Students in Mercer’s Civic & Community Journalism class reviewed agency websites and information to assess how transparent they are when it comes to making decisions about how taxpayer dollars are spent. The students also reviewed each agency’s adherence to Georgia’s open record and open government laws.
The Macon Water Authority website says they are committed to providing clean water for Macon-Bibb County through water treatment plants, as well as efficient management of wastewater, stormwater, and sewage systems.
The Macon Water Authority is responsible for handling problems like sanitary sewer overflow, water main breaks, stormwater issues, and service interruptions. The MWA gained national recognition in 2009 for having the Best Tasting Drinking Water in North America as judged by the American Water Works Association, and they have continued to collect awards and honors since 2024.
An early version of the MWA was created by the Georgia General Assembly in 1880, in order to provide public water and sewer services for Macon and Bibb County. The early origins of the MWA date back to 1880, when water for domestic service was still obtained from private wells. However, it has expanded a lot since then. In 1979, the Georgia General Assembly passed legislation requiring district representation on the Water Authority and the number of MWA Board Members was increased from five to seven. In 1992, the Macon-Bibb County Water & Sewerage Authority was renamed the Macon Water Authority.
Today, the MWA has 1,425 miles of water mains and service lines, 250 miles of interceptor sewers, and 977 miles of sanitary sewer lines. The MWA serves roughly 155,000 customers.
Open Records Compliance
- Records that were requested: The records of the current salary of the Interim Executive Director Michel Wanna, as well as his prior salary as Assistant Executive Director/Vice President of Field and Plant Operations were requested.
- When do you hear back from the agency? After filing the request on the agency portal on March 26, we received a confirmation email the same day.
- Did the agency request a fee? The agency did request a fee. They calculated it would take 45 minutes to find the records at a cost of $22.60 as well as an additional Base Search-and-Retrieval Fee of $20.00. The total added up to $42.60 in fees.
- Assign a grade for the contact/process: A
- The Macon Water Authority uses an online portal for open records requests that provides an easy avenue to file a request. In addition, they clearly outline meeting minutes and agendas on an easily found page link within the main page of their website. They provide board documents and comprehensive financial reports.
- Assign a grade for response: C
- The agency estimated it would take 45 minutes to find Michel Wanna’s prior and current salary, as well as requested a high fee for what should be a digital record and/or PDF that could be emailed.
Transparency & Accessibility Rating
The MWA does have a website at the location of maconwater.org.
- Does the website list out its key staff or elected board?
The website does list out its key organizational staff members, and also includes board members as well as a way to contact them through email. The leadership of the Macon Water Authority consists of an executive management team and a governing board of directors. Michel Wanna leads the organization as the Interim Executive Director and can be contacted via email at [email protected]. The administrative and operational functions are managed by several directors, including LeGena Bolton, who serves as the Director of Human Resources at [email protected]. Public relations and internal communications are handled by Rachad Hollis, the Communications Specialist, reachable at [email protected]. Algernon Wallace is the Director of Engineering at [email protected] and Jarad Zellner is the Director of Water Treatment at [email protected]. Maintenance and distribution efforts are overseen by Frank Evans, the Director of Maintenance at [email protected], and Wayne Sidney, the Director of Water Distribution at [email protected]. Mickey Land is the Director of Stormwater at [email protected], and Chris Jenkins is the Director of Sewer Conveyance at [email protected]. Finally, Harold Blevins is the Director of Information Technology at [email protected].
The governing Board of Directors includes elected officials and appointed representatives who oversee the authority’s policy decisions. Gary Bechtel serves as the Chairman of the Board and his email is [email protected] or (478) 390-7719. Frank Patterson acts as the Vice-Chairman representing District 4 and can be contacted at [email protected] or (478) 808-2020. District 1 is represented by Elaine Lucas at [email protected] or (478) 951-4327, while Dwight Jones represents District 3 at [email protected] or (478) 238-3770. The Macon-Bibb County government is represented on the board by Bill Howell, reachable at [email protected] or (478) 731-9178, and Valerie Wynn, who can be contacted at [email protected] or (478) 731-7725. There are many more employees that are part of the workforce for daily operations, but these specific individuals are the primary leadership and public-facing staff listed in the authority’s official directory.
- Does the agency have a public information or communications officer?
The communications specialist is Rachad Hollis and they can be contacted at [email protected]
- Does the website have information on meeting announcements/meeting dates & times? If so, where is this posted.
Yes, the website clearly displays on the homepage a link to its meeting minutes as well as dates and times. It is listed in a link that takes you to the MWA portal that includes a calendar, a document library, and other information.
- Does the website have meeting agendas posted online? Do you mean on social media?
They do post their complete stream of their board meeting on Facebook. That way followers can watch the entirety of the meeting if they are so inclined.
- Does website have approved meeting minutes posted online?
The MWA does provide the executive summary minutes, committee and board meeting minutes, the committee meeting video, and the board meeting video.
- Does the agency provide a way for the public to watch its meetings virtually as they happen? And/or does agency have recordings of its meetings on the website or linked from the website?
Yes, Macon Water Authority provides a Facebook live stream for the public to attend virtually.
- Does the agency have social media platforms and if so, which ones? Please list out each platform you can find to include the handle and how it is being used.
The MWA maintains active social media platforms to communicate with customers and provide real-time updates. Facebook (@MaconWaterAuth) is the primary hub for live-streaming board meetings and sharing company news, service alerts, and community project updates. X/Twitter (@MaconWaterAuth) is used as a secondary channel for news updates and as a validation field for customer service inquiries through their website. MWA also utilizes Nextdoor to connect directly with local neighborhoods for community-specific outreach and service announcements.
- Does the agency provide information online for how the public can make open records requests?
The Macon Water Authority does provide much information on how the public can make an open records request under its Public Information tab. There is a link to the Open Records portal they use.
The MWA regularly updates blog posts about current news and updates online, as well as through Facebook. In addition, there is a section on the website dedicated to spill and overflow notifications that would be useful for community members interested in their neighborhood issues.
Transparency Grade: Excellent
The Macon Water Authority had its meeting times and agendas posted on its website as required by law and also provided access to its meeting minutes.
Public Accessibility Grade: Superior
The Macon Water Authority provided contact information for leadership, video recording of meetings and minutes from its meetings. It also used Facebook to share information of interest to the public.
