Victim identified in fatal impalement accident at water treatment facility Posted: Aug 24, 2016 7:06 PM EST Updated: Aug 24, 2016 7:06 PM EST
By Kati Weis, FOX10 News Reporter
Cyrus Gates, 36, was killed Monday at a construction site at a MAWSS facility. (Facebook) MOBILE, AL (WALA) - Mobile Police have confirmed Cyrus Gates, 36, of Semmes, as the victim in a fatal impalement accident at a water treatment facility Monday.
Police said Gates was cutting a beam 15 ft in the air when the beam shifted and caused him to fall. Police said Gates was impaled by rebar below. Gates died on scene. At this time, Mobile Police do not suspect foul play or criminal activity.
It happened at the Clifton C. Williams Wastewater Treatment Facility at 1600 Yeend street in Mobile, which is owned and operated by the Mobile Area Water and Sewer System (MAWSS).
Officials said Gates was working construction as a private contractor on a new addition to the facility. Work for the project began in February.
Local officials with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) said they have an open investigation into Gates' death.
Wednesday, FOX10 News Investigates tried to find previous incidents or violations at the facility reported by OSHA, but there were no records, because OSHA does not have jurisdiction over the MAWSS facility.
That's because MAWSS is a public agency, and OSHA does not have jurisdiction over any local or state public entities, only private companies.
MAWSS said it has its own full-time safety manager to oversee safety issues, and that it follows all state and local guidelines.
In this case, OSHA is investigating Gates' death, because Gates was a private contractor.
OSHA said it should finish the investigation within the next six months.
=====================
Mobile Area Water and Sewer System (MAWSS).
Facilities
MAWSS currently owns and operates two conventional wastewater treatment facilities, the Clifton C. Williams Wastewater Treatment Facility on McDuffie Island and the Wright Smith Wastewater Treatment Facility off Conception Street. Both have sterling records of performance.
In addition, MAWSS owns and operates five decentralized wastewater treatment facilities including Hutchens, Copeland Island, Snow Road, Hamilton Oaks and a unique on-site treatment and disposal facility adjacent to Three Mile Creek. This demonstration project was funded through an EPA project grant. The primary objective of the facility is to demonstrate the use of decentralized facilities within a centralized infrastructure. To learn more about this unique project, view the DVD found by clicking on the "Decentralized Wastewater Systems" link above the photo.
Clifton C. Williams Wastewater Treatment Plant
The Clifton C. Williams Wastewater Treatment Plant was built in 1957 as a sixteen million gallon a day treatment plant on McDuffie Island and was named the Mobile Sewage Treatment Plant. It was a diffused air activated sludge plant and was sized to treat wastewater from the downtown area of Mobile. Its influent flow was delivered by force main from the Virginia Street pump station. Within twenty years, the increase in population in the western part of the city began to require some planning for the smaller and aging treatment plants at Halls Mill Creek and Eslava Creek. The decision was made to upgrade the Mobile Sewage Treatment Plant to handle the increased flow from the down town area and also the flow from the Halls Mill Creek and Eslava Creek collection systems.
Completed in 1977, this upgrade project included the conversion of the Halls Mill and Eslava Creek plants to lift stations. Their force mains, along with the Virginia Street force main, are now the total influent flow for the pure oxygen activated sludge, 28 million gallon a day treatment plant on McDuffie Island. The plant's effluent discharges into Mobile Bay at the junction of Mobile River.
In 1987, the Board of Water and Sewer Commissioners of the City of Mobile officially named the treatment plant at McDuffie Island after a former superintendent of MAWSS, Clifton C. Williams.
In 2005, the Clifton C. Williams Wastewater Treatment Plant was the recipient of the Platinum Peak Performance Award from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies. This prestigious environmental honor was given to the Williams plant for five consecutive years of perfect operations with 100% compliance with NPDES permit requirements.
The Williams WWTP is the recipient of numerous state and national environmental awards including the Platinum Peak Performance Award from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA). This prestigious honor is given to only a handful of plants in the nation that have five or more consecutive years of perfect regulatory compliance with NPDES permit requirements.
The plant has also been recognized as Best Operated Plant in Alabama by the Alabama Water Pollution Control Association (AWPCA) and Alabama’s Water Environment Association. Tours are available. Call or contact us online.
Wright Smith, Jr. Wastewater Treatment Plant
The Wright Smith, Jr. Wastewater Treatment Plant was built in 1947 as a primary treatment plant and named Three Mile Creek Sewage Treatment Plant. As the population grew north and west of Mobile, the plant required a major upgrade.
Completed in 1964, this upgrade included two larger primary clarifiers, two trickling filters, two final clarifiers, one sludge thickener, and another digester. The upgrade increased the capacity of the plant to 10.0 MGD.
In 1987, the plant received another addition that included nitrification filters for the reduction of ammonia nitrogen in it's effluent. At this time, the Board of Water and Sewer Commissioners of the City of Mobile named the plant the Wright Smith Jr. WWTP.
In 1993, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management increased the plant's design flow to 12.8 Million Gallons per Day based on treatment performance.
The Smith WWTP has been recognized with state and national environmental awards including the Platinum Peak Performance Award given by NACWA for five or more consecutive years of perfect regulatory compliance with meeting NPDES permit requirements. It has also been recognized as Best Operated Plant by the Alabama Water and Pollution Control Association and Alabama’s Water Environment Association. Tours are available. Call or contact us online.
=======================
Municipal Water and Wastewater Facility Project Case Study in Alabama
This project information is pulled from our database of hundreds of thousands of construction projects that have been started over the past 5 years. Use it to research ideas and potential partners for your own project. Additional examples of municipal water and wastewater facility projects in Alabama are also available.Project Overview
| Project Title: | CC WILLIAMS WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT |
|---|---|
| Start Date: | 2006-06-01 |
| Estimated Value: | $94,163 |
Project Location
| State: | Alabama |
|---|---|
| County: | Mobile |
| City: | Mobile |
| Address: | 1600 Yeend St |
Project Type
| Building Category: | Municipal Water and Wastewater Facilities |
|---|---|
| Work Type: | Alteration |