Columbus water works columbus georgia11/24/2023 The utility’s water board recently approved a rate increase for the spring that is unrelated to the permit, he said. “The legal expenses are far less than the additional financial burden these unnecessary requirements would cause our customers to pay in the form of higher rates.” “We have a responsibility to manage our customers’ costs,” he said. The changes baked into the permit, he said, could lead to “even tighter requirements” when the permit is up for renewal in five years. Vic Burchfield, a senior vice president with the utility, said in a statement it could cost more than $10 million to pay for the projects needed to comply with the new permit requirements, and he’s wary this would likely just be beginning. The utility appealed the agency’s decision last week. That tally does not include legal bills paid before King & Spalding was hired or for payments made since October.īut the utility’s legal maneuvers and threat of a legal challenge did not stop state regulators from signing off last month on a permit with the tougher water quality regulations. Over the course of a year and a half, from last May through mid-October, the Columbus Water Works paid the firm about $411,000 to represent them in the latest chapter of its years-long negotiations with the state agency. The public utility has hired outside legal help over the years to push back on the permit, and last summer, it enlisted a high-powered Atlanta law firm, King & Spalding, in its fight with the state agency. A public records request, produced with the assistance of a new law clinic, revealed that the utility is spending significant amounts of public funds to challenge water quality requirements. Its previous permit expired in 2015.īut challenging the permit has a cost, too. The Columbus Water Works has cited the cost to comply with the new water quality requirements as at least part of the reason for its long-standing objections to a state permit that has been in limbo for years. You may view current CWW career opportunities here: Columbus Water Works is an Equal Opportunity Employer.Credit: Henry Jacobs/Chattahoochee RiverkeeperĪ middle Georgia public utility has spent years fighting a new state permit that would impose more limits on pollution flowing from the sewer system into a popular stretch of the Chattahoochee River known for its fishing and whitewater rafting. Our compensation, coupled with an excellent benefits package, is extremely competitive and allows us to attract and retain highly-skilled and qualified employees to support our organizational goals. CWW is operationally supported by a variety of professional and technical staff in the fields of maintenance, field services, laboratory and water operations, financial management, information technology, customer service and engineering. Employment Opportunities: We believe that each employee contributes directly to our growth and success and we are extremely proud of our "family-like" culture. Our Vision: Columbus Water Works is recognized by our customers and employees as providing the most caring experience. Our Purpose: We protect our neighbors by providing essential water – the fuel of life. The emphasis placed on strategic planning at all levels in the organization allows us to provide the highest level of quality customer service while ensuring our operational activities support our purpose and vision. Our Strategic Initiatives: We use the strategic planning process as a management tool to help focus our efforts and energy to meet our organizational performance goals. This means not only integrating the delivery of safe water and collection of wastewater for more than 250,000 residents of the Columbus region, but providing future generations with a legacy of responsible environmental stewardship of the middle Chattahoochee River watershed. We are reaching for extraordinary heights, setting a goal for ourselves of being the nation's best provider of utility services. As an organization, CWW has a clear vision and purpose to not only sustain the current level of service but improve it for future generations. Answer: Columbus Water Works (CWW) supplies drinking water and provides wastewater treatment to the Columbus area including Fort Benning as well as parts of Harris and Talbot Counties.
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