Water and wastewater operators from around the state of Georgia have gathered this week for the 2017 Georgia Association of Water Professionals Spring Conference & Expo on Jekyll Island.
In the annual taste test competition, the city of Carrollton triumphed over dozens of other competitors to be named “Best Drinking Water in the State,” and is now eligible to enter the American Water Works Assn.’s annual “Best of the Best” national tap water taste test competition. Pictured above, judges tasted the top six entries in the final round of competition during a break between conference sessions. Judges, selected from convention guests and exhibitors, included (above from left): Peter Johns, Wiedeman and Singleton Inc.; Donnell Duncan, Utility Service Co. Inc.; Terry Shaw, exhibitor; Keisha Thorpe, Peachtree City Water and Sewer Authority; and Jesse Hornsby, city of Blythe.
During the conference breaks, attendees enjoyed much of what Jekyll Island has to offer. The group also participated in a beach cleanup, collaborating with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Georgia Sea Turtle Center, to help preserve the island’s natural beauty.
Sitting along Georgia’s Atlantic coastline, Jekyll Island is conveniently located midway between Jacksonville, Florida, and Savannah, Georgia. The Jekyll Island Convention Center—the East Coast’s only oceanfront convention center south of New Jersey—provided the ideal location for hosting the group, combining breathtaking views with all the resources necessary for seamlessly executing the organization’s event. The 128,000-sq-ft convention center, which is silver-level LEED certified and features locally sourced materials, is designed to protect and preserve the surrounding coastal ecosystem.
