Storm Drain Art Contest Wins Award

The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities has received the 2017 National Environmental Achievement Award from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies.The award will be formally presented at their winter conference in February.

The RVAH20 Storm Drain Art Contest was entered in the Public Information and Education:E-Media category. 

The project goal was to obtain a Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit by 2018, making Richmond one of the first cities in the U.S. to do so.

DPU is mandated to reach 20 percent of Richmond residents with a stormwater/water quality message: address pollution, how the public is related to area waterways, and how individual actions impact overall water health.

So Richmond DPU developed the first annual Storm Drain Art Project, "It All Drains to the James." Richmond-area artists would apply to paint a storm drain design that conveyed how important it is to keep our river – and our drinking water – clean.

The goal was to educate the public that pollutants that go into storm drains impact Richmond waterways – the very places that are so beloved for community swimming, fishing and water sports.  It’s why all five of the storm drains selected for this project carry stormwater directly into the James River – and into our water supply.

When the artists were selected and the art work completed, fans voted for a favorite design online. The artist with the most votes received the RVA Choice Award, along with special recognition.

Stroll down Tredegar Street and see for yourself how art can help communicate that what goes into these drains flows directly into the James.

Fan Favorite

City Enters Bond Market in Public Utility Revenue and Refunding Bonds

The City of Richmond successfully sold $502 million in Public Utility Revenue and Refunding Bonds of which $169 million was for new money projects and $333 million was to refund existing debt service for interest rate savings in 2016.

The cost of funds for the City’s New Money Projects was approximately 3.47 percent, which is near the lowest cost of funds in several decades. In addition, the City took advantage of the historic low interest rate environment to refund two outstanding bond issues, which will result in the City reducing its existing debt service by roughly $100 million over the next 24 years.

The Bonds were highly rated by all three national credit rating agencies: Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch (Aa2, AA, AA respectively).

Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Raymond James and Siebert Cisneros Shank served as underwriters on the financing. Wells Fargo, Bank of America and Raymond James have offices in Richmond. Siebert Cisneros Shank is based out of New York and is the nation’s largest minority owned bond underwriting firm.

David Rose, senior vice president and manager of Public Finance at Davenport & Company LLC, the City’s financial advisor, said “As best we can determine, the level of debt service savings is unprecedented for a Virginia local government.”

DPU Wins National Gold Award for Exceptional Water Utility Performance

City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities (DPU) was one of 20 public drinking water

AMWA President Scott Potter and DPU Director Bob Steidel

systems recognized by the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) for its utility management.

DPU received AMWA’s Gold Award for Exceptional Water Utility Performance, Oct. 17.

“These awards spotlight the impressive advances and substantial achievements of public drinking water utilities that are leading the nation in their efforts toward sustainability through innovative management practices, executive leadership and employee engagement,” said AMWA President Scott Potter. "Communities count on their drinking water systems for reliable and adequate supplies of clean, safe water, and those served by AMWA’s 2016 award winners can take pride in their outstanding accomplishments.”

AMWA’s Gold Awards recognize outstanding achievement in implementing the nationally recognized Attributes of Effective Utility Management, which include product quality, customer satisfaction, employee and leadership development, operational optimization, financial viability, infrastructure stability, operational resiliency, community sustainability, water resource adequacy, and stakeholder understanding and support. These Attributes were developed by a blue ribbon committee of water industry executives at the request of the U.S. EPA, AMWA, and other water organizations.

DPU is one of the largest water producers in Virginia, operating a modern water treatment plant that can treat up to 132 million gallons of water a day from the James River. Its treatment plant and distribution system consists of approximately 987 miles of mains, nine pumping stations, one reservoir, and 10 ground and/or elevated water storage tanks providing water to approximately 63,000 customers in the City.

DPU also has wholesale contracts to the surrounding counties, resulting in a facility that provides water for approximately 500,000 people in the greater Richmond region. In addition to supplying water to customers, the water utility provides water for fire protection throughout the City and maintains fire hydrant water valves and water mains as well as provides routine and emergency services.

Are you ready for hurricane season?

By the end of July 2016, Metro Richmond had already experienced a couple of thunderstorms with high winds that toppled trees and knocked out electrical power for days...and it wasn’t even hurricane season yet.

Seven of the last eight hurricanes to impact Richmond happened in August and September.

Hurricanes cause flooding. Are you prepared for a flood? Do you know the evacuation route should your main road be blocked by downed trees or flooding?

If you live in an area next to a stream or river, do you have flood insurance to protect your valuables?

