|
Williford, Gearhart & Knight, Inc. |
||||||||||
|
Engineers & Surveyors |
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Volume 1,
Issue 10, December 22, 2008 MERRY CHRISTMAS from WGK |
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
The generation who grew up with “The Jetsons” and
“Star Trek” often pine for an automated world, one composed of “Rosie the
Robot” maids and automatic food replicators.
While technology has left present day society a little short of flying
cars, it has come a long way in automating a variety of plant processes. From auto manufacturing to controlling
satellites, automation has provided real-time data and control while reducing
the need for a human in the loop. Automation in this way allows for around-the-clock
coverage for key processes which would normally require hands-on attention by
a trained technician. Fine-tuning
processes through automation can lead to savings in terms of time and money. Public utilities have benefited greatly from this
type of automation, especially water, sewer, and electric services. Commonly called “Supervisory Control and
Data Automation (SCADA)” these systems are revolutionizing the way
municipalities operate key public works facilities. |
Garage Sale I love garage sales. Some fond memories
of my childhood were experienced going to garage sales with my mom and my
grandmother, and I still enjoy going on Saturday mornings to this day with my
oldest son or with my Uncle Butch when we visit his house. I love to find a deal. This past weekend we had a garage sale
to support our ministry, Eyes of the Heart Ministries. It sounded like a
great idea, and many people donated clothes, furniture and miscellaneous
items to our cause. We hoped to make a
killing. Donations are way down for most non-profit organizations this year. I found out this weekend how hard it is
to have a big garage sale. My wife and I have had small ones at the house
mainly to dispose of junk without taking it to a charity or the dump, but the
sheer volume of clothes and other items was overwhelming. I calculated that
if we were to have gotten paid our hourly wages we would have each made about
$2.00 per hour. We made a total of a little over $200.00. Total waste of
time, right? The truth is that the blessing came
through the people who came in the door to our garage sale. Children who
would probably not have received toys, shoes or clothes for Christmas were
blessed because of people donating items and us donating our time. We had the
opportunity to witness to numerous families through the use of our drums and
guitars that we keep in the At the end, we were giving away items
to needy people. Giving is truly better than receiving; the smile of a child
is more valuable than any amount of money. Paul knew what he was talking about
when he quoted Jesus while speaking to the Ephesians in Acts, “It is more
blessed to give than receive.” I think God loves garage sales, because
something old for someone becomes something new for someone else, and our
Lord is definitely in the restoration business. Michael
McDade 325
Hwy 80 East, 601-506-3579 |
||||||||||
Meridian
North Water Treatment Facility
The Future of SCADA? |
|||||||||||
|
The City of The City provides potable water for their 40,000
citizens through a system of eight wells, two treatment facilities, five
storage tanks, four booster stations and 425 miles of pipe. Due to the highly variable nature of the
City’s landscape, the water system is comprised of three separate loops which
are interconnected to provide a consistent supply. The challenge was to create a system which
would provide automated control of water wells, treatment, and
distribution. Further, the system
should allow technicians to operate these vital systems from different
locations at any time of the day or night.
The SCADA system currently being designed by WGK
will fulfill these requirements and more.
Through the automated controls, service pumps will automatically turn
on and refill the storage tanks from treated water reserves at the treatment
plant. In turn, when treated water
reserves at the plant get low, the well pumps automatically turn on and pump
raw water to the plant for treatment. Through all these processes, operators can monitor
the status of the system through a series of distributed programmable
controllers throughout the two treatment plants. Additionally, operators can
monitor and control the system through Windows-based software on their
desktop computers or even securely from their home PC through Internet
Explorer. If a situation arises which
requires an operator’s attention, the system will automatically signal an
audible and visual trouble alarm at the control center, immediately focusing
the operator’s attention on the problem.
In the future, water quality standards will
continue to get stricter and the costs to meet these requirements will
inevitably rise along with them.
Modern SCADA systems provide utilities with the real-time decision
making tools needed to attain consistently high-quality water that exceeds
mandated quality criteria. The final completion of the City of |
|||||||||||
|
Too Sick to Work? If you have a cold, are you too sick
to work? You can try to run from a
common cold, but you can't hide! Findings show that when we're sick
with the common cold, we're not very productive. According to Web MD, lost
productivity on the job accounts for up to 60% of employer health costs --
more than if the sick employees had taken a sick day. So, what should you do when you wake
up sneezing, congested, and feeling miserable from a common cold? Sniffling If you are sniffling, feeling achy and
tired, and have a fever,
you may be coming down with the common cold or the flu. You are most
contagious during the first 24 hours through the first few days of catching a
cold virus, and you will feel miserable. Chills
and Sweats Got a fever? Drink more fluids and consider seeing your
doctor, especially if your fever is over 102 degrees F. That could be a sign
that you have the flu. Coughing If you've got a tickle in the back of
your throat or it feels like you have postnasal drip, your cough is probably
from allergies or the common cold. Sinus
Pain If you have pain around the eyes, top
of the forehead, the cheekbones, and even the top of your teeth, it may be a
symptom of a sinus infection. You may need an antibiotic or other treatment
to relieve your sinus pain and symptoms.
Sinus infections aren't typically contagious.
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
HUGH SMITH of Public Works/Utilities City of |
|
PROJECT |
||||||||
|
PROJECT GOOD HEART is a program in which you donate
to a charity (of your child’s choice) the money that you would have spent on
one of his/her presents. Want to teach your children the true
spirit of Christmas? Please
see below for the details: Explain to your
kids (over the age of 5-6 years or so) that instead of one gift you
would have given them, they are to chose a charity to donate whatever dollars
that present would have cost. Talk about the
reasons charities exist and why empathy towards people less fortunate is a
family value ("Remember when we saw those people on TV who lost their
homes?"). Discuss with them
the various kinds of charities and how they help those less advantaged in
many ways. Ask them what kind
of help they would like to give: for food? shelter? medicine? toys? books?
For kids their age? needy families? victims of disasters or war? the poor?
endangered animals? the environment? Encourage them to
put themselves in another's shoes: "If our family was unlucky and
lost a lot of the things we now have or we were victims of a storm or a war,
how would you want others to help us?" But, remember, in
the end, it's their donation and their charity. Let them choose.
The above picture was taken on 12-11-08 from the |
|||||||||||
|
Hugh Smith is a native of After graduating from He began working for the City of Hugh is an instructor for the Hugh is a member of the Mississippi
Operators and Pollution Control Association, Mississippi Rural Water
Association, Mississippi Chapter of the American Public Works Association,
Mississippi Water Environment Association, and the Alabama/Mississippi
Section of the American Water Works Association. Hugh is an active member of the
Alabama/Mississippi section of the American Water Works Association
(AWWA). He has served on and chaired
various committees within the organization. The above picture was taken this past
April in |
|||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
If something is happening in your town/city that you want to
include in this section |
|||||||||||
|
City of Meridian Admission is Free |
|
A Jeweled Christmas at the Towers in
|
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Wednesday, December 31, 2008 7:00 p.m. Juvenile Rehabilitation Facility (JRF) Bring your lawn chairs and enjoy the
fun. Concession Stand will be available. All proceeds go to Friends of JRF. |
MCEF Safety Day
|
|
|||||||||
|
MS Business &
Industry Expo
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
