by Jackie Robinson
The Birmingham Water Works has been the focus of quite a bit of media attention lately. It seems like there is a story in the news at least once or twice a week. But with all that press, the public still hasn t been told the rest of the story.
For example, did you know:
The Birmingham Water Works water quality is one of the top 5 in the nation and not only meets federal drinking water standards, but exceeds them.
As water rates have increased nationwide because of increased federal regulation and the need to replace and upgrade aging infrastructure, over the past couple of years the Birmingham Water Works rate has only increased by 4.5% compared to the nation s average increase of 6%.
In 2011, Moody Investor Service upgraded the Birmingham Water Works bond rating to Aa2, and Standard and Poor s upgraded it to AA. Very few water utilities receive this kind of investor confidence. And the bond rating increases occurred at the same time our nation s bond rating went down and Jefferson County declared bankruptcy. More importantly, these higher bond ratings help save money, which translates into lower rates for customers.
The Birmingham Water Works repeatedly receives national acclaim for the way it operates and is held up as an example of how a water utility should be run. Moody s praised the Birmingham Water Works for its prudent fiscal management and healthy financial position, and Standard and Poor s said it had a strong financial profile and competitive water rates.
In July 2012, the Birmingham Water Works opened a Health and Wellness Center to provide free health care services and free generic drugs for its employees and their families. The Health Center improves employee health and at the same time is projected to decrease the Birmingham Water Works health care costs by 12% over 5 years.
The Birmingham Water Works sponsors a Young Water Ambassadors program. This six-week program allows 100 area high school juniors and seniors to spend their summer working and learning about the Birmingham Water Works and its operations, impressing upon the students the importance of conserving and protecting water.
So the next time you turn on your faucet, do so knowing that the rest of the story is that the Birmingham Water Works is not trying to get from mediocre to good, we're trying to get from good to great.
Jackie Robinson is Chairman, Birmingham Water Works Board