only needs 1 to 1 5 inches of water every week or two To measure one inch of water, set an empty tuna can on your lawn in the area where you are running a sprinkler. When it is full, you have watered one inch. Fix leaks in faucets and Fix leaks in faucets and outside spigots outside spigots At one drip per second, a faucet can leak 3,000 gallons of water per year. Fixing a leak can save you a lot of money!
