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plastic wrapped pipe

Plastic Wrap Helps Preserve Water Mains

Protecting the Prince William County Service Authority’s underground infrastructure from corrosion is another way to ensure reliable water service to the utility’s customers.

Corrosion can contribute to water main breaks, especially in ductile iron pipe which comprises more than 70 percent of water mains across Prince William County. To combat this, the Service Authority requires new pipe to be wrapped in a plastic called Polyethylene. This thick, durable substance insulates the pipe from potential corrosion. The Service Authority also coats all the fittings and fasteners with rubberized mastic, a sealant that essentially does the same job as plastic wrap.

“Whether it’s due to the composition of the soil the pipe is placed in, the structural integrity of the pipe when it was built, or the water lines’ proximity to other utility lines, some form of corrosion will likely occur with metal pipes,” said Collections and Distribution Manager Doug Shoop. “By wrapping the pipes in plastic and coating the fittings and fasteners, corrosion is less likely to occur because it has virtually no exposed metal to conduct with.”

Recently, the Service Authority completed a number of water main replacement projects that involved the wrapping process. One such project was the Melrose Water Main Replacement project in Triangle, which entailed replacing a mile’s worth of old cast iron pipe with wrapped ductile iron pipe in an older apartment community. In the last two years alone, the Service Authority has placed 36 miles of wrapped ductile iron water main in the ground across Prince William County.

The Service Authority has also installed pipes from polyethylene-based plastic along Lee Highway in Gainesville due to the highly acidic soil in that location. These style pipes offer strong protection against corrosion, said Utility Inspections Manager Conrad Holtslag.

“We want to preserve the pipe today, so it maintains its integrity tomorrow,” said Holtslag. “Once it’s in ground, it is very expensive to take out.”


Service Authority Awards

Service Authority Wins Trio of Awards

The Service Authority recently won awards in the fields of Communications, Community Relations and Safety.

This month, the Service Authority’s website PWCSA.org won a Graphic Design USA 2016 American Web Design Award. According to Service Authority Visual Design Manager Amanda Clark, the prestigious national award is given to visually appealing and easily navigable websites.

“Our goal is to create a positive user experience for all of our customers,” Clark said. “This award is a small affirmation that our efforts are on track.”

The Service Authority also won a Green Community Award from Prince William County in the Program Category, which recognizes a dedicated effort that conserves, protects, restores and creates a healthier environment.

“The Service Authority has raised awareness for thousands of children and citizens through innovative presentations, effective education programs, special community events, art contests and opportunities to learn hands on at the new Durward E. Grubbs Jr. Environmental Center,” said Prince William County Public Works spokesperson Deb Oliver. “These initiatives have directly improved our community's appreciation of the critical need for clean water in our daily lives.”

Finally, the Virginia Municipal League selected the Service Authority for a Risk Management Award for performing an exemplary job in risk management and safety. The Service Authority was one of only three organizations awarded out of 493 VML members. Criteria for the award included employee training, responsiveness to questions and concerns, prompt claims reporting, scoring 100 percent on the VML risk management guidelines and having an excellent loss ratio.  

“This award is a real testament to the hard work Service Authority employees put in to mitigate risk throughout the organization,” Safety and Security Program Manager Joseph Del Priore said. “The award not only recognizes our accomplishments in workplace safety, but also our success at reducing insurance-related costs in our operation.”


Water Art Once Again a Success

Battlefield High School student Khanh Nguyen won the Grand Prize in the 2016 Water Art Invitational on Thursday at the Raymond Spittle Building.

Nguyen’s beautiful painting of a fish in a brook netted her $800 in event sponsorship money. In all, the Prince William County Service Authority was able to administer more than $6,000 in prizes from funds donated by corporate sponsors.

“The Water Art Invitational was once again a smashing success thanks to a diverse assortment of interesting artwork and a record-breaking amount of sponsorship support,” said Community Relations & Outreach Manager Marlo Thomas Watson.

More than 70 students entered artwork in three categories: Painting & Drawing, Computer Graphics and Photography. This year’s theme was Wildlife Living With Water on the Chesapeake Watershed and featured the event’s first winning home school entry – Seth Hatfield’s second-place painting.

Other winners included two-time Grand Champion Sabrina Drescher of Battlefield (first place, Painting & Drawing) and Forest Park’s Abigail Chambers (first place, Photography) and Laurie Turner (first place, Computer Graphics).

Battlefield led the way with 13 winning entries: Nguyen, Drescher, Tony Lin (second place, Computer Graphics), Kirsten DeZeeuw (third place, Painting & Drawing), Hannah Oentung (third place, Computer Graphics) and eight General Manager Award winners (Sebastian Gallegos, Sophie Karas, Sarah McAllum, Alicia Pierson, Sydney Viar, Jacqueline Potter, Amy Dickens and Jessica Garcia).

Forest Park had eight winning entries: Chambers, Turner, Joshua Thompson (second place, Photography and GM Award, Computer Graphics), Hannah Langford (third place, Photography), Emma Buchko (third place, Computer Graphics) and Tamia Martin and Chloe Wade (GM Award).

Woodbridge High School’s Mitchell From tied Langford for third place in Photography while classmate Shaun Cantu took home a GM Award. Patriot High School’s Alex George and Lauren Chiles and Osbourn Park’s Clara Bennett also won GM Awards.


