City of Petersburg initiates GIS and Water Quality Master Plan for Chesapeake Bay

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Petersburg, Va. - February 4, 2013 - The City of Petersburg has chosen Timmons Group to implement a GIS and Water Quality Master Plan with the intention of improving local water quality along and the quality of the Chesapeake Bay.

The City of Petersburg, rich with history of the Old South, is located just 23 miles from the heart of Richmond, Virginia. Timmons Group assisted the City of Petersburg in the grant process, and in return Petersburg chose Timmons Group as their Technical Assistance Provider to help the city reach their goal of going above and beyond regulatory water quality compliance set by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. All of this will be planned in accordance with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

In a collaborative effort showcasing technology, Timmons Group and the City of Petersburg are working together to establish a more user-friendly GIS database, as well as training for the new technology  as a building block to manage the database going forward.

Petersburg's Director of Public Works, Steven Hicks, is optimistic about what this could set in motion. "This is a great opportunity for the City to be proactive in administering our Stormwater Management Program. It will allow us to assess and retrieve data regarding our storm sewer systems; to look at ways to lessen run-off and to protect our natural resources," he says.

Aislinn Creel, Project Manager of Timmons Group's Stormwater Group, explains that with Virginia being one of six states (including the District of Columbia) where local water runs into the Chesapeake Bay, improving local water quality ultimately improves the bay.  "The ultimate outcome needs to be a positive impact on the Chesapeake Bay and how we are going to improve the water quality," she said.

The project is currently underway and is expected to be completed in November 2013.

About Timmons Group

Timmons Group is a multi-disciplined engineering and technology firm recognized for nearly twenty years as one of Engineering News Record's (ENR) Top 500 Design Firms in the country.  The firm provides civil engineering, environmental, GIS/geospatial technology, landscape architecture and surveying services to a diverse client base. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, Timmons Group has regional offices throughout Virginia and North Carolina. For more information, visit www.timmons.com.

News Source : City of Petersburg initiates GIS and Water Quality Master Plan for Chesapeake Bay