{"id":1471,"date":"2016-11-11T14:46:09","date_gmt":"2016-11-11T14:46:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cleanwateratl.co.nf\/?page_id=1471"},"modified":"2020-03-24T20:02:01","modified_gmt":"2020-03-24T20:02:01","slug":"history-3","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cleanwateratlanta.h2o4atl.com\/index.php\/history-3\/","title":{"rendered":"History"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"ui--image-wrap clearfix text-center ui--block\" style=\"margin-left: 0px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"  id=\"ui--image-1\" class=\"ui--image ui--animation\" src=\"https:\/\/cleanwateratlanta.h2o4atl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Water-Line-Construction-2029-1237x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"water-line-construction-2029\" data-at2x=\"\" width=\"1237\" height=\"450\"\/><\/div><div class=\"ui--custom-menu-bar ui--gradient ui--gradient-grey hover-effect ui--box orientation-horizontal ui--height-thin text-center clearfix\"><ul class=\"unstyled clearfix\"><li class=\"first-item ui--icon-position-left\" title=\"\"><a href=\"http:\/\/cleanwateratlanta.h2o4atl.com\/index.php\/history-3\/\"> History <\/a><\/li><li class=\"ui--icon-position-left\" title=\"\"><a href=\"http:\/\/cleanwateratlanta.h2o4atl.com\/index.php\/five-point-plan\/\"> Five Point Plan <\/a><\/li><li class=\"ui--icon-position-left\" title=\"\"><a href=\"http:\/\/cleanwateratlanta.h2o4atl.com\/index.php\/water-and-sewer-rates\/\"> Water and Sewer Rates <\/a><\/li><li class=\"ui--icon-position-left\" title=\"\"><a href=\"http:\/\/cleanwateratlanta.h2o4atl.com\/index.php\/gallery\/\"> Gallery <\/a><\/li><li class=\"last-item ui--icon-position-left\" title=\"\"><a href=\"http:\/\/cleanwateratlanta.h2o4atl.com\/index.php\/contact\"> Contact <\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><h2 id=\"custom-title-h2-1\" class=\"ui--animation \" style=\"text-align: center; \"><font face=arial><strong>The History of Clean Water Atlanta<\/strong><\/h2><div class=\"auto-format ui--animation\"><p><strong>Clean Water Atlanta Overview<\/strong><br \/>\nIn 1995, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD), the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and a citizen downstream filed a lawsuit against the City of Atlanta. This lawsuit alleged that the Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) improvements were inadequate to comply with new federal and state water quality standards. The City negotiated with the lawsuit plaintiffs and the U.S. Department of Justice. As a result, in 1998 Mayor Bill Campbell signed a Federal Consent Decree. Atlanta received the first of two Consent Decrees from the EPA to address combined sewer overflows, which committed the city to an accelerated program of activities designed to improve water quality and eliminate water quality violations from CSOs by 2007. The City completed the first Consent Decree in 2008 in what was termed by the Federal judge a \u201cremarkable accomplishment\u201d.<br \/>\nIn 1999, EPA issued a Second Consent Decree mandating the City of Atlanta address its aging sewer infrastructure. The Consent Decree was modified, adding projects that required the City to address water quality violations from Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs), Water Reclamation Centers (WRCs) and pump stations by 2014. The City accelerated the ongoing sewer improvements, which included an intensive evaluation of sewer pipe conditions; rehabilitation or replacement of defected or capacity limited sewer lines; a grease management program; and a capacity certification program to address capacity availability with new development.<br \/>\nIn 2002, after Mayor Shirley Franklin and the City of Atlanta adopted the name \u201cClean Water Atlanta\u201d in order to focus program efforts on the goal of clean water and align Atlanta\u2019s green infrastructure action plan and wet weather program strategies on sustainable solutions for a more resilient Atlanta.<br \/>\nThese requirements were successfully met which improved water quality in Atlanta\u2019s streams and creeks by reducing the number of CSOs.  In 2012, U.S. District Judge Thomas Thrash granted the City of Atlanta a 13-year extension on its First Amended Consent Decree. This extension allows the Department of Watershed Management to exercise fiscal balance across all infrastructure types \u2013 water, wastewater and stormwater and to focus on meeting its SSO requirements.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The History of Clean Water Atlanta<\/strong><br \/>\nThe City of Atlanta and the surrounding region have grown tremendously in the last 100 years. As the region grows, the demands on existing infrastructure increases. Atlanta is faced with greater challenges in managing wastewater and stormwater, and protecting our rivers and streams. Clean Water Atlanta (CWA) is a comprehensive, coordinated initiative to improve the region\u2019s water quality. CWA encompasses water and wastewater infrastructure and treatment system improvements that are mandated by Consent Decree, as well as watershed improvement projects that extend beyond the requirements.