HomeMy Public PortalAboutTOL PR 2010-09-27 Chinese visit to Utilities
Town of Leesburg
News Release
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Betsy Fields
Research & Communications Manager
bfields@leesburgva.gov
703-771-2734
Chinese Delegation Tours
Leesburg’s Utilities Department Facilities
Leesburg, VA (September 27, 2010) – On
Wednesday, September 22, 2010, a
delegation of twelve officials from Chengdu in
the Sichuan Province of China visited the
Leesburg Water Pollution Control Facility
(WPCF) and the Utility Lines Maintenance
Division. The officials were directors and
engineers from various municipal, county and
district water authorities in the Chengdu
region.
The purpose of their visit was to meet with
their counterparts in the United States and
learn about local policies and regulations for
managing water resources and preventing
water pollution. Of particular interest to the
group was Leesburg’s wireless, solar-powered
utility metering system, the remote control
camera system used to evaluate the
condition of utility lines from inside the pipes,
and the biosolids processing facility which
produces Tuscarora Landscaper’s Choice
fertilizer from the WPCF waste solids. Aref
Etemadi, Deputy Director of Utilities, and Ed
Rockholt, Plant Manager, led the tour.
Aref Etemadi, Deputy Director, briefs the Chinese
delegation at the Leesburg Utilities Department.
Aref Etemadi demonstrates how sewer pipes can be
repaired by re-lining, without digging up the pipes.
TOL PR 2010-09-27 Chinese visit to Utilities
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In addition to visiting Leesburg’s utility facilities, the group also toured the District of Columbia
Water & Sewer Authority’s Blue Plains Wastewater Treatment Plant and met with officials from
the Potomac River Association. The visit was coordinated by Triway International Group of Falls
Church, Virginia.
“We’ve hosted these types of international visits a number of times in recent years,” explained
Leesburg Town Manager John Wells. “This particular visit gave us the opportunity to
demonstrate the quality of our Utility Department’s operations and management, and to share
that expertise.”
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