Public-Private Partnership Proves Worth in Georgia

Susan Mays & Lori Irvine

Public-private partnerships for water, wastewater and other infrastructure services have become widely accepted in recent years. The trend is on the rise as communities face the challenge of operating their facilities cost-effectively while meeting increasingly stringent environmental regulations.

Often a municipality's primary reason for selecting a contract management company is environmental stewardship. A private company will work closely with environmental stakeholders and government regulators to keep the municipality's water and wastewater system in compliance with stringent regulations at all times.

That was the case in Rockdale County, Ga., where operators had been struggling to control the process and maintain permit compliance at the aging Almand Branch wastewater facility on the south side of the county. In response to the problems, Operations Management International, Inc. (OMI) was called to help provide technical assistance.

In December 1997, the Rockdale County Board of Commissioners decided to contract with a private company to operate the county's wastewater treatment system. A committee made up of county officials recommended OMI from among a field of three bidding firms. The county's wastewater network includes seven wastewater treatment plants, 24 pump stations, an industrial pretreatment program and an environmental laboratory.

Rockdale County Water Resources Department Director Laurie Ashmore counted among OMI's strengths its strong employee orientation, its resources in Georgia, and its relationship with the regulatory community at the state level.

Starting any new relationship is challenging - especially so when that relationship is put to the test from the very start. As soon as OMI began working for Rockdale County the industrial pretreatment facility failed, overwhelming the Quigg Branch wastewater plant with 0.8 mgd of concentrated industrial paper waste.

OMI flew in specialists from San Francisco and Idaho, maintenance workers from Pennsylvania, and a technical advisor telephoned twice a week from Chicago to check on progress. The team developed a fast-track plan to rebuild the pretreatment facility and get the wastewater plant back into compliance. Within 40 days, the plant was once again on line.

"The full resources of OMI and CH2M HILL were available to the project team. Contracting with OMI has made resources available that we couldn't have touched before," Ashmore said

Since OMI took over operations at Rockdale County, the project has become a success story. OMI Project Manager Mark Andrews has been working with his staff - made up of former Rockdale County employees and long-time OMI staff - to maintain the various facilities.

"We had our obstacles to overcome, but I'm proud of our associates who helped get this project to its current level," Andrews said.

The negotiated agreement between Rockdale County and OMI is expected to save the county 15 percent of the projected budget for wastewater treatment over a five-year period, for a total estimated savings of $2.4 million - making money available to fund much-needed capital improvements.

According to Ashmore, allowing OMI to handle daily plant operations has given Rockdale County officials more opportunity to plan for improvements and expansions.

"We have contracted day-to-day operations, but we are responsible for the capital improvements and expansions. Time formerly spent on resolving daily issues can now be focused on the bigger picture of the system," Ashmore said.

OMI and Rockdale County also have partnered to replace critical process equipment. The county invested nearly $800,000 to replace plant and pump station equipment in 1999. OMI staff installed the majority of the equipment.

"We are extremely pleased with the success of this partnership," said Rockdale County Commission Chairman Norman Wheeler. "Contracting with OMI has brought the company's resources to our disposal and has enabled us to provide our wastewater customers with the highest quality service at the lowest possible costs."

Before contracting with OMI in May 1998, county finance workers had budgeted $3.3 million to operate the system for another year. OMI did the job for $3 million.

"I think everybody was shown in the first year that OMI had the ability to do a good job. They jumped right in there with the employees and it has gone well," said Wheeler.

OMI is active in the management and operation of water and wastewater systems, providing a wide range of privatization and outsourcing solutions for customers in government and industry. A member of the employee-owned CH2M Hill Companies, Ltd., OMI offers infrastructure development, financing, design, and operations and maintenance services. Headquartered in Denver, the company operates 150 water and wastewater facilities in the Americas, Middle East and Asia. For more information about OMI, visit the company's web site at http://www. omiinc.com.