What's New at Bonita Springs Utilities

BSU CALLS FOR STUDENT ARTWORK FOR 2010 WATER CONSERVATION CALENDAR

More than 800 drawings were submitted for the Bonita Springs Utilities 2009 Water Conservation calendar. The calendar featured artwork by (front row, left to right) Sophia Evans, Bonita Springs Charter School; Adam Sadaty, Art League of Bonita Springs; Gavin Horoszewski, Pinewoods Elementary; and Naida Gonzalez and River Curth, both of Bonita Springs Elementary; as well as (back row) Katy Guzman, Jieli Chen and Arley Guzman, all of Spring Creek Elementary; Rebecca Szilagyi, Bonita Springs Elementary; and Vinnie Blasucci, Bonita Springs Charter School. Also included were illustrations by Domenica Alban, Pinewoods Elementary; Adriana Van Linder, Bonita Springs Charter School; and Karina Mendez, Spring Creek Elementary.

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (May 14, 2009) – Bonita Springs Utilities invites Bonita Springs elementary school students to help illustrate its 2010 Water Conservation Calendar with drawings that show the importance of water and suggest ways to use it wisely. Students whose drawings are selected for the ninth edition of the calendar will win movie tickets and recognition during a BSU board meeting.

The contest is open to Bonita Springs students who are in kindergarten through fifth grade during the 2008-2009 school year. Entry forms are available on the utility’s Web site at www.BSU.us or at the BSU office on East Terry Street. The deadline for submitting illustrations is June 26.

The not-for-profit utility has published the calendar annually since 2002 as a way to remind its member-customers of the importance of smart water use throughout the year. More than 800 drawings were submitted for the 2009 calendar.

“BSU’s mission includes the protection of our water resources,” said BSU Executive Director Fred Partin. “Our member-customers appreciate the calendars, which provide water-conservation ideas and continual reminders to be conscious of water use.”

The water-conservation calendar concept was the result of a 2001 brainstorming session among a group of the utility’s member-customers who now select the illustrations for the calendars.

Bonita Springs Utilities is a not-for-profit water and wastewater utility that serves more than 30,000 homes and businesses in a 60-square-mile area. For more information about the utility, visit the BSU Web site at www.BSU.us.

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BSU CHANGING TAP WATER TREATMENT DURING MAY

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (April 29, 2009) – Bonita Springs Utilities customers may notice a slightly different smell or taste in their tap water, but the change is temporary and harmless. Each May, BSU changes its water-treatment process as a routine, preventative-maintenance measure.

“The change prevents the possible start of algae growth in our water distribution lines. The water may have a slight chlorine taste or smell but is safe to drink and causes no problems with laundry or other household uses,” said Director of Operations Mel Fisher. The change continues through May 30.

While the tap water is safe to drink, additional filtering may be needed for kidney dialysis and aquariums. The utility suggests that those who use at-home kidney dialysis machines contact their equipment suppliers, so the proper filtering equipment may be installed. Tropical fish or aquatic animal owners should check with tropical fish stores to learn how to pretreat tap water before adding to tanks.

“The technical explanation is that we’re temporarily converting our water disinfectant process from chloramines, a combination of chlorine and a small amount of ammonia, to free chlorine residual, a different form of the chlorine we already use,” said Fisher. “This is a routine, precautionary measure to ensure our member-customers of continual clean, safe potable water.”

Bonita Springs residents also may notice fire hydrants being flushed more often than usual throughout the month. Member-customers who have questions about the process can call BSU weekdays from 7:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. at 239-992-0711.

BSU produced more than 2.7 billion gallons of water during 2008, using two water-production processes. The utility blends water produced through the traditional lime-softening process with water from its reverse osmosis facility for optimum taste and quality.

Bonita Springs Utilities is a not-for-profit water and wastewater utility that serves more than 30,000 homes and businesses in a 60-square-mile area. For more information about the utility, visit the BSU Web site at www.BSU.us.

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BSU BOARD RE-ELECTS OFFICERS

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (April 17, 2009) – The Bonita Springs Utilities Inc. board of directors re-elected its current officers for the 2009-10 term. Dave McKee remains president of the nine-member board. Other officers re-elected for a one-year term were Steve McIntosh, vice president, Frank Liles, treasurer, and Paul Attwood, secretary. The utility is governed by board members elected by BSU member-customers.

