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To simultaneously solve the problem of illicit dumping and educate teenagers about the importance of proper sewer stewardship, Pontiac wastewater treatment plant superintendent Dave Sullivan joined forces with Paul Ritter, ecology instructor at Pontiac Township High School, to create a youth...
For any public works employee experienced in presenting a controversial project or fielding service-related complaints, this is the question that eventually arises when contemplating the development of a public relations program. But upon further reflection, the answer has to be “yes” because in...
Each city took a different path--sometimes several--to building their new wastewater treatment systems.
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Fourth and fifth graders at the 11th Annual Children's Water Education Festival in Fountain Valley, Calif., may have been having a blast, but they were learning a valuable lesson too.
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A main rupture in March left thousands of San Franciscans without water service, moving utility leaders to apologize for the fluke.
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An online poll indicates that people have mixed feelings when it comes to the taste and odor of their local public water.
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In a unique protest over the plentiful potholes on Highway 32 in Leader, Saskatchewan, the farming community's residents decided to take it all off for a fundraising calendar.
Kids are fascinated by gross things; they also dig learning how stuff works. Combining the two, San Diego created an ingenious program to teach youngsters all about the gross and groovy world of sewers.
These tips will keep the road smooth and the customer satisfied.
PUBLIC WORKS Associate Editor Jenni Spinner asks: How often How often do you get out to see your town? Have you ever left the comfort of your office or truck cab to get out to take a good look at the town you serve? If you haven't, you're not getting the big-picture view—the one your constituents...
Public works departments spend considerable resources handling requests from constituents—answering questions, fulfilling service orders, resolving complaints. To streamline the process, more and more agencies are implementing sophisticated customer relationship management (CRM) systems to process...
Bottled water is big business Since the mid-1990s, the market for Evian and other brands has boomed in the United States and around the world. Even soft-drink companies like Pepsi and Coca-Cola have jumped on the aquatic bandwagon, supplementing their product lines with their own successful brands...
Smokey Bear recently marked his 60th year of protecting America's forests, making the furry forest ranger the longest running public-service campaign in history.
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In the 1870s, city engineer Major Charles Davis was called to investigate a typical public works complaint—the dreaded “basement backup problem.” We can all imagine what Davis faced when he showed up to investigate—a group of homeowners upset with water flooding into their basements, absolutely...
Cheer up. Spending an afternoon being down in the dumps isn't nearly as bad as you might think. After all, with trash galore, sewers, and waste streams to visit, how could you feel low?
Flood control is a hard sell in a desert, says Scott Vogel. As a civil engineer with the Flood Control District of Arizona's Maricopa County, he knows what he's talking about.