For immediate release Monday, December 5, 2011 Mayor Coleman Appoints Greg Davies as Director of Public Utilities Greg Davies, deputy chief of staff to Mayor Michael B. Coleman, was named the new director of the Department of Public Utilities, effective December 19. Davies will replace Tatyana Arsh, who announced last

Scheduled for vote at tonight's Columbus City Council meeting is legislation for $142,071 to contract with the U.S. Utility Contractor Company to begin the first phase of a planned $1 million reinvestment in the city's streetlight infrastructure.

This first contract will authorize rehabilitation and/or replacement of various components within two streetlighting circuits on the city's east side, bounded by Livingston Avenue, Mooberry Street, 18th Street and Alum Creek Drive. The work will improve streetlight reliability and prevent outages, which can occur more frequently on aged circuits. Components to be replaced include wires, poles, lights, brackets and standoff arms.

A map of the circuits planned to be rehabilitated or replaced over the next several months under this program is available. 

The report shows that the water pumped to the 1.1 million customers again meets or exceeds all minimum requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act and all other state and federal health standards.

One overflow location removed in 2010, another modified.

The Columbus Department of Public Utilities made additional strides toward reducing sanitary sewer overflow locations and water-in-basement occurrences in 2010 through capital improvement projects and preventive maintenance programs. The results are contained in the 2010 City of Columbus Sanitary Sewer Overflow and Water in Basement Report, which was recently completed and submitted to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA). Consent order agreements between the city and state require the report to be filed annually with the agency. Additionally, strategies to reduce overflows from heavy storms in older areas built with combined sewers are being implemented through the 40-year Wet Weather Management Plan, launched in 2005 and approved by the OEPA in 2009.

On Sunday, May 22, a precautionary boil water advisory was issued for residents that lost water service in the vicinity of a main line break on McKinley Avenue between Trabue Road and West Fifth Avenue.  After sampling and testing the water from this area, no contamination has been found. The boil water advisory is now cancelled and is no longer necessary.

In recognition of the national Drinking Water Week, the Columbus Department of Public Utilities hosted 640 fifth-grade students and teachers for the fourth annual Central Ohio Children's Water Festival today. The annual event, held at the Public Utilities Complex on Dublin Road, is designed to promote environmental awareness about our valuable water resources to elementary students through interactive displays and hands-on activities. Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman welcomed the students during the morning’s Tapping Team demonstration.

Due to rising river levels all over the state including central Ohio, the City of Columbus Department of Public Utilities is asking residents to stay out of the city's three water reservoirs (Hoover, Griggs and O'Shaughnessy) and all local waterways. Conditions are not safe for fishing or wading. As an example of the dangers, two fisherman had to be rescued from Big Walnut Creek earlier in the week as water levels rose quickly, and others were being asked to leave today. Water is currently overflowing the Hoover Reservoir spillway and could increase. Local law enforcement officials will be asking anyone seen in the water to leave immediately, for their own safety.