McKee is a licensed professional engineer with a background in utilities design and land development. He has served on the board since 2002 and was vice president for one term before being elected president. McIntosh was elected to the board in 2006. He is president of Tartan Consulting and holds a Ph.D. in business administration. Liles, retired after nearly four decades with Sprint, has been on the board since 1986. He has served several terms as vice president, treasurer and secretary. Attwood, a board member since 2001, is assistant district coordinator for the oil and gas section of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. He has served two terms as board secretary.

Other board members include Bob Bachman, Hank Hochstetler, John Mathes, Robert Sharkey and Jim Strecansky. The board of directors meets at 5 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. In addition, each board member serves on various subcommittees and work groups, devoting from 10 to 60 hours a month working with the utility’s management and staff.

Bonita Springs Utilities is a not-for-profit water and wastewater utility that serves more than 30,000 homes and businesses in a 60-square-mile area. For more information about the utility, visit the BSU Web site at www.BSU.us.

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FOUR INCUMBENTS RETURNED TO BSU BOARD; ONE NEW MEMBER ELECTED

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (March 25, 2009) – Bonita Springs Utilities member-customers have re-elected four incumbents and added one new member to its board of directors. Incumbents Steve McIntosh, David McKee and Jim Strecansky return for a three-year term on the board. Incumbent Hank Hochstetler and new member Robert Sharkey were elected for a one-year term.

McIntosh, president of Tartan Consulting, has served on the board since 2006 and is board vice president. McKee, a licensed professional engineer with a background in utilities design and land development, has been a BSU board member since June 2002 and serves as president. Strecansky, who was appointed to the BSU board in 2008, retired as division vice president of a Fortune 500 company, and has lived in Bonita Springs since 2000. Hochstetler, a retired real estate broker and community volunteer, has served on the board since 1990. Sharkey is a retired Florida Department of Corrections lieutenant and has been a Bonita Springs resident since 1986.

Other board members are Paul Attwood, Bob Bachman, Frank Liles and John Mathes.

Bonita Springs attorney Jim Kerr, whose firm monitored the election for the ninth time, announced the results during BSU’s annual meeting. He reported that nearly 21,000 ballots were mailed, and 4,023 valid ballots were counted by the League of Women Voters of Lee County.

BSU member-customers typically elect three fellow members each year for a three-year term on the utility’s nine-member board of directors. This year, two additional directors were elected to fill the vacancies created by the resignation of one member and the passing of another.

The board of directors meets at 5 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at the BSU offices on East Terry Street. Board members also serve on various subcommittees and work groups, devoting 10 to 60 hours a month working with the utility’s management and staff.

Bonita Springs Utilities is a not-for-profit water and wastewater utility that serves more than 30,000 homes and businesses in a 60-square-mile area. For more information about the utility, visit the BSU Web site at www.BSU.us.

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SIX CANDIDATES RUN FOR FIVE SEATS ON BSU BOARD OF DIRECTORS

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (Feb. 3, 2009) – Six candidates, including four incumbents, are running for five seats on the board of directors of Bonita Springs Utilities Inc. The candidates are Adam A. Botana, a life-long Bonita Springs resident and manager of Bay Water Exclusive Boat Club & Rentals; Henry Hochstetler, a retired real estate broker and community volunteer who has served on the board since 1990; Stephen S. McIntosh, PhD, president of Tartan Consulting, board member since 2006 and current board vice president; David McKee, a licensed professional engineer with a background in utilities design and land development who has been a BSU board member since June 2002 and currently serves as president and; Robert H. Sharkey, a retired State of Florida Department of Corrections lieutenant and Bonita Springs resident since 1986; and James F. Strecansky, who was appointed to the BSU board in 2008, retired as division vice president of a Fortune 500 company, and has lived in Bonita Springs since 2000.

