Update 2016-10-23: Seen from the air.

Update 2016-10-19: PDF flyer.

Come hear about the $60 million in wastewater fixes Valdosta just finished, what remains to be done, and what they’re doing about flood prevention for the entire Suwannee River Basin in Georgia and Florida. You can ask questions in this first of a new WWALS Quarterly Speaker Series, and the people organizing this work will be there to answer:

• Henry Hicks, Utilities Director, about wastewater
• Emily Davenport, Assistant Director of Engineering, about flooding, and
• Tim Carroll, Valdosta City Council, about solar power for utilities.

When: 6PM Thursday October 27th

Where: Valdosta City Hall Annex
Multipurpose Room
300 N Lee St.
Valdosta, GA 31601

Event: facebook, meetup

What: Wastewater and flooding: what’s been done, effects so far, and what remains to be done

Introduction 5 min.: Gretchen Quarterman, acting Executive Director, WWALS Watershed Coalition
and she will MC the meeting

Wastewater 15 min.: Henry Hicks, Utilities Director, City of Valdosta,
will talk about the new, uphill, out-of-the-floodplain Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant, the new force main, the spills they prevent, and what else remains to be done
Plus 5 minutes Q&A

Flooding 15 min.: Emily Davenport, Assistant Director of Engineering, City of Valdosta
will talk about the proposed U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flooding study of the entire Suwannee River Basin, the recent LiDAR of Lowndes, Cook, and Tift Counties (first since the 1970s), and the online interactive flood level map recently funded by Valdosta, Lowndes County, and USGS.
Plus 10 minutes Q&A

Solar 5 min.: Tim Carroll, Valdosta City Council
will say a few words about solar power at both Valdosta wastewater treatment plants.
Plus 2 minutes Q&A

You can help: Sementha Mathews, Valdosta Public Information Officer, will mention some ways you can find out what’s going on and meetings and boards so you can get involved.

More information: speakers will be available at the end for more discussion, and there will be tables with information about the City of Valdosta and about WWALS.

The problem is not confined to Valdosta: effects flow downstream on the Withlacoochee, Alapaha, and Suwannee Rivers all the way to the Gulf, and most of the flooding starts upstream on the Withlacoochee and Little Rivers. Valdosta can’t fix all of this, much of which is far beyond its city limits.

Fortunately, there is active cooperation from Lowndes, Cook, and Tift Counties, as well as other local governments and state and federal agencies. Preventing spills and flooding in our watersheds is all to all our advantage, and you can help, too.

Online: Valdosta has mounds of detail online, especially on Utilities’ Sewer System Improvements web page, http://www.valdostacity.com/sewer-system-improvements
WWALS has further reporting on the WWALS website, /issues/vww/.

WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational corporation, is the Waterkeeper® Alliance Affiliate for the upper Suwannee River, the Withlacoochee, Little, and Alapaha Rivers and all their tributaries.

WWALS Mission: WWALS Watershed Coalition advocates for conservation and stewardship of the Withlacoochee, Willacoochee, Alapaha, Little, and Upper Suwannee River watersheds in south Georgia and north Florida through education, awareness, environmental monitoring, and citizen activities.

WWALS Quarterly Speaker Series: This is the first of a new speaker series about watershed issues.

Contact: John S. Quarterman, president
WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc.
229-242-0102
contact@wwals.com
www.wwals.net
PO Box 88, Hahira, GA 31632

Come on downtown and find out what’s going on with flooding and wastewater in Valdosta!

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You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!

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