Important News
A message from General Manager Joe Mantua:
While the coronavirus continues to spread and cause significant impacts to our daily lives, the BJWSA team is working hard to ensure that water and wastewater services go uninterrupted for our community. Water is life’s most precious resource and during a public health crisis such as COVID-19, the provision of safe, clean water is essential. Our treatment facilities and maintenance crews remain fully staffed and although our Customer Service Lobby area is closed to the public, our Customer Service Representatives are available to assist you over the phone.
We have implemented work from home procedures to the extent possible for our administrative and engineering functions and are employing social distancing measures in all work areas and operations to assist in slowing the spread of this virus.
BJWSA will continue to monitor the outbreak and take steps in accordance with the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to protect the health of our customers, employees and community. Please follow us on social media (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) and check our website for continued updates.
Joe Mantua
General Manager
BJWSA’s Bennett earns World Class Technician award
Okatie, SC – March 19, 2020 – Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority (BJWSA) announces that Fleet Technician III Benjie Bennett is one of the latest recipients of the prestigious World Class Technician award, given by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), in partnership with the Auto Care Association. The two organizations provide this annual recognition to professional technicians who have achieved the extraordinary accomplishment of attaining ASE certification in 22 specific areas during the previous calendar year.
A thirteen-year veteran at BJWSA, Bennett also serves as a staff trainer, offering his expertise in Truck-mounted Auto Crane, Hazardous Communication, Respiratory Protection and Forklift Safety Training. BJWSA maintains a vigorous in-house OSHA training program.
Fleet Maintenance Supervisor and Master Technician Lee Greene, who leads the department, describes Bennett as “a dedicated employee who has a passion for the career path he has chosen.” This three-man team is directly responsible for the proper maintenance and repair of all BJWSA vehicles and motorized equipment – a fleet of 121 vehicles and more than 200 pieces of equipment.
Only a quarter of U.S. technicians hold ASE certification. More than 2,000 technicians have earned the respected status of “World Class Technician” since its inception more than 30 years ago. Learn more about the Auto Care Association’s World Class Technician certification qualifications at www.autocare.org/worldclass.
BJWSA serves 57,000 water and 37,000 wastewater customers in Beaufort and Jasper counties, with a mission to inspire trust and enhance public health. Learn more at www.bjwsa.org.
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Only flush toilet paper!
BJWSA asks customers to use drive-through only
BJWSA is committed to our mission during COVID-19
BJWSA is committed to our mission to Inspire Trust and Enhance Public Health. The safety and well-being of our employees, customers and community is our number one priority, therefore to assist in the public health efforts to minimize the spread of the coronavirus, BJWSA is implementing the following steps:
- Employees will conduct business electronically and minimize face to face meetings through the use of phone and video as applicable. Customers are encouraged to conduct business
- on-line and at our drive through window, however until further notice our Customer Service area in the Administration Building will remain open. Any changes to this will be posted on our website.
- World Water Day events planned for March 24 and 25 at our Chelsea Plant have been cancelled.
- Access and Use of the Community Room in our Administration Building is suspended until further notice.
- Non-essential business travel has been suspended until further notice.
All of our treatment processes and distribution systems remain fully operational with no impact to service.
Management is monitoring the situation closely and meeting daily to assess and make adjustments as necessary.
For additional information about coronavirus and water safety, visit https://www.epa.gov/coronavirus/coronavirus-and-drinking-water-and-wastewater
Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority begins safe new year
January 23, 2020 – Okatie, SC – The beginning of the new year finds Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority (BJWSA) celebrating another significant milestone – 1.5 million safe work hours without an injury resulting in a lost workday. As of December 31, 2019, the authority’s staff has worked safely 1,743 days to accumulate 1,558,313 hours. This remarkable record is a result of every employee’s commitment to safety and compliance with their robust safety program and the board of directors’ focus on providing a safe and healthy work environment for all employees.
Safety Specialist Steve Lee, along with management staff, ensures that all hazards are identified, with the appropriate personal protective equipment provided and implemented before any work begins. Lee’s commitment to safety is contagious: “A company’s main asset is its employees; giving them a safe work environment is my passion.”
BJWSA has reached the one million milestone twice previously, and is aiming for the 2,000,000 safe hours mark. This goal is projected to be achieved by April 2021.
Throughout the year, customers are reminded to call BJWSA’s main number if they have issues of any kind: 843-987-9200, and to visit the website at www.bjwsa.org. BJWSA’s mission is to inspire trust and enhance public health.
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BJWSA tests hydrants daily
Throughout our service area, BJWSA tests hydrants daily. Customers in a particular area may experience water discoloration, which should clear up if they allow the water to run for 15 minutes. If the water does not clear up with in this time, please call for consultation.
We also conduct water quality flushing procedures. Customers may experience water discoloration and or elevated chlorine tastes and odors in their area due to this procedure as well. The water will clear up if customers allow their water to run for 15 minutes. If the water does not clear up with in this time, please call for consultation. The chlorine odor will dissipate over time.
In both cases, the discoloration is not harmful to humans or pets, and is a result of rapid velocity variations in the water mains from the testing procedures. The discoloration is most likely phosphate which is added to the water as a corrosion inhibitor.
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