BSU member-customers typically elect three fellow members each year for a three-year term on the utility’s nine-member board of directors. This year, two additional directors will be elected to fill the vacancies created by the resignation of Mark Ciaffone and the passing of Robert McGrath. Since candidates do not run for specific board seats, the three candidates who receive the greatest number of votes will be elected for three-year terms. The fourth- and fifth-place candidates will be elected for a one-year term.

Ballots will be mailed to BSU member-customers in mid-February, and election results will be announced during the utility’s annual meeting Tuesday, March 17. The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the BSU office at 11860 East Terry Street.

Other board members are Paul Attwood, Bob Bachman, Frank Liles Jr. and John Mathes. The board of directors meets at 5 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. In addition, each board member serves on various subcommittees and work groups, devoting from 10 to 60 hours a month working with the utility’s management and staff.

Bonita Springs Utilities is a not-for-profit water and wastewater utility that serves more than 30,000 homes and businesses in a 60-square-mile area. For more information about the utility, visit the BSU Web site at www.BSU.us.

BONITA SPRINGS UTILITIES, INC. – 2009 CANDIDATES FOR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Adam A. Botana, a resident of Bonita Springs since 1984, has managed Bay Water Exclusive Boat Club & Rentals since 2004. He is a lifelong resident of Bonita Springs, a graduate of Barron Collier High School and a member of the Rotary Club of Bonita Springs Noon. Adam is interested in giving back to the community and helping Bonita Springs. His priorities as a board member would be to protect the environment, maintain costs and enhance the relationship between the utility and the community.

Henry Hochstetler was elected to the BSU board in 1990, after chairing the utility’s Wastewater Feasibility Study Committee. He has served as board president, vice president, treasurer and secretary. A Bonita Springs resident since 1979, Hank retired as president of Hochstetler Realty, Inc., in 2000. He is past president of the Bonita Springs Area Chamber of Commerce, Bonita Springs Board of Realtors and Bonita Springs Main Street, Inc., and was named 1995 Citizen of the Year by the chamber. He is an elder at the First Presbyterian Church of Bonita Springs, serves on the board of the Bonita Springs YMCA, volunteers with Hope Hospice and is a member of the Bonita Springs Elks and Moose clubs. Hank’s priorities are providing quality water and wastewater services to member-customers at the lowest possible cost, reducing bond debt and finding new ways to control energy costs and increase efficiency.

Stephen S. McIntosh, a BSU board member since 2006, now serves as vice president. A Purdue University graduate with a PhD in business administration, he has 15 years of management experience with a Fortune 500 company. In 1994, he founded Tartan Consulting, which focuses on business strategy, leadership development and psychological assessment. Steve, a graduate of the charter class of Leadership Bonita, helped create BSU’s first strategic business plan in 2004. He is vice chairman of the Florida Gulf Coast University Foundation and a Florida Supreme Court-certified mediator. He has served on the boards of the Bonita Springs Area Chamber of Commerce, Speakers Assembly, Rotary and YMCA and was named both Rotarian of the Year and Chamber Director of the Year. His priorities are resource preservation, environmental protection, cost controls and the highest quality customer service.

David E. McKee joined the BSU board in June 2002, was vice president and has served as president since 2007. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil and environmental engineering, is a licensed professional engineer with extensive background in development and utilities, and has been president and principal engineer of Lake Hickory Ventures, Inc. since 2005. He has lived and worked in Bonita Springs since 1990. Dave is president of the Bonita Springs Area Housing Development Corporation, which provides low-income housing, and past president of the Rotary Club of Bonita Springs Noon and Bonita Springs Youth Council. He serves on the board of the Bonita Springs Assistance Office. His goals are to control costs during the economic slowdown and find ways to improve service and reliability.

Robert H. Sharkey, a resident of Bonita Springs since 1986, recently retired as a lieutenant after more than a decade with the State of Florida Department of Corrections. He attended Lake City Community College, is a graduate of the Southwest Florida Criminal Justice Academy and is a state-certified hostage negotiator. He is a member of the Florida Police Benevolent Association and the Florida Association of Hostage Negotiators and has experience in negotiating labor, tax and benefits issues. Robert feels his budget-forecasting skills and PBA experience in screening political candidates would help him as a BSU board member. His priorities would be monitoring growth and controlling the budget.

