On Good Authority
NEWSLETTER Teamwork in ACTION On July 11th, crews responded to a water main break at Westbound Orange Avenue and Gus Nicks Boulevard. This break involved many departments. Water Operators responded to the main break, setting up temporary traffic diversion, valving off the water main, and pinpointing the leak. Water/Sewer construction crews started to work on excavation and repair of the water main. These crews worked around the clock to regain service for the customers. Also during the beginning of the excavation, Sewer PM group investigated the condition of the very close sewer main to check for any damage caused by the main break.
July/August, 2022
Happy 18th! July 1st the Western Virginia Water Authority celebrated 18 years of service to our customers. When formed on July 1, 2004, we provided water and wastewater service to customers in the City of Roanoke and Roanoke County. Franklin County joined in 2009, and Botetourt County joined in 2015. This past year, the Town of Boones Mill customers began receiving service from the Authority, and on July 1, 2022, we welcomed over 5,000 new customers from the Town of Vinton. Thank you to our employees for serving our community with excellence!
Vinton!
Our Restoration/Rehabilitation group worked to complete the compaction and paving of the street, along with working with contractors to repair the concrete damaged during the break. "This break and the previous break earlier this year at the same intersection were both team efforts. If this was to happen again next week we could count on the crews to do it all over again," said John Frashure, Field Operations Sewer Manager. The Engineering team is finalizing design work to replace this section of 1950s-era pipe as part of the FY23 Capital Improvement Plan. This is a great example of TEAMWORK in action! Photo from our ceremonial valve turning event on June 7. (thank you WPC Maintenance for the special valve!)
"Some guys came out and my water is back on! They explained what the issue was and why it took a little longer for my water to come through. I live on a hill... Your employees were very helpful and excellent at explaining what the issue was. Thank you!" Mercedes
12" Water main break at westbound Orange Ave and Gus Nicks Blvd. July 11, 2022
A newsletter for the employees and family members of the Western Virginia Water Authority
We would like officially to welcome the Town of Vinton to the Western Virginia Water Authority! We'd like to thank Town of Vinton leadership for their efforts in this transition and all Authority staff who have worked very hard to make this transition a success, and we look forward to the continued growth of this community. “Being a regional leader is one of the four points in our vision statement” said Mike McEvoy. “By working together, we create a stronger utility system that benefits all our customers and economic development opportunities.”
AWARDS & RECOGNITION The Core Values of the Western Virginia Water Authority are STAIRS that guide and direct the organization and culture.
The value for July/August is:
Employees Nominated for Teamwork Tammy Eaton
Terri Love
David McGhee
"Tammy shines everyday with her interaction with all divisions of Water Quality. Her devotion to the WVWA and it's employees is exemplified through her hard work and willingness to help anyone out with questions they may have from timesheets to finance. Tammy's positive attitude is infectious and goes a long way in boosting the morale of the Water Quality teams!"
"Terri has been integral to the collaboration and communication between the Authority's teams, the Engineer RK&K and the Contractor MEB on our RRWPCP Digester Upgrade Project. Her dedication to the success of the project is shown in her daily interactions with each stakeholder, as well as her presence on site even on nights and weekends. If there is work occurring, Terri is there." Nominated by Dana Hargrove
"There is no task too tall for Mr. McGhee. In his short time as OTS Coordinator, Dave can be seen around the WPCP working with new and veteran operators, as well as members of the WPCP Maintenance division. Dave is quick to jump in and help with any task at hand and does not miss an opportunity to teach and educate his coworkers."
Nominated by Lacy Burnette
Nominated by Lacy Burnette
Jennie Muhlena
Francie Dobbins
Kevin Thomasson
"Jennie is the glue to the HR department. She is pulled in many directions on a daily basis and handles her job with professionalism and with a calm and effective manner. She researches something if she does not understand it to make the best decisions for the issue she is dealing with or she ask questions to help her. She is always going above and beyond. She is definitely an asset to the Human Resources Department and is appreciated everyday."
"Maintenance can be an "unsung" hero within our overall operations, but they are a fundamental and critical element to the success of the organization. Kevin has initiated multiple improvements since taking over as Maintenance Manager to enhance interactions with all the divisions which are supported by Maintenance. Kevin's knowledge and professionalism have been regularly commented upon across numerous departments in the organization."
Nominated by Ragena Jordan
"Francie goes above and beyond every day to make sure the team's deadlines are met. She happily volunteers for extra assignments. Each day, when Francie completes her assigned work, she comes to me and asks "what can I do to help?" or "can I take something off of your plate?" Throughout the Vinton conversion, Francie met every assignment, test, and crisis with a smile on her face and a bounce in her step. Every day, when asked to help with something, or take on extra work, Francie's response is ALWAYS "Happy to!" Nominated by Erin Varner
Logan Stanley
Dana Hargrove
Lane Cook
"I think Logan embodies teamwork because he is flexible within the Water Quality team. He can be sent different tasks each day within the department and they are completed as asked. Examples would include: building a new DMA vault one day, and then putting a well in service the next day. The third day he could be responsible for responding to water quality complaints."
"Since joining the Authority, Dana has been engaged with virtually every department in the organization. There are regular requests for Dana to participate/be engaged with cross functional teams within the organization. Her enthusiasm for utilities and the environment have been a significant influence on a number of other employees in the organization. "
Nominated by Wesley Palmer
Nominated by Scott Shirley
"Lane Cook has been working with our department on a number of different projects. He has made educating his coworkers a priority by helping to create training videos for specialty equipment. You can tell that he puts his team and safety first and is very dedicated to the work he does. We always learn something new after talking to Lane. We look forward to creating more projects with him and his team!"
