Departments
Engineering
The Engineering department of the Macon Water Authority is responsible for planning, analyzing, and implementing all system extension projects. In addition to the oversight of projects conducted by the Authority, the Engineering Department provides technical assistance to outside agencies with projects in Macon and Bibb County.
The grease management section of the department inspects more that 760 grease traps every quarter. Grease is the number one cause of sewer overflows and these traps help to alleviate the negative impact of grease on the system. The section also receives reports from grease haulers and keeps statistics on the grease management program.
Engineering technicians monitor the water system to ensure that it is running properly. This includes fire flow tests, dye tests, and monitoring the backflow program. These technicians also survey areas of expansion in the system and conduct preliminary reviews of plans.
The Engineering Department inspects each contractor's work when installing water and sewer mains for the Authority, as well as locating MWA lines prior to construction projects in the city of Macon and Bibb County.
Another function of the Engineering Department is the operation of the MWA's Geographic Information System (GIS). GIS is a database of the MWA's digital infrastructure, including both water and sanitary sewer operations. GIS maintains all as-built information, digital maps and all attribute information associated with the MWA.
In addition to the GIS system, the Engineering department operates the Capacity, Management, Operation, and Maintenance System (CMOM). CMOM is a program implemented by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help prevent sanitary sewer overflow's (SSO). Owners of all municipal wastewater collection systems, such as the MWA, are required to develop procedures to improve system capacity, perform long-term planning for investments in infrastructure, develop better documentation and asset management procedures, and then share all of this information with stakeholders more effectively.
For more information on the Engineering Department, please contact Ray Shell at (478) 464-5637.