James F. Strecansky was appointed to the BSU board in 2008. He has lived in Bonita Springs since 2000, when he retired as division vice president and general manager with Air Products & Chemicals, the Fortune 500 company he joined in 1962. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Manhattan College and has participated in the advanced management program at Harvard Business School. He serves as a board member and on committees of his neighborhood association at Shadow Wood in The Brooks. His nearly four decades of management experience in the industrial gas, energy and environmental business have developed his skills in setting clear objectives, hiring good people and understanding markets. Jim’s priorities as a board member are to provide reliable and cost-effective service to the community and to insure BSU’s growth and financial stability.

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BSU HOSTS OPEN HOUSE AT NEW WASTEWATER FACILITY

Bonita Springs Utilities invites the public to tour the award-winning East Water Reclamation Facility, which can be seen from I-75 north of East Terry Street, on Saturday, Jan. 10 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m..

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (Dec. 30, 2008) – Bonita Springs Utilities Inc. invites member-customers and friends to tour its award-winning East Water Reclamation Facility Saturday, Jan. 10 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.. Trolley tours of the facility campus will be conducted by BSU employees, who will explain how the facility converts wastewater into irrigation water and fertilizer pellets. Visitors also can tour the utility’s newly completed Operations Service Center, which serves as the headquarters for BSU’s field staff. To reach the facility site from East Terry Street, travel north one mile on Morton Avenue, and turn left. The facility is on the left, 0.75 miles after the road curves.

The East Water Reclamation Facility was honored twice during 2008. The American Society of Civil Engineers Florida Section named the facility 2008 Florida Project of the Year, and the Design-Build Institute of America recognized it with a National Design-Build Award.

“Wastewater professionals from across the country have visited the facility to learn about its state-of-the-art technology, and we want our member-customers to have the same opportunity,” said BSU Executive Director Fred Partin. “We think people will enjoy learning what happens to the wastewater that disappears down their drains and toilets. It is a service that is used every day, but one that is unfamiliar to most people.”

The facility uses a membrane bioreactor system to reclaim water from sewage and wastewater. The reclaimed water is used for irrigation, helping to relieve seasonal water shortages and protecting the community’s surface-water system from nutrient-rich water discharges. The facility was designed to eliminate the need for sludge hauling by producing biosolids that are sold as fertilizer. The facility site, along I-75 north of Terry Street, includes a 10-acre wading bird habitat surrounding a nine-acre pond.

The East Water Reclamation Facility has the capacity to treat 4 million gallons of wastewater per day and works with BSU’s original wastewater-treatment facility to process the wastewater produced by more than 30,000 homes and businesses in BSU’s 60-square-mile service area. The facility can be expanded to a capacity of 16 million gallons per day, enough to serve the needs of the Bonita Springs area through buildout.

The adjacent Operations Service Center serves as the master-control facility for the utility’s water-production and wastewater-treatment facilities. The 22,500-square-foot building includes administrative offices, a training room, shop area and warehouse space. It also houses the utility’s field operations staff and serves as headquarters for BSU’s vehicle fleet.

Bonita Springs Utilities’ employees will be selling “What’s Cooking at BSU?,” a cookbook of employee-contributed recipes. Proceeds from cookbook sales benefit BSU’s Relay For Life team.

To learn more about Bonita Springs Utilities, a not-for-profit water and wastewater utility, visit the BSU Web site at www.BSU.us.

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STRECANSKY APPOINTED TO BSU BOARD

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (Dec. 29, 2008) – James Strecansky has been appointed to the Bonita Springs Utilities Inc. board of directors to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Marc Ciaffone.

Strecansky has lived in Bonita Springs since 2000 and serves on the boards of the Shadow Wood Homeowners Association and a community development district of The Brooks, as well as two neighborhood committees. He retired as division vice president and general manager after a 38-year career with Air Products & Chemicals, a Fortune 500 company that supplies industrial gas and produces cryogenic equipment. Strecansky holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Manhattan College and has participated in the advanced management program at Harvard Business School.

“I believe the best way to insure the growth and prosperity of the area is through personal involvement in its businesses and political activity,” said Strecansky. “I look forward to using my business experience in my work on the BSU board.”

