The Honolulu (Hawaii) City Department of Environmental Services recently won a national award for a children’s book, titled “Anatomy of Wastewater.”
The book teaches children how sewers and wastewater treatment processes are similar to their own digestive systems. The book — which was written, illustrated and published by city staff — won an award for the 2021 National Environmental Achievement in Public Information and Education.
Get a look at the book online here.
Reuse Project in Tampa Slowed
At least two city council members in Tampa, Florida, have objected to a $10 million funding request for a 50 mgd indirect reuse project. The members say the plan is being rushed.
The plan is called Purify Natural Resources for the Environment (PURE) and this is the second setback it has faced since the council rejected a proposal in 2019.
Water officials have been working for years to get the plan approved, which would reroute treated wastewater into the Hillsborough River that is currently emptying into Tampa Bay.
Read more about the proposal here.
City of Marion Employee Found Dead in Treatment Pond
According to WSILTV News, authorities have identified the body of a city employee who was recently found dead at the Marion (Illinois) Wastewater Treatment Facility.
The employee, identified as plant operator David Williams, had gone missing during his shift. Emergency crews were dispatched and found his remains hours later in a treated water pond.
The incident is under investigation by the Illinois State Police and the Williamson County Coroner’s Office.
The City of Marion thanked first responders and remembered Williams in a public statement. “David was more than just a dedicated employee, and his legacy will continue to be honored through the brotherhood and sisterhood of his co-workers and the enormous impact he had on his community through his Second Baptist Church family. David was the ultimate example of a family man. He dedicated his life to caring for his family, his work family, and building a legacy that will never be forgotten. The City of Marion mourns his tragic loss alongside his family and his coworkers.”
