Water splashing on the Bay of Green Bay

E-News from NEW Water (Q1 2014)

March 28, 2014

Q1 2014 The Wave Newsletter

Charlie Frisk - NEW Watershed Champion 2014

Congratulations Charlie Frisk! 

Congratulations Charlie Frisk, the "NEW Watershed Champion" for 2014! This extraordinary educator led students and community efforts to revive Baird Creek, which is quickly becoming one of the Midwest's preeminent urban parks. NEW Water and the Green Bay Water Utility launched the award as part of its first annual World Water Day event. Brown County Executive, Troy Streckenbach, and Green Bay Mayor, Jim Schmitt, also were awarded with certificates of appreciation for their water quality improvement efforts. 

2014 World Water Day


  

For Love Your Pipes PageCan the wipes!

Many products are labeled "flushable," such as sanitary wipes - but they actually can clog up homeowner pipes, and create costly problems for sewerage districts. Please don't flush these!

Learn More



Congratulations, Industrial Achievement Award winners!

NEW Water congratulates all businesses that were in compliance with wastewater discharge standards for 2013! Under Wisconsin State Statutes, NEW Water issues permits to Significant Industrial Users (SIUs) to ensure that environmental regulations are met. Consistent permit compliance ensures the protection of the local waterways and the environment.

Winners are:
  • 2013 Gold Award: Akzo Nobel Performance Chemicals, Expera Specialty Solutions, Georgia-Pacific Landfill, Green Bay Embossing, Green Bay Nonwovens-Plant 1, Green Bay Nonwovens-Plant 2, Industrial Engraving and Manufacturing, Omnova Solutions, Proactive Solutions, U.S. Paper Mills-Sonoco, Ultra Plating Corporation, WPI
  • 2013 Gold Zero Discharger Award: Green Bay Packaging-Mill Division
  • 2013 Silver Award: Austin Straubel International Airport, Bay Towel, Green Bay Anodizing, KI, Klemm Tank Lines, The Medalcraft Mint, Procter & Gamble Paper Products Company, Scott's Industrial Coatings-Velp, Tosca Services, Valley Planting of Green Bay
  • 2013 Silver Zero Discharger Award: MECA & Technology Machine.

For more information about NEW Water's Pretreatment Program, read more here.

 

R2E2 project

R2E2 update

NEW Water has awarded a $6.2 million contract to Miron Construction for the primary switch gear, and the utility relocation for the new solids handling facility - Resource Recovery and Electrical Energy, otherwise known as R2E2.

The "primary switch gear" is a breaker system used to receive power from the power company, and distribute to the four area substations within the NEW Water plant. "Utility relocation" means that the sanitary sewers, storm sewers, underground cabling, gas lines, and potable water pipes will be moved from the site where the new facility will be constructed.

Also new with R2E2 is that the first set of drawings for the fluidized bed incineration system have been received; 30% of the drawings for the digestion and solids facilities' designs have been received - with 60% of those expected over the next couple of months.

NEW Water has submitted construction and air permits to the DNR for their review and public hearing.

R2E2's groundbreaking is expected within the next couple of months. Stay tuned!

 

Bay Water Quality

"State of the Bay" report

What's the health of the bay of Green Bay? The report card grade would be about a C-, scientists say. University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute released the "State of the Bay" report, using data collected by NEW Water's Ambient Water Quality Monitoring Program.


 

Tracking the dead zoneTackling Green Bay's "Dead Zone" 

Excessive phosphorus in our waterways has led to algal blooms, and a "dead zone" devoid of oxygen in the Bay - NEW Water is chipping in to tackle the problem through an Adaptive Management phosphorus reduction pilot project in Silver Creek. Due to stricter regulations on phosphorus, NEW Water is forging new partnerships in the community to address this issue for the lowest possible cost. Phosphorus reduction requires a broad team effort from municipalities, agriculture, industry, and wastewater treatment entities. Read more about the project.

Learn more

 


 

Around the clockBrrrr!

Record colds and arctic blasts this winter in Green Bay have not deterred NEW Water from working 'round the clock to ensure continuous service for our community. Icy temperatures have caused machinery to get iced over. As part of the water treatment process, water is ushered through a series of basins, like giant swimming pools holding well over 1 million gallons each; each basin has a "collector arm" - kind of like giant windshield wiper - that rotates around the basin, filtering the top layer of "scum" into a "scum trough". As these items have iced up, staff has been outside manually chipping ice day and night to ensure the equipment can run.


 

State Operations Award logoOperations Award for Bruce Bartel and NEW Water

NEW Water Treatment Manager, Bruce Bartel, and the NEW Water staff, have been awarded with the Operations Award 2014 from the Central States Water Environment Federation, Wisconsin Section.

"Your ongoing commitment to the protection and improvement of our water environment is appreciated," wrote Keith Haas, Second Vice President of Central States.


 

Fix a leak

Fix those leaks! 

NEW Water, a promotional partner of the EPA WaterSense Program, teamed up to encourage area residents to find and fix leaks around their homes - leaks that could be costing them 10 percent of their water and sewer bills.

Fix-A-Leak Week

 

Topics: The Wave - Newsletter

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