{"id":47,"date":"2013-03-08T10:22:56","date_gmt":"2013-03-08T15:22:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2013\/03\/water-plant-planning-henry-hicks-vcc-2013-03-07.html"},"modified":"2013-03-08T10:22:56","modified_gmt":"2013-03-08T15:22:56","slug":"water-plant-planning-henry-hicks-vcc-2013-03-07","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2013\/03\/water-plant-planning-henry-hicks-vcc-2013-03-07.html","title":{"rendered":"Water Plant Planning —Henry Hicks @ VCC 2013-03-07"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\n\"Henry<\/a>\n\nValdosta Utilities Director Henry Hicks<\/a> gave a detailed history of\n\nflood control<\/a>\n\nprojects<\/a>\nand work on the\n\nWithlacoochee Waste Water Processing Plant<\/a>\nat the Valdosta City Council Meeting last night during the\n"Manager's Report" section\nof\n\nthe agenda.<\/a>\nSeveral Council members expressed their distaste for the VDT’s recent reporting\non the subject, and thanked Hicks and other city employees for their work.\n<\/p>\n

\n\n\"$40<\/a>\nHicks said\n\nthey had spent $4 million on repairs\nto the Withlacoochee plant, and that didn't include the $40 million<\/a>\nthey'd already spent on upgrades in general.\nAlso, it took three days to build the berm around the plant in 2009,\n\nand FEMA wouldn't approve any improvements to it.<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\nHe said he would\n\n\nput his slides on the city's website (not there yet).\nMeanwhile,\n\"Chronological<\/a>\n\npictures of them<\/a> are in a LAKE flickr set.\n\nHicks mentioned<\/a> a USGS publication,\n\nHistoric Flooding in South Georgia, March 27-April 3, 2009.<\/a>\nHe concluded that 0.03 percent (three hundredths of a percent)\nof the river water during the flood was sewer water, and the rest\nwas flood storm water.\n<\/p>\n

\n\n\"Robert<\/a>\nDuring questions,\n\nCouncil Robert Yost took exception<\/a> to the VDT's\neditorial assertion that the city let sewage from 80% of the city\nflow into the river.\nHenry Hicks asserted that was impossible, since the Withlacoochee\nWastewater Treatment Plant serves only 67% of the city.\nYost also asked for a presentation about the millions of dollars\nspent to improve stormwater management at Sugar Creek.\n<\/p>\n

\n\n\"Tim<\/a>\n\nCouncil Tim Carroll apologized<\/a> for Henry Hicks having to spend\nso much time giving this presentation because of recent misinformation\nand thanked Hicks and his team for their recent work, plus police,\nengineering, etc.\nCarroll previously\n\ndirectly rebutted and added to<\/a> what the VDT reported\nand\n\nanswered a flooded citizen<\/a> directly.\n<\/p>\n

\n\n\"Sonny<\/a>\n\nCouncil Sonny Vickers discussed<\/a>\nwith Henry Hicks how it was necessary to take the WWTP offline\nduring the flood so it could be brought back up quickly.\n(Somebody in the audience sitting near the camera didn't agree.)\nCity Manager Larry Hanson said they'd discuss all that further\nat the City Council retreat next week.\n<\/p>\n

\n\n\"Deidra<\/a>\n\nCouncil Deidra White thanked Hicks for "a wise decision"<\/a>\nin the middle of a crisis which she said was borne out to be the right decision.\nShe added:\n<\/p>\n

\nObviously weren't aware we had so many qualified public utilities\ndirectors\nout in the community\nto speak on behalf\nof all the work that was done.\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n\n<\/a>\nShe thanked all the city employees who helped.\n<\/p>\n

\nI didn't hear anyone mention\n\nwastewater all the way to the Gulf<\/a>,\nand I suppose\n\nsinkholes<\/a> are for another meeting.\nHowever, it was good to get a full presentation of the city's\nextensive efforts to deal with the wastewater problem.\n<\/p>\n

\nHere's\n\na playlist<\/a>\nof the videos Gretchen took:\n<\/p>\n

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