To retain his board seat, Strecansky must be elected by the utility’s member-customers in the upcoming board-member election. Ballots will be mailed in February, and the results of the election will be announced at the annual meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, March 17, 2009.

In addition to attending two monthly board meetings, each of the nine board members serves on various subcommittees and work groups. Board members are elected for three-year terms. Strecansky joins Paul Attwood, Robert Bachman, Henry Hochstetler, Frank Liles Jr., John Mathes, Robert McGrath, Stephen McIntosh and David McKee on the board.

Bonita Springs Utilities is a not-for-profit water and wastewater utility that serves more than 30,000 homes and businesses in a 60-square-mile area. For more information about the utility, visit the BSU Web site at www.BSU.us.

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BSU TAKES STEPS TO PROTECT MEMBER-CUSTOMERS’ IDENTITIES

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (Dec. 11, 2008) – Bonita Springs Utilities Inc. has completed steps to protect its member-customers from identity theft. The Federal Trade Commission has implemented a new policy, the Red Flag Rules, that requires creditors to put formalized identity-theft protection programs into practice. BSU is considered a creditor because the utility bills for services the month after they are provided and finances connections to its water-distribution and wastewater-collection systems.

Enforcement of the policy will begin next May, but BSU staff already have completed the required risk assessment, devised a plan to identify suspicious activities – red flags – and trained staff to take ste

ps to respond appropriately to those red flags.

“Everything we do focuses on serving and protecting our member-customers,” said BSU Executive Director Fred Partin. “As soon as we became aware of the Red Flag Rules, our staff began work. Our procedures were already good, but we are confident that we’re now doing everything possible to protect our records.”

Bonita Springs Utilities is a not-for-profit water and wastewater utility that serves more than 30,000 homes and businesses in a 60-square-mile area. For more information about the utility, visit the BSU Web site at www.BSU.us.

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CANDIDATES FOR BSU BOARD MUST APPLY BY DEC. 31

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (Nov. 21, 2008) – Those wishing to run for a seat on the Bonita Springs Utilities Inc. board of directors must file applications by the end of the year. Member-customers of the not-for-profit water and wastewater utility will elect three representatives for a three-year term this spring. Any BSU member who is a full-time resident of the area served by BSU is eligible to run. Candidates cannot be related, as defined by the BSU bylaws, to members of the board. Those interested in applying for candidacy may pick up application forms at the BSU office at 11860 East Terry Street. Completed applications must be received at the BSU office before 5 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2008.

Ballots will be mailed to BSU members in mid-February, and the results of the election will be announced at the annual meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, March 17, 2009. Bonita Springs attorney James Kerr, whose office has supervised the election process for the past eight years, will serve as election monitor for 2009.

The board of directors meets at 5 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. In addition, each of the nine board members serves on various subcommittees and work groups, devoting from 10 to 60 hours a month working with the utility’s management and staff. Board members receive monthly stipends and optional health insurance coverage.

Incumbents Henry Hochstetler, Stephen McIntosh and David McKee are eligible to run for re-election. Other board members are Paul Attwood, Robert Bachman, Marc Ciaffone, Frank Liles Jr., John Mathes and Robert McGrath.

Bonita Springs Utilities serves nearly 30,000 homes and businesses in a 60-square-mile area. Its mission is to provide safe, reliable potable water and wastewater treatment, emphasizing responsible protection of our resources at the most effective cost to all members. To learn more, log onto www.BSU.us.

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BSU WASTEWATER FACILITY WINS NATIONAL DESIGN-BUILD AWARD

Design-Build Institute of America Board Chairman Tom Sorley (left) and DBIA Board Vice Chairman Tom Porter present a National Design-Build Award for the Bonita Springs Utilities East Water Reclamation Facility (center, left to right) Don Klose of CH2M Hill, Mike Liggins of Bonita Springs Utilities and Katus Watson of CH2M Hill.

LAS VEGAS (Nov. 20, 2008) – The Design-Build Institute of America has recognized the Bonita Springs Utilities East Water Reclamation Facility with a National Design-Build Award. The award, announced during the 2008 Design-Build Conference and Expo in Las Vegas, was presented to representatives of BSU and CH2M Hill, which coordinated the design, permitting, construction and commissioning of the facility.