Protect your family and your property. Prepare now. Map out alternative routes, stock up on water and medicines, keep cash on hand in case of power outages. Get flood insurance even if you rent to protect your valuables. Most homeowner policies don’t cover flood insurance. Check your policy now before a storm hits. Be prepared! Know the risks! Visit floodsmart.org or call 646-7586.

High Water Mark Sign Unveiled at Pony Pasture

According to the Federal Emergency Management Management Agency (FEMA), 70 percent of Americans surveyed do not believe their community is at risk of flooding. But Richmond has been hit by 21 hurricanes since 1952, and in June 1972, suffered unprecedented flooding caused by rainfall from Hurricane Agnes.

On June 23, 2016, several agencies joined with the City Department of Public Utilities to dedicate a high water mark sign at Pony Pasture Rapids Park. Signs will follow at Brown’s Island, Plant Zero, and Great Shiplock Park to remind local residents of Richmond’s flood risk. 

This initiative was developed in partnership with the Virginia Silver Jackets, Venture Richmond, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, the Federal Emergency Management Agency High Water Mark Initiative and Region III, the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Wakefield, the U.S. Geological Survey Water Science Center, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District.

Richmond is the pilot community program for the Commonwealth of Virginia. 

The Silver Jackets Program brings together state, federal, and local agencies to share information and apply resources to reduce flood risk. 

Speaking at the sign unveiling (see video below) were Jonet Prevost-White from the Stormwater division of the city Department of Public Utilities (DPU); Robert Steidel, DPU director; John Buturla, deputy chief administrative officer for Operations; April Cummings, deputy director Mitigation Division, FEMA Region III; Lt. Col. John Drew, deputy commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District; and Curtis Brown, deputy secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, Commonwealth of Virginia.

Unveiling the signage for the high water mark

The Hurricane Agnes information sign

The actual High Water Mark is above the Call Box part of the sign and shows how deep the water was at the Pony Pasture in June 1972.

Is That Really a Utility Worker at Your Door?

How do you know if the person knocking on your door is really from the Department of Public Utilities?

You may have heard a recent news story about two men knocking on a door at 4 in the morning, claiming they were utility workers investigating a gas leak, but actually they were burglars. They wore neon safety work vests.

But Department of Public Utilities employees only wear work vests or shirts that have the city logo clearly marked on it, usually on the breast pocket and on the back. There would be a vehicle parked outside as well with the city logo on the door. Most city work trucks are white.

City employees also carry identification badges and will introduce themselves by name before saying anything else. If they don't, you can ask to see their city ID first.

An unmarked safety vest alone is no proof that the person at your door is actually a utility worker. And in the event of a gas leak, there would be fire department personnel on the scene as well, and the gas can be turned off at the street, so you do not have to let them in if you have any doubts. Utility workers would not insist on coming inside your home, and if some emergency requires them to do so, city police would also be on hand. Most visits from utility workers are made by appointment, so you know when to expect them.

Shirts may come in a variety of styles and colors, but the Utilities logo is always on the front.

All city employees carry a city photo ID, which should be displayed on their person. If it is not, ask to see it.

Logos are also on the back of some shirts.

Even the neon safety vests have the logo on them.

Drinking Water and Wastewater Professionals Appreciation Day is June 30

House Joint Resolution No. 88 designates June 30, 2016 as Drinking Water and Wastewater Professionals Appreciation Day in Virginia.

Excerpts from the resolution:

Before the implementation of reliable drinking water and wastewater treatment, thousands of people in the United States died of waterborne diseases like cholera, dysentery, typhoid, polio, and hepatitis each year. The World Health Organization estimates that unsafe water supplies in developing nations still cause approximately 1.8 million deaths annually.

Technological advances by water and wastewater professionals have improved the treatment of both drinking water and wastewater in the Commonwealth, the United States, and the world. Access to clean drinking water is crucial to the health and safety of more than 8.3 million Virginians.

Treatment of the Commonwealth's average of more than 620 million gallons of wastewater each day plays a critical role in reducing toxic chemicals and nutrient buildup in Virginia's surface waters, such as the Potomac, the James, and the Chesapeake Bay. Much of the drinking water and wastewater infrastructure in the United States is located underground in millions of miles of pipes, unseen by the public.

Thousands of water and wastewater industry professionals in the Commonwealth dedicate their careers to keeping drinking water and treated wastewater clean and free of disease-carrying organisms that can harm both humans and the environment. The Virginia Section of the American Water Works Association and the Virginia Water Environment Association, as well as the Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments, the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, and the Virginia Rural Water Association, support the creation of Drinking Water and Wastewater Professionals Appreciation Day.

Wastewater Plant