Ponca City Awarded Sewer System of the Year Award
Ponca City Now - September 13, 2024 5:51 am
City Manager Craig Stephenson, Mayor Homer Nicholson, Darwin Haney and OMAG Representative.
OMAG’s Sanitary Sewer System of the Year awards recognize outstanding municipal sewer systems across Oklahoma. Presented annually at the Sanitary Sewer Expo.
This year, OMAG announced Ponca City as the winner of the 2024 Sewer System of the Year for Large Municipality award.
The Sewer Maintenance division of Ponca City manages 188 miles of sewer lines across the City. Over the past 15 years, they have significantly reduced sanitary sewer overflows from 50 annually to an average of just 5 per year. This achievement is credited to the Sewer Maintenance Department’s Comprehensive Preventative Maintenance Program, which cleans 150,000 feet of sewer line each quarter, covering 114 miles annually. The Sewer Maintenance Department also credits their success to maintaining consistent communication with City Administration and the City’s investment of $20 million in new infrastructure over the past 20 years.
Congratulations to Darwin Haney – Operator of the Year
For the first time, OMAG recognized the outstanding contributions of an individual Sewer Operator. They awarded Darwin Haney as the 2024 Sewer Operator of the Year. Darwin has provided 28 years of dedicated service to Ponca City, including 20 years as the Utility Maintenance Superintendent. During this time, he played a pivotal role in reducing the City’s Sanitary Sewer Overflows by 90%, thanks to his efforts in developing a Comprehensive Sewer Preventative Maintenance Program. Never one to rest on his laurels, Darwin also introduced new technology to inspect sewer systems, enabling the City to locate and address sewer issues more effectively.
