CH2M HILL Earns American Water Award for Environmental Project of the Year

CH2M HILL (www.ch2mhill.com), a global full-service consulting, design, construction and operations firm, is pleased to announce that the firm has been recognized with American Water Intelligence’s External link inaugural American Water Award for Environmental Project of the Year for its work on the Lake City Nature Preserve and East Jesters Creek Phase 4 Stream Restoration, completed for Lake City and Clayton County Water Authority (CCWA), Georgia. The Awards, which highlight innovation and forward thinking in a rapidly changing industry, were presented during American Water Intelligence’s American Water Summit on October 14, held in Chicago.

The entries shortlisted by American Water Intelligence were invited to the Summit to make their cases for awards in a quick-fire presentation format. The audience voted live for the winners, making for an exciting evening. Wayne Murphy, CH2M HILL Project Manager and Senior Civil Engineer, gave the presentation and then accepted the award on CH2M HILL’s behalf during the gala dinner award ceremony.

“It was a pleasure to present on and be recognized by American Water Intelligence for this unique urban banking model in a nature preserve that provides a true watershed approach,” said Murphy. “By working closely with Clayton County Water Authority and Lake City we were not only able to enhance water quality and restore the stream and wetlands, but also create recreation opportunities for the community.”

In 2008, CCWA and the city of Lake City developed a collaborative partnership to conduct stream restoration activities along East Jesters Creek and create a nature preserve on 26 acres of property adjacent to the Lake City Municipal Complex. CH2M HILL was selected to prepare a multi-faceted design that incorporated stream restoration, wetland restoration, and stormwater improvements with the creation of a nature park complete with trails, bridges, parking areas, a pavilion, scenic overlook, and aesthetic water features.

Thanks to the collaborative efforts of CH2M HILL, CCWA and Lake City, 1,640 feet of East Jester Creek were designed to enhance the local aquatic habitats and reduce stream bank erosion. The completed project enhances water quality and restores stream and wetland while providing a place for the citizens of Clayton County to enjoy the beauty of nature and enhance their wellbeing through exercise on the 1.5 miles of walking trails and through meditation at the two park amenity features.

Headquartered near Denver, Colorado, USA, employee-owned CH2M HILL is a global leader in consulting, design, design-build, operations, and program management for government, civil, industrial and energy clients. The firm’s work is concentrated in the areas of water, transportation, environmental, energy, facilities and resources. With US$6.4 billion in revenue and 30,000 employees, CH2M HILL is an industry-leading program management, construction management and design firm, as ranked by Engineering News-Record and named a leader in sustainable engineering by Verdantix. The firm has been named a FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For five times and was named Water Company of the Year at the 2012 Global Water Awards. Visit us at www.ch2mhill.com, www.ch2mhillblogs.com/water, twitter.com/ch2mhill and facebook.com/ch2mhill. Search for jobs at www.ch2mhill.jobs.