FAYETTEVILLE, Ark., May 15, 2008—From installing energy-efficient lighting to eliminating waste that goes to landfills, the eco-friendly practices deployed at the City of Fayetteville's Paul R. Noland Wastewater Treatment Plant helped the facility earn top honors in the 2007 Arkansas Environmental Stewardship Award program.

Presented annually by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, the award program — nicknamed the ENVY Award — recognizes citizens, facilities or organizations in five categories for their efforts to enhance and protect the Arkansas environment. The Noland Wastewater Treatment Plant was the top project in the sustainability category and a finalist for the overall 2007 ENVY Award.

The plant is operated and maintained by operations and maintenance experts from CH2M HILL OMI, who have embraced sustainability and made numerous improvements and changes to enhance their "green" footprint over the past year.

"From the beginning, the city has enthusiastically supported our efforts to build on the great 'green' work we already do, which is enhancing the environment and protecting public health through excellence in wastewater treatment," says Duyen Tran, project manager for CH2M HILL OMI. "Our expanded sustainability program and the successes we’ve found, including being an ENVY Award finalist, represent a true partnership between our employees and the City of Fayetteville."

Some of the projects implemented by the Noland Wastewater Treatment Plant staff include:

• Developing a Running Register of Sustainability. All employees brainstorm ideas that are input into the register, then, using a series of weighted criteria, the value of a particular idea is evaluated and put on a schedule for implementation. Improvements made because of the register include buying an industrial tricycle for zero-emission transportation around the facility, installing high-efficiency lighting and using motion detectors to save electricity.



• Purchasing a Supersaturated Dissolved Oxygen System — an innovation from a local company — to reduce liquid oxygen use during the wastewater treatment process. This new technology, which can be used at wastewater plants throughout the world, reduces energy consumption and the amount of liquid oxygen needed.



• Improving recycling of cans, paper, electronics and scrap metal, and eliminating bottled water altogether.



• Using waste oil to coat the interior of biosolid transportation trucks to reduce the number of truck trips needed, therefore reducing gasoline use.



• Creating and supporting wildlife habitat in and around the facilities. Employees have installed a feeding station for mink, planted berry-producing shrubs to provide food for three-toed box turtles, built nesting boxes to provide shelter for birds, and planted native flowers that provide a home and food for butterflies, among other activities.

"I want to congratulate all the finalists for the 2007 ENVY Award, along with many other businesses, government agencies and private citizens throughout Arkansas who are also doing their part to improve our environment," says Teresa Marks, ADEQ director, who honored finalists at the April 25 meeting of the Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission.

CH2M HILL OMI has operated and maintained the city’s recently expanded 12.6 million-gallon-per-day wastewater plant since 1987.  Other responsibilities include O&M of the new Westside facility, maintaining 42 lift stations, and conducting sludge hauling and disposal.

Clients in government and industry rely on the people of CH2M HILL OMI to provide a range of custom-tailored operations and maintenance solutions. The company’s services include water and wastewater system optimization; contract O&M of water, wastewater and other utilities; and complete municipal operations, including administration, public works and community development – all backed by a commitment to safety, quality, innovation and customer service. Founded by CH2M HILL in 1980, the Englewood, Colo.-based company serves clients in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada and Puerto Rico. For more information, visit www.omi.ch2mhill.com.

Employee-owned CH2M HILL is a $5 billion global firm providing engineering, procurement, construction and operations for public and private clients. CH2M HILL has more than 24,000 employees worldwide and is routinely ranked among the Fortune Most Admired Companies in its industry. For more information, visit www.ch2mhill.com.