Awards were given in 13 categories to 30 projects from across the country. Winning projects were honored for innovation, unique solutions for project challenges, and the successful application of design-build principles, including collaboration in the early stages of the project and the acceptance of single-entity risk.

“Our staff was made an integral part of the design-build project team and was actively involved in making decisions to maximize value and minimize plant-operating costs throughout all phases of the project,” said BSU Director of Engineering Mike Liggins. “CH2M Hill delivered the project on schedule and within budget. The new facility not only helps BSU meet the needs of the Bonita Springs community for years to come but also serves as a model for other utilities throughout the nation.”

When it began operation in January 2007, BSU’s East Water Reclamation Facility became the largest membrane-bioreactor plant commissioned in the state of Florida. The facility reclaims the water from wastewater to provide irrigation water that helps relieve seasonal shortages. This eliminates the discharge of nutrient-rich water into the community’s surface-water system. The plant also allows the beneficial reuse of biosolids and eliminates the need for sludge hauling by producing pelletized biosolids that are sold as fertilizer. The facility site, along I-75 north of Terry Street, includes a 10-acre wading bird habitat surrounding a nine-acre pond.

The East Water Reclamation Facility has the capacity to treat 4 million gallons of wastewater per day and works with BSU’s original wastewater-treatment facility to process the wastewater produced by more than 30,000 homes and businesses in BSU’s 60-square-mile service area. The new facility is designed to be expanded to a capacity of 16 million gallons per day, enough to serve the needs of the Bonita Springs area through buildout.

Design-build is a project delivery method where, in contrast to “design-bid-build”, the design and construction aspects are contracted for with a single entity known as the design-builder. The design-builder is usually the general contractor, but in many cases it is also the design professional. This system is used to minimize the project risk for an owner and to reduce the delivery schedule by overlapping the design phase, permitting, procurement and construction phases of a project.

Founded in 1993, and headquartered in Washington, DC, DBIA represents architects, engineers, public and private owners, contractors, manufacturers and suppliers, students, college and university faculty, legal and finance professionals, and others. The association serves as the center of expertise for integrated project delivery, advocating best practices, creating and disseminating educational information, and furnishing advice and support to facility owners and users.

Bonita Springs Utilities is a not-for-profit water and wastewater utility whose mission is to provide safe, reliable potable water and wastewater treatment, emphasizing responsible protection of the area’s resources at the most effective cost to all members. For more information, log onto www.BSU.us. -30-

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BSU UTILITY BILLS TO INCREASE BY 2.8 PERCENT

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (Oct. 6, 2008) – Bonita Springs Utilities Inc. increased its rates by 2.8 percent beginning Oct. 1. The change will be reflected on November bills. Although the not-for-profit water and wastewater utility is allowed increases each year at a rate consistent with the Consumer Price Index, the 2008 adjustment is just half of the 5.6 percent CPI for the South region of the U.S.

“Our board of directors is committed to the best interests of our member-customers and struggled with the decision to increase rates,” said BSU Executive Director Fred Partin. “The rate increase supports the long-term fiscal health of the utility, which is ultimately best for everyone.”

BSU is increasing rates to help cover dramatic increases in the costs of power, chemicals and transportation. The typical monthly bill for a household using 6,000 gallons will be increased by $2.29.

“We aren’t happy about the rate increase but hope it will be easier for people to accept small, yearly adjustments rather than larger, sporadic jumps,” said Partin. “We’ve taken steps to minimize the increase. Projects have been postponed or scaled back to adjust for the slowdown in population growth, and our employees are working hard to cut spending without sacrificing quality or service.”

Monthly water and wastewater charges were increased by 3.4 percent in 2007.

Bonita Springs Utilities serves more than 30,000 homes and businesses in a 60-square-mile area. For more information, visit the BSU Web site at www.BSU.us.

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BSU WINS ENGINEERING PROJECT OF THE YEAR HONORS

President Mike Phelps of the American Society of Civil Engineers Florida Section (left) presents the Project of the Year Award to CH2M Hill Project Manager Katus Watson and Project Engineer Jim Bradbury with Andy Koebel (right), Bonita Springs Utilities project manager, for BSU’s East Water Reclamation Facility.

