City of Atlanta

Department of Watershed Management

Press Release

June 8, 2011 — A house access and renovation project involving the Department’s Construction Management Group (CMG), along with contractors and sub-contractors, has earned the National Utility Contractors Association’s annual Community Service Award. “During most of our construction projects, we try to reach out to people in need of services we can provide,” said Marcia Hurd-Wade, CMG director. “This project was particularly special because people on our team have family members suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease.”

The group asked the Georgia Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association to identify a family in need of help. The Association pointed the group toward a family whose house was on a steep slope that made it impossible for the wheelchair-bound mother, affected by Alzheimer’s, to come and go with ease. The family had been paying a service to carry her in and out when the need arose, draining its resources.

The team, employing the expertise of contractor Western Summit Constructors, installed an access ramp and sidewalk that ran from the back deck to the front driveway to facilitate wheelchair access. Other improvements included:

· Removal of a large dead pine leaning toward the home;
· Preparation, formation and pouring of nine yards of concrete for a new sidewalk and curb along the rear of the house and around the corner of the home to provide ease wheelchair accessibility;
· Scraping, repair, caulking and painting of all exterior soffit;
· Construction of a new treated-wood access ramp to back deck;
· Replacement of missing vinyl siding;
· Replacement of gutters and downspouts;
· Replace exterior wood coping.
· Replacement of fencing and installation of a new gate;
· Removal of yard overgrowth;
· New lawn seeding; and
· Provision of mulch, pine straw and hay for erosion control;

Besides CMG staff, the team included volunteers from Western Summit, Llamas Coatings, Tip Top Roofers, Player & Company and Lafarge Concrete.

(Photos: backyard before and after. Photos of the crews are available upon request.)

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The Department of Watershed Management provides drinking water and wastewater collection and treatment services to more than 1 million people over a 650-square-mile area.

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