February 2024
ON GOOD AUTHORITY Monthly Newsletter for Employees & Families of the Western Virginia Water Authority
Service Awards Luncheon The Authority enjoyed the opportunity to honor some of its employees at the Annual Service Awards Luncheon, held at the Berglund Center on Thursday, January 25. Employees from across the Authority enjoyed lunch and a ceremony that recognized the accomplishments and years of service of over 40 employees. In 2023, the Authority received several awards. Finance received two awards from the Government Finance Officers Association: the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the FY 2023 budget, as well as the Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting. The Carvins Cove Plant was awarded the VDHODW 2023 Gold Performance Award for Excellence in Operations. The Water Pollution Control Plant was named a Utility of the Future Today for its Energy Generation and Recovery Efforts with the RNG/biogas project. Field Operations represented well at both the Equipment and Distribution rodeos, with many Top 10 placements and Mike Mills and Chuck Hartless both earning first place distinctions. At WaterJAM, the following employees were recognized: Lacy Burnette (5-S Society inductee), Chris Carey (Herb W. Evans Distinguished Service Award), Chris Carey, Brian Whiteneck, and Lilly Meighan (VA AWWA board leaders), Daniel Buchanan (Operator Short School Scholarship), and Lisa Workman, Chris Carey, and Louis Morgan (VA AWWA-VWEA Leadership Academy graduates).
Congratulations! 35 Years Jeff King 30 Years John Tinsley 25 Years Jamie Morris Keith White Cassie Altice 20 Years Cathy Holland
Chili COOK OFF
Myles Dooley 2024 Chili Cookoff Winner Special thanks to everyone who participated and especially to Jason Witt for creating such an awesome trophy!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Upcoming Dates
Feb 1 - Mar 1: Black History Month Feb 9 - VA AWWA Family Hockey Night Feb 11: Women in Science Day Feb 14: Valentine's Day Feb 17: Historic Gainsboro Tour Feb 19: Presidents' Day (Floating Holiday)
Dalton Hall
Earned his Class IV Wastewater Operators License
Historic Gainsboro Employee Tour
Saturday, February 17
This tour will introduce you to Roanoke’s historic Gainsboro neighborhood, a predominantly black enclave where residents built a community that included selfsufficient businesses, medical offices & facilities, churches, schools, and a vibrant center of Black culture and commerce in the American south. It’s been described as “Roanoke’s Black Wall Street.” (Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge) Jordan Bell, neighborhood resident, will be leading a tour for our employees on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 11:00 AM. We will follow the tour with lunch at a local black-owned restaurant (location TBD). The cost is $10 per person. Contact Mackenzie Wilcox to sign up. mackenzie.wilcox@westernvawater.org
Refer a Friend! Employee Referral Bonus Structure Tier 1: An Employee who refers a candidate to the Water Authority and the candidate interviewed for a position will receive a $10 gift card from their choice of Wal-Mart, Lowe’s or Kroger.
Tier 2: If the candidate is hired by the Water Authority, the employee will receive an additional $150 after the candidate has worked a total of 160 hours (approximately 4 weeks).
Tier 3: If the candidate works for the Water Authority a total of 1040 hours (approximately six months), the employee will receive an additional $300.
Caruthers Named Assistant Director of Engineering The new year brought a new dynamic in the Engineering department, as Michelle Caruthers was officially named the Assistant Director of Engineering. Michelle said she is excited for the opportunity because she loves learning new things and working with new people. “We have a very talented and diverse team in Engineering Services, and I want to further strengthen our collaboration with other departments,” Michelle said when thinking about a future goal for the department.
Michelle Caruthers
Assistant Director of Engineering
Michelle joined the Water Authority in March 2022 as the Program Manager, Engineering and Capital Improvements, and facilitated the success of the Authority’s capital projects implementation. From October to December 2023, following organizational changes, Michelle accepted the position as Interim Assistant Director of Engineering and continued to consistently demonstrate strong engineering expertise and leadership, according to Tesha Okioga, Director of Engineering Services.
WOW Wednesdays Feb. 7 - HR/Recruitment & Retention March 6 - Biogas/RNG Project April 3 - Water Plant Processes
Tune in on WebEx at 11:30
FEBRUARY 2024
“Michelle facilitated success of the PE Pipeline Internship Program she developed, success with increasing our internal design deliverables, and success in renewing the Engineering Department collaboration with Field Operations for construction of internallydesigned projects,” added Tesha. “Beyond her selfdriven nature and attention to detail, Michelle brings over 17 years of experience, commitment to building others, initiative for collaboration, and drive for knowledge gain and sharing.“
NEWS STORIES
Wet Weather Helps Reservoir Levels Rise, Pumping Restart The active weather over the last month is making significant changes at the Authority’s reservoirs. After months of receding water lines at both Spring Hollow and Carvins Cove reservoirs, water levels are being replenished and pumping opportunities have increased. With a wet winter forecasted on prediction weather models, the Authority’s service area can likely expect this trend to continue.
