2014 Park Pride Parks and Greenspace Conference Presenter is Margaret Tanner

1. 12013 3rd
Quarter
City of Atlanta
Mayor Kasim Reed
Department of Watershed Management
Margaret E. Tanner, P.E.
Deputy Commissioner
March 31, 2014

2. 22013 3rd
Quarter
City of Atlanta Watershed Management
 Serves population of 1.2 million (450,000
night)
• Adequate water supply and treatment capacity
 2 ½ water treatment plants, 112 MGD (2 plants)
• Adequate wastewater treatment plant
capacity
 4 wastewater treatment plants, 184 MGD
 6 CSO facilities
 Regional provider; 6 wholesale govt.
customers
 2,750 mi of water mains
 1,900+ mi of sewer (50-100 yrs old)
• 15% combined, 85% separated
 1,475 positions
 Annual budget $595M

3. 32013 3rd
Quarter
Department of Watershed Management
Watershed Management – Pre 2000
 Long-term system under-investment
 Failed water utility privatization
• Consent Orders
 Flawed stormwater utility fee imposed
• $7 million refunded
 2 Wastewater Consent Decrees
• 100+ overflows/yr at CSO facilities
• 1,000 sewer spills in year 2000
 Poor image
• Insensitive
• Inactive
• Incompetent
• Irresponsible

4. 42013 3rd
Quarter
CSO Consent Decree Success
 Consent Decree issued Sept 1998, full compliance by Nov 2008
 Reduced CSOs from ~100/yr to an expected average of 4/yr
• CSOs perform better than designed
 Total cost: $711M
West Area CSO Tunnel Boring Machine

5. 52013 3rd
Quarter
SSO Consent Decree
 Consent Decree issued Dec 1999, full
compliance by July 2014 (*extension)
 Phased Approach to Capital
Improvement Program
• Phase I - Sewer System Evaluation
Survey (1600 miles)
• Phase II - Sewer Rehabilitation
• Phase III - Sewer Capacity Relief
• Total -- $1.4 Billion Capital Program
 Preventive Maintenance Program

6. 62013 3rd
Quarter
Post – 2000 Highest W&S Rates in US

7. 72013 3rd
Quarter
Compliance at a Price
71% decrease in number of
spills to waters of the state
Success!

8. 82013 3rd
Quarter
Mayor Kasim Reed
 Commitment to Community
 Provide effective solutions for real issues
 Community involvement
 Take action and follow through
 Commitment to Sustainable Initiatives
• Focus on green solutions
• Focus on decreased carbon footprint
• Focus on reduced energy consumption
 Commitment to Environmental
Protection
 Comply with all regulations
 Manage infrastructure responsibly
 Build partnerships with state and federal
agencies

9. 92013 3rd
Quarter
2011 - New Strategic Direction
Reorganization of the
Department
•Focus on goals and
priorities
Customer service
Safe workplace
Regulatory compliance
Efficient Operations

10. 102013 3rd
Quarter
Achieving the Goals through New Initiatives
 Financial flexibility with CD extension
• 13 year extension; longest in U.S. (1999-2027)
• Approx $450M work remaining
• Ability to balance all needs
 Integrated Water Resources
• Data analysis
• Asset management
• Utilize technology
• Sustainability & Green Infrastructure

11. 112013 3rd
Quarter
Promoting Sustainability
 Goal of green infrastructure - mimic the
natural hydrologic function
• preserving conservation areas
• reducing impervious surfaces
• installing aesthetically-pleasing structural
measures such as
 green roofs, vegetated swales, permeable pavement,
infiltration planters, cisterns, and rain gardens.
 An alternative approach to managing
stormwater runoff
 Decreasing energy consumption
 Waste to energy program
 Enhancing aesthetics and public access/use

12. 122013 3rd
Quarter
Southeast Atlanta Green Infrastructure Initiative
 Background
• Homes built in historic stream channels; low lying areas
where stormwater naturally drain
 Stream channels were piped; floodplains still exist due to
pipe overflows from capacity limitations
 Combined sewer area out of conveyance capacity
• Limited capacity often exceeded by high rainfall events
• Stormwater runoff exacerbated by higher amounts of
impervious cover running across hard surfaces at greater
velocities
• Over time, systems cannot accommodate developments
 Partial improvements made, leaving other problems
 Typical solutions can be disruptive, cost prohibitive

13. 132013 3rd
Quarter
Computer Simulation of Existing Conditions
25 year 4 hour “Critical” Storm
Drainage Area
Total
Area
(acres)
Impervious
%
Mechanicsville
/ Peoplestown
900 65%
Summerhill 505 58%
Grant Park 380 42%
Englewood
Manor 715 42%
Assessment of Issues

14. 142013 3rd
Quarter
Phased Approach & Community Input
 Action Plan
• Immediate Response – Completed
w/in 30 days
• Short Term Projects – Completed w/in
6 months
• Intermediate Projects - NTP: One
completed, one in bid evaluation
• Long Term Projects - In Design
 Follow-up Meetings with Community
• Communicate phased approach
• Inform them of alternatives &
schedule

15. 152013 3rd
Quarter
Short-Term Projects – March 2013 completed
Bioswale – Hill St
Rain Garden – Dunbar Elementary SchoolRain Garden – Whitehall Terrace

16. 162013 3rd
Quarter
 Media Lot Vault
• Completed
Feb 28, 2014
 Permeable
Pavers
 Additional vaults
– in design
 Wet detention
ponds – in
design
Intermediate Projects
Media Lot
Vault

17. 172013 3rd
Quarter
Intermediate Projects – Permeable Pavers
 ~6 miles of permeable
pavers:
• Mechanicsville
• Peoplestown
• Summerhill
AfterBefore

18. 182013 3rd
Quarter
Urban Waters Federal Partnership
 “Through our partnership, we will revitalize urban
waters and the communities that surround them,
transforming overlooked assets into treasured
centerpieces and drivers of urban revival.”
www.EPA.gov

19. 192013 3rd
Quarter
Proctor Creek Watershed
 DWM Activities
• 319 Grant for Boone Blvd –
Greene Street
• Streamwalks
• WQ data collection
• Spill response program
• FOG education
• Future BMPs
• Future Green Infrastructure
projects
• Pilot multifamily grease
recycling program

20. 202013 3rd
Quarter
Other Atlanta Green Infrastructure Projects
Green Roof
City Hall
Rainwater Harvesting
Southface
Rain Garden
Adair Park
Pervious Paving
English Park
Bioswale
Fernbank Museum
Stormwater Planters
Juniper Street
(Proposed)
Pervious Concrete
Felder Street
Stormwater Bump-out
Whitehall Terrace

21. 212013 3rd
Quarter