Nominated by Scott Shirley
Nominated by Public Relations
Groundwater Team Trainees: Cameron Preast, Christen Cook, Dashaun Webb, and Alec Theodor "These four have advanced through their training at an unbelievable pace, working together almost daily. I have observed them work together using a groupchat amongst themselves, and fellow Operators to solve daily problems in the field and in the Treatment Plants. They regularly worked on homework together in the mornings and afternoons in our office. Over the course of this past year, all four have passed licensure exams, and Cameron, having passed his Class 3, and Class 2, is now waiting for the results of his Class 1 exam. If anyone in this organization is paying any attention at all to anything this is who will be running the Treatment Plants in about 5 years or LESS. " Nominated by Gregory Honeycutt
Want to nominate a coworker? Visit www.westernvawater.org/corevalue
JULY/AUGUST 2022
Teamwork to cooperate, collaborate and communicate as one inclusive team to achieve shared goals and outcomes.
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
OUR MISSION IS CLEAR Thank you to the Team! "Wonderful (Job Fair) event yesterday both in terms of attendance and applications but also everyone working together to support the event. I loved the energy and atmosphere." - Mike McEvoy "Just wanted to thank you for cutting off my water because of a water leak at my house at 395 Constitution Blvd. last Friday. If it had continued until I got home about 3:00 pm there would have been much greater damage. Thank you so much." - Customer Russell C. "Without a doubt, connecting the water systems just a couple of weeks prior made it possible for Fire & Rescue to have a steady supply of water, enabling them to work as long as needed to put out the fire (in downtown Vinton)." - Roanoke County Public Information Office
Here is visual representation of what you had to say about our employees who exhibit TEAMWORK in the workplace
LICENSURES
Dashaun Webb Earned his Class IV Water Operator License
Christen Cook Earned her Class IV Water Operator License
Alec Theodor Earned his Class IV Water Operator License
Adrian Green Earned his Class IV Water Operator License
Congratulations to our water operators on their recent licensures! JULY/AUGUST 2022
Steve White Earned his Class IV Water Operator License
Job Fair Recap
Our June 23rd Job Fair was a great success. We had 54 people attend our event where we had games, food, and on-site interviews. Over 24 guests have applied so far, and 12 have already started careers with us. We are thrilled to have new members join our team from this event.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Get Involved - Have Some Fun!
Thank you to our staff for taking the time to volunteer and share your knowledge with applicants. It couldn't have happened without you!
Relay for Life Night Fishing Tournament On June 10 at Carvins Cove Reservoir, there were a total of 27 boats that participated in the event to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Erika Hoffman, Travis Lane, and Scot Sutherland helped run the event and are pictured below. On Sunday, June 5, WVWA volunteers arrived at Carvins Cove Reservoir at 3:00 AM to help with the swim portion of the IRONMAN 70.3 Triathlon. The Cove welcomed 1,800 athletes from all over the world to compete in the 1.2 mile swim in the reservoir. Volunteers from the Water Authority organized the athlete's morning clothes by race number and loaded them into a truck to be taken to the finish line at River's Edge Sports Complex. One athlete commented on Facebook, "You guys did an amazing job and what a beautiful place to swim. Thank you!"
UPCOMING UNITED WAY GOLF TOURNAMENT Saturday, August 6th at Blue Hills Golf Club Food will begin at 11-11:30AM Shotgun Start at 1:30pm $70 per person ($280 per team) which includes fees, lunch, and drink tickets. Volunteers welcome! All proceeds benefit United Way of the Roanoke Valley To sign up, contact Tammy Eaton: tammy.eaton@westernvawater.org
CELEBRATING 1 YEAR You're invited to an employee cookout in October. Come celebrate with the IDEA team and get involved! More details to come. IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Action) groups are meeting monthly. The four focus groups are: Governance, Recruitment & Retention, Special Events and Education & Training. If you would like to attend one or more group meetings, please contact Neil Norris ext. 2957.
JULY/AUGUST 2022
JULY/AUGUST 2022
BEHIND THE SCENES SPRING HOLLOW LAB TECHNICIANS
MEET THE TECHS Meet Liz and Bri, our Laboratory Analysts at the Spring Hollow Water Treatment Plant. They each collect over 90 samples of water each month to ensure safe drinking water for our community. These samples are taken at residential homes, business, reservoirs, pump stations, water towers and more! For these Techs, this job is much more than just working in a laboratory setting. "Every day is something different. You never know what you are going to have to do for the coming day," shared Liz. "This job is a lot of fun! If you like an adventure and learning something new then this is the job for you," said Brianna.
Brianna Charlton (Water Operator/Lab Analyst) testing for chlorine content at the Green Ridge Water Tank.
WHAT DOES THE LAB TEST FOR? Our Laboratory Techs regularly test for chlorine, E. coli, total coliform bacteria, turbidity (water clarity), pH and orthophosphate (a chemical used in our water treatment to prevent corrosion of pipes). Thanks for keeping our water clean! Elizabeth (Liz) Smith (Lab Analyst II) looking at water samples at the Spring Hollow Laboratory.
Our 2022 Water Quality Report is available online at www.westernvawater.org/waterquality
Summer Water Conservation Tips WATERING TIMES
DON'T OVER WATER!
Water your lawn during cooler parts of the day (before 10am and after 7pm) to get the most out of lawn watering. ⠀
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.
JULY/AUGUST 2022
Photo Gallery
Send your photos and video ideas to Laura Shirmer or Jeffy Ceresnie in Public Relations
A photo may be worth a 1,000 words, Engaged employees are worth 1,000 smiles!