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (Sept. 10, 2008) – The American Society of Civil Engineers has named Bonita Springs Utilities’ East Water Reclamation Facility as the 2008 Florida Project of the Year. The award is given by the Florida Section of the ASCE to honor engineering efforts in research, design, construction or management. CH2M Hill, which coordinated the design and construction of the facility, was recognized for innovative application of technology, social and economic considerations, project complexity and exceeding the needs of the client. In January 2007, the facility became the largest membrane bioreactor plant commissioned in the state of Florida.

“CH2M Hill showed engineering creativity and foresight throughout this project,” said BSU Executive Director Fred Partin. “The facility was designed, constructed and is operated as it was initially envisioned, without delays or interruptions during construction and startup, and within budget. It serves as a working example of current wastewater-reclamation technology and is being visited by our colleagues from across the state and nation.”

The facility uses a membrane bioreactor system to reclaim water from sewage and wastewater. The facility provides irrigation water to help relieve seasonal water shortages, protects the environment with no discharge of nutrient-rich water into the community’s surface-water system, eliminates the need for sludge hauling by producing biosolids that are sold as fertilizer, and minimizes the need for additional chemicals to purify the reclaimed water. The facility site, along I-75 north of Terry Street, includes a 10-acre wading bird habitat surrounding a nine-acre pond.

The East Water Reclamation Facility has the capacity to treat 4 million gallons of wastewater per day and works with BSU’s original wastewater-treatment facility to process the wastewater produced by more than 30,000 homes and businesses in BSU’s 60-square-mile service area. The new facility is designed to be expanded to a capacity of 16 million gallons per day, enough to serve the needs of the Bonita Springs area through build-out.

The American Society of Civil Engineers was founded in 1852 and represents more than 140,000 members. Its mission is to advance technology, advocate lifelong learning, promote the profession, develop leadership and advocate infrastructure and environmental stewardship.

Bonita Springs Utilities is a not-for-profit water and wastewater utility whose mission is to provide safe, reliable potable water and wastewater treatment, emphasizing responsible protection of the area’s resources at the most effective cost to all members. For more information, log onto www.BSU.us.

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BSU’S SCOTT CARPENTER NAMED UTILITY PLANT OPERATOR OF THE YEAR

Scott Carpenter of Bonita Springs Utilities Inc. (left) accepts the 2008 Operator of the Year Award from Bill Lazenby (right) of the Southeast Desalting Association.

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (July 25, 2008) – The Southeast Desalting Association honored Scott Carpenter of Bonita Springs Utilities Inc. as 2008 Operator of the Year. Carpenter was surprised with the award during the joint conference of SEDA and the American Membrane Technology Association, attended by 700 people in Naples in mid-July.

Carpenter was nominated for his extensive professional knowledge, operational experience and enthusiasm for his work. Since joining BSU in 2004, he earned operator’s licenses for both water production and wastewater treatment, and he was instrumental in the selection of BSU’s reverse-osmosis facility as SEDA’s Outstanding Membrane Plant Operations Award for 2005/2006. Carpenter now is an operator at BSU’s new East Water Reclamation Facility and is certified by SEDA as a membrane operator. The facility uses membrane bioreactor technology to convert sewage and wastewater into reclaimed water used for irrigation and biosolids that are sold for fertilizer.

Carpenter earned a cash award and complimentary registration and accommodations for two upcoming SEDA conferences.

“We think all our employees do an excellent job, but Scott is outstanding,” said BSU Executive Director Fred Partin. “We are very proud of him and happy to see him enjoy this much deserved recognition.”

The Southeast Desalting Association is dedicated to the improvement of the quality of water supplies through membrane desalting and filtration, water reuse and other water sciences. The association was formed in 1994, has more than 700 members and covers a 10-state region.

Bonita Springs Utilities is a not-for-profit water and wastewater utility that serves more than 30,000 homes and businesses in a 60-square-mile area. For more information about the utility, visit the BSU Web site at www.BSU.us.

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