Spring Hollow Reservoir
43.6 feet below full pond
Carvins Cove Boat Landing
feet below full pond
December 2023
feet below full pond
February 2024
December 2023
11.3
13.0
3.9 feet below full pond
February 2024
January’s total precipitation was 4.59 inches, considerably higher than the monthly average of 3.17 inches. The total precipitation for January of 2023 was 2.55 inches. Water harvesting has also resumed at some level, according to Scott Shirley, Chief Operating Officer for Water Quality. “Substantial gains have been made at Carvins Cove by permitting flow from Tinker and Catawba creeks through open tunnels into the reservoir. Stream flows in the Roanoke River remain higher, which is permitting water harvesting over multiple days for the Spring Hollow reservoir.” Once three consecutive months of testing data showed that the river was clear of GenX compound, pumping water from the Roanoke River into the Spring Hollow Reservoir resumed on July 24, 2023. This marked the first time since August 2022 that water from the river had been put into the reservoir.
Bulloss Named Duke Fellow and Assumes New Role Will Bulloss has changed roles at the Water Authority to become the Assistant Director of Strategy, Innovation, and Sustainability. He started at the Authority in 2019 as a Chief Engineer, a role that eventually led him to become the Assistant Director of Engineering. His new role will allow him to focus on strategic and capital planning, regional economic development, and legislative developments that affect the water industry. “I like being able to see all the departments across the board and all the good work that the Authority does,” Will said of his new responsibilities. “We are very forward thinking, and I enjoy that.” Executive Director Mike McEvoy stated that Will graciously agreed to take on these additional duties while continuing to assist with capital and financial planning. “Will’s efforts will help the Authority build stronger relationships with area local governments and continue to promote our core mission of regionalism, “ Mike added. Will was also recently selected as a 2024 Fellow of the Nicholas School for the Environment at Duke University’s Water Innovation Leadership Development (WILD) Environment+ program. Eighteen leaders from the water and wastewater utilities are chosen nationally to participate in the eight-month program. The program involves both online and in-person workshops and introduces new strategies for dealing with pressing issues facing the water services sector today.
FEBRUARY 2024
I like being able to see all the departments across the board and all the good work that the Authority does. -Will Bulloss
CORE VALUES & VALENTINES The value for February is: SCADA team
The service region for the Water Authority has continued to expand with treatment facilities and infrastructure across a significant amount of territory. The SCADA network designed and maintained by the SCADA team is essential for allowing other teams the ability to monitor and control these facilities efficiently and helps reduce the travel and manpower which would be required if we had to operate the system manually. The Authority has received feedback from a number of external sources complimenting the design and implementation of SCADA system as one of the better systems across our industry. Nominated by Scott Shirley
You’re one tall cup of water. Happy Valentine's Day
To:
From:
Jason Justice Jason has gone above and beyond to help our team coordinate events by connecting us with resources and personnel. Whether we need drivers for a parade, vehicles for a touch-a-truck event, or photos of FOPS crew members, he is always reliable. He's resourceful, a creative problem-solver and has saved our team a lot of time. We greatly appreciate working with him! Nominated by Public Relations
Kevin Thomasson Kevin leads a talented team of Maintenance Technicians and Electricians that consistently institute creative solutions to solve complex problems. Their ingenuity and thriftiness is apparent in the work they complete in supporting the Authority’s mission. He and his team truly are stewards of Authority assets.
Thanks for being a waterful friend! Happy Valentine's Day
To:
From:
Nominated by Roger Blankenship
Industrial Maintenance - All Team Members The Industrial Maintenance team is tasked with maintaining critical infrastructure and extending asset life. Our mission to protect the region’s water resources cannot be achieved without functional facilities, all of which are major investments by the community that have been entrusted to the Water Authority to manage. The entire Maintenance team has consistently maintained our infrastructure to a high standard. Nominated by Scott Shirley
My love for you is overflowing. Happy Valentine's Day
To:
From:
Katie Litteral Kate does an exceptional job at leading the team through all challenges and follow through of daily operations of the plant. She is decisive, open-minded, and innovative and also an active listener.
Nominated by Alexandra Lemire
Water Operations, Pumps & Storage, Field Operations Last year, the Authority produced 19.7 MGD of exceptional drinking water for the communities we serve. The teams directly associated with the treatment, storage, and delivery of safe drinking water make that level of service possible. Nominated by Scott Shirley
FEBRUARY 2024
Wastewater Operations Environmental Programs Community Systems The mission of the Western Virginia Water Authority is to protect and manage essential water resources through the delivery of quality water and wastewater service to our customers. Last year the Water Quality teams who are connected with wastewater treatment were able to remove 107,294 pounds of pollution per day to protect the region's water resources. Nominated by Scott Shirley