Staff of the Cartecay Water Treatment Plant are proud to have recently received their 13 consecutive water quality award from the Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP).
To receive the annual commendation, a water plant must have absolutely no violations in a given year, confirmed plant superintendent Gary Nix.
The plant received its first GAWP Gold Award in 2009 and has been commended each year thereafter. Gold Awards are given the first five consecutive years and, after that five-year span, Platinum Awards are given. Safe Drinking Water rules have to be followed, and a single permit or pretreatment violation will reset the process.
Turbidity, chlorine, alkalinity, pH, iron and manganese content are among the levels and criteria routinely tested at the Ellijay-Gilmer water plant, which has a certified lab where samples are tested.
“We try to stay ahead of the game,” said Nix. “The state sets limits, and they pass it down to EPD, then they pass it down to the water authorities. We actually go above and beyond anything they ask for, so if something comes down the line and they change it again, we’re ahead of the game.”
Nix noted that 2020 was a challenging year at the plant, which provides potable drinking water throughout the county and is equipped to treat more than 6 million gallons of water per day.
The COVID-19 pandemic and having fewer plant operators on staff were among the challenges, Nix noted.
“We’ve had a lot of people retire, and it’s hard to find replacements. For a year and a half, now, we’ve really needed operators, but nobody’s been applying,” he said. “It’s not only us. Water systems in Georgia and Tennessee are needing operators. They’re all having the same problem.”
Gary McVey, Ellijay-Gilmer County Water and Sewerage Authority director, recognized the water plant staff’s continued commitment to providing safe drinking water.
‘“I’m very proud of Gary Nix and his staff for the job they do to ensure that our community has clean drinking water. Despite being short-staffed and a global pandemic, they continued to perform at the top of their game. I have every confidence in their ability and the conscious effort they put forth on a daily basis to produce safe drinking water,” McVey said.