Maplewood Tank Rehab Complete

The Maplewood Water Tank rehabilitation project off Centreville Road is complete.

Built in the 1960s, the Maplewood Tank is the third tank in the last two years to get a facelift. The Prince William County Service Authority has a 10-year program to rehab all its water tanks across the county.

The Service Authority will likely begin rehabbing its Haymarket Water Tank this spring. The Haymarket Tank is located off Old Carolina Road. Assessments of the Lake Ridge "Airport" Tank off Old Bridge Road and the Potomac Mills Tank near Shoppers Food & Pharmacy are also slated to be done by next June with actual construction scheduled for the next fiscal year.


Sewer Savers

The Service Authority is in Lake Ridge implementing a proactive sewer line maintenance measure called CIPP. Typically performed twice a year, CIPP, or Cured In Place Pipe, is used in sewer mains across the county to prevent damage caused by tree root intrusion and fats, oils and grease that get into the sewer distribution system. This process adds decades of life to the sewer infrastructure and helps avoids costly replacement projects.


Beware of Utility Impostors

 

Not sure who's knocking at your door? Watch this 30-second video to know what to look for when it comes to weeding out a utility impostor!


Tower Treatment

Water-Tower-TL

Get a glimpse of the time lapse we created of the Hoadly Water Tank rehabilitation project that just concluded this summer. The Service Authority has a 10-year maintenance plan to rehab all of its water tanks across Prince William County.


Getting to Know Your Water Utility, Rachel Carlson

Rachel Carlson

Meet Rachel Carlson, Water Reclamation Operations Manager at the H.L. Mooney Advanced Water Reclamation Facility

 

Where did you grow up?
I was originally from Prince William, spent 12 years in Stafford County and have been back in Prince William for the last 14 years.

What is your job at the H.L. Mooney plant?
I help ensure that the treatment processes are running efficiently while making any necessary process or chemical adjustments to meet the regulatory permit requirements.

What is your favorite part of the job?
Every day is different! You never know what challenges you may run into and how to work through them. Also, it's good to know that what you're doing is helping the environment.


Making their Mark

 

A year ago, Breanne Martin simply wanted to get her foot in the door at the Prince William County Service Authority.

Halfway through her second stint at the Service Authority, the Osbourn Park High School graduate and James Madison University rising junior has done much more than that thanks to the utility's summer hire program. This year, Martin is one of 31 other summer hires, all of them performing a variety of important smaller tasks integral to the Service Authority's mission.

"Instead of letting a project or task sit on the back burner or incur overtime costs, the Service Authority is able to get smaller-scale projects completed through the summer hire program," said Human Resources Director Theresa O'Quinn. "There is also a benefit to having extra employees in the summer months and during the winter holiday season when many employees are away on vacation."

In June, Martin and Christopher Newport University student John Sims performed a series of flow tests on fire hydrants around Prince William County to help both the Service Authority and the Prince William County Fire and Rescue Department better gauge the available flow in those areas. As a result of these tests, the Service Authority will also be able to more accurately understand any potential risk to public health after the usage of a hydrant by the fire department.

Martin has also helped the GIS team with field checks, which are done to match what is out in the street with what is in the Service Authority database.

"After the completion of last summer's program, I knew there was so much more for me to learn," said Martin, who wants to pursue a career in environmental or civil engineering.

Other summer hires have also made a positive impact on the community. Bradley Snyder, William Dolinger, Ben Aguello and Joseph Precise in the Operations & Maintenance Division painted all the Service Authority-owned fire hydrants in the town of Occoquan in July. Since being hired in June, the four-man crew has painted dozens of hydrants across the County and performed necessary maintenance activities like washing company vehicles and cutting the grass around facilities.

"The summer hires made it possible to go above and beyond to provide this service to our customers and the town [of Occoquan]," said Collections & Distribution Department Manager Doug Shoop. "They did a great job and were very neat."

Part of the job has come quite naturally for Dolinger, a criminal justice major at Northern Virginia Community College. His father is a painter by trade and often takes the 20-year-old with him on professional assignments.

Because of the challenging and engaging environment at the Service Authority, many have returned for another summer – like Martin – or have recommended it to a relative or friend. Bradley, a future Virginia Tech student and Forest Park High School graduate, heard about the job through his brother Andrew, a former summer hire. Aguello's brother Marcelino was a summer hire in 2014 and recommended Ben join him this year.

"An important benefit of hiring a summer student is the vitality, energy and curiosity they bring," said O'Quinn. "Students are often excited to learn what we do, why we do it, and some have chosen to work in the utilities industry as a result of working for the Service Authority."


Protecting the Environment: Wastewater Treatment

Watch our video about the H.L. Mooney Advanced Water Reclamation Facility (AWRF) to learn how the Service Authority plays a vital role in protecting the health of people and wildlife living in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Our wastewater treatment process removes harmful bacteria and excess nitrogen and phosphorus from the water, which can have a negative impact on the ecosystem of the watershed. Once the wastewater is treated at the Mooney AWRF, it's released into the Neabsco Creek, a tributary of the Potomac River, which then feeds into to the Chesapeake Bay.


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