<br \/>\nClean Water Atlanta represents an unprecedented investment in metro Atlanta\u2019s water quality. Upon completion of all CWA tasks, the City will have invested more than $3 billion in Atlanta\u2019s environment. Atlanta\u2019s residents and ratepayers will boast of one of the best treatment and collection systems in the country.<\/p>\n<p><strong>History of Atlanta\u2019s Sewer System<\/strong><br \/>\nIn its earliest days, Atlanta used open watercourses to capture stormwater and divert it into nearby brooks and creeks. As the City grew, and as sinks, bathtubs, and flush toilets became popular, stormwater sewers became conduits for carrying household wastewater as well. These drains were covered and transformed into combined sewers for the collection of stormwater and sewage. Combined sewers were a common method of sewage disposal in major cities. Since these systems were not designed to remove waste, and this combined waste was outfalling into the City\u2019s streams, they eventually became a threat to public health.<br \/>\nIn the late 1880s, sanitary sewers were built to collect wastewater generated by urban households. Once Atlanta outgrew this system, the design and construction of sewers were modernized, resulting in great improvement.<br \/>\nThe improved sewer system was designed to carry both stormwater and household waste. This method had the advantage of providing dilution of the wastewater. However, as Atlanta continued its rapid growth, the system was overcome once again, unable to handle the load of the increase in household wastewater and stormwater runoff from increased paved surfaces.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Atlanta\u2019s Wastewater Sewer System Today<\/strong><br \/>\nThe City of Atlanta\u2019s Department of Watershed Management operates the wastewater collection, conveyance and treatment system, which consists of approximately 2,150 miles of sanitary and combined sewers, four Combined Sewer Overflow treatment plants; three Water Reclamation Centers; and 16 pump stations. The WRCs treat more 188 million gallons of wastewater per day. The City\u2019s wastewater system serves more than 1.2 million people who commute to the city for work or who live outside the City in Dekalb, Fulton, and Clayton counties.<br \/>\nAtlanta\u2019s sewer system dates back to the early 19th Century, and a large part of the original infrastructure remains. In the City\u2019s core, in an area that is roughly 13 square miles, a combined sewer system conveys sewage and stormwater flows in a single pipe. Around 10% of the collection system is combined and the remaining 90% of the system consists of separate sanitary sewer piping. Excessive overflows from the combined sewer system, coupled with sanitary sewer overflows and leaks in the separated area, have negatively impacted water quality. In order to meet the requirements of the Federal Consent Decree, the City will make all necessary improvements to the wastewater system.<\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"ui-row row\">\n <div   class=\"ui-column span3\"><div class=\"text-left\"><\/div><\/div> \n\n <div   class=\"ui-column span6\"><\/div> \n\n <div   class=\"ui-column span3\"><div class=\"text-left\"><\/div><\/div> \n\n<\/div> \n<div  class=\"ui--space clearfix\" data-responsive=\"{&quot;css&quot;:{&quot;height&quot;:{&quot;phone&quot;:null,&quot;tablet&quot;:null,&quot;widescreen&quot;:null}}}\"><\/div><div class=\"auto-format ui--animation\"><p><script>\n  (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){\n  (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),\n  m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)\n  })(window,document,'script','https:\/\/www.google-analytics.com\/analytics.js','ga');<\/p>\n<p>  ga('create', 'UA-98899844-1', 'auto');\n  ga('send', 'pageview');<\/p>\n<p><\/script><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>History Five Point Plan Water and Sewer Rates Gallery Contact The History of Clean Water AtlantaClean Water Atlanta Overview In 1995, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD), the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and a citizen downstream filed a lawsuit against the City of Atlanta. This lawsuit alleged that the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-sidebar-left.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1471","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>History - Consent Decree<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cleanwateratlanta.h2o4atl.com\/index.php\/history-3\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"History - Consent Decree\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"History Five Point Plan Water and Sewer Rates Gallery Contact The History of Clean Water AtlantaClean Water Atlanta Overview In 1995, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD), the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and a citizen downstream filed a lawsuit against the City of Atlanta. 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