Water Resources Annual Report 2022-2023

City of Greensboro Water Resources Department

WATER RESOURCES

ANNUAL REPORT 2022-2023

2022-2023 By the Numbers

Sewer Overflows

Advocating for a Strategic Regional Approach Our community and region has seen a significant amount of economic development and growth. In light of this, we need to start planning now for the additional demands that will be placed on our public water and wastewater utility. This will position us to successfully stay ahead of future development opportunities within the region. The City of Greensboro is now building interest and advocating for a regional utility approach for the provision of water and sewer service with regional partners, neighbors like Sedalia and Pleasant Garden, and other stakeholders. This will allow us all to take advantage of economies of scale, coordinate planning efforts that support economic development, and collaborate on initiatives tied to environmental and resource planning. A similar regional effort was successfully carried out in the late 1980s by six regional partners, including the City of Greensboro, to form the Piedmont Triad Regional Water Authority (PTRWA). PTRWA constructed the Randleman Lake Dam in 2004 and a water treatment plant adjacent to the reservoir in 2010. Greensboro is a major beneficiary of this project, receiving nearly seven million gallons of drinking water each day.

78

SANITARY SEWER OVERFLOWS

14 caused by grease improperly dumped down drains

129,455

GALLONS OF UNTREATED WASTEWATER Entering various tributaries within the Cape Fear River basin

Waterline & Sewer Repairs & Maintenance

190

WATER MAIN BREAKS

$296,242

COST TO REPAIR WATER MAIN BREAKS

SEWER PIPES SMOKE TESTED 201,060

A major consideration for all of the economic development sites in the Piedmont Triad is the availability of adequate water and sewer service. A similar strategic partnership could be used to meet the growing wastewater

LINEAR FEET

For leaks or inspected by closed circuit television cameras (CCTV)

20,368

LINEAR FEET

SEWER PIPES REPAIRED OR REPLACED

Environmental Compliance Drinking Water

needs for our region. With the identification and participation of key community and regional stakeholders, PTRWA is in a favorable position to explore and potentially become a regional provider of wastewater service. This can allow us to continue to develop sites and attract transformational economic development opportunities.

65,236

WATER TESTS CONDUCTED

LEARN MORE: greensboro-nc.gov/CCR

Water Reclamation

56,073

WATER TESTS CONDUCTED

LEARN MORE: greensboro-nc.gov/SewageReport

How Water Resources is Working Toward Its Strategic Goals

We’re Deploying New Technology Water Resources is in the midst of a multi-year innovation program to replace water meters with new technology that will allow for remote, 24-hour access to water use data and provide customers timely alerts of water leaks. Called GSO WaterWise, this program includes a series of customer service and infrastructure enhancements. New water meter rollout began in 2021, but was slowed by pandemic-related supply chain delays. As of August 2023, 46,000 new smart point meters have been installed. In the first half of 2024, users will get access to a new online portal to view water usage information and receive timely notifications from Water Resources.

Operational Efficiency

LEARN MORE: » www.greensboro-nc.gov/GSOWaterWise

We’re Creatively Responding to Staffing Shortages This year, Water Resources was among the City departments who partnered for a hire-on-the-spot job fair to streamline the employee recruitment and selection process. The goal was to try a new way to hire for hard-to-fill, high turnover jobs, which are critical to the operations of the department. Water Resources used the opportunity to recruit for crew members, entry-level positions that can be attained by candidates without advanced education and no construction-related experience. On-the-job training is provided by the department. Forty-four qualified candidates received a job offer at the fair. Of those who followed up by completing other mandatory screenings, such as a background check, 36 completed the hiring process. After six months, 22 were still part of the Water Resources team.

Employee Training and Organizational Development

We Plan Ahead for Improvements and Rate Changes Water Resources has a strategic plan to provide high-quality, reliable water and wastewater services by using data-driven decision making to improve infrastructure and resource resiliency. As a part of this initiative, staff use and refine a 10-year Capital Improvement Program to plan for long term infrastructure improvement projects. These undertakings are designed to reduce water main breaks, sanitary sewer overflows, and address other issues that impact the effectiveness of our water and wastewater systems, save water and protect the environment. These projects are necessary to address regulatory compliance, support economic development, and maintain reliability of infrastructure, such as water pipes, tanks, dams, and sewer lines, as well as water and wastewater treatment facilities. Future rate increases are primarily driven by the costs associated with following this plan.

Infrastructure and Resource Resiliency

We Partner to Meet Economic Needs Water Resources collaborated to construct a 750,000 gallon elevated water tank to service the Toyota electric battery manufacturing plant in Randolph County. Working with contractors and North Carolina Department of Transportation, this project provides water to meet regional economic development needs. We got water to the site months ahead of schedule. The water tank is in the final stages of construction and is expected to go into service in November 2023.

We Identify Areas for Improvement

Water Resources is conducting a two-year project to hydrologically and hydraulically (how water moves on earth and in pipes, respectively) model every stream and strategic pipe system throughout the three major streams in Greensboro – North Buffalo, South Buffalo and Horsepen creeks. These stream systems play a significant role in flooding and water quality problems. The project will identify where pipe systems may be undersized and when streams will flood their banks and impact roadways or properties. Those problem areas can be prioritized for improvements as funding is identified and allocated.

We Remove Contaminants After a year-long pilot project of various water treatment technology options, Water Resources selected a granular activated carbon (GAC) treatment system to remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at the Mitchell Water Treatment Plant to below reporting level. Engineering design will start by the end of 2023, with the goal of having the new treatment technology in service by the end of 2026. PFAS – a family of manmade chemicals used in industrial and consumer products – was found in the City’s reservoirs and drinking water in 2014. The advanced GAC treatment system the City will construct will ensure the water treatment plant meets pending federal regulatory standards for PFAS. LEARN MORE: » www.greensboro-nc.gov/PFOS-PFOA

WATER RESOURCES

www.greensboro-nc.gov/Water | 336-373-2055 | 2602 S. Elm-Eugene St., Greensboro, NC 27406