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Columbus Ledger-Enquirer (GA)
(c) Copyright 2002, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. All Rights Reserved.

Wednesday, October 2, 2002

news

Turner honored by water group Columbus Water Works president recognized in
Chicago
BY HARRY FRANKLIN
State Editor

Columbus Water Works President Billy G. Turner Tuesday became the
first municipal water and wastewater system manager to be named an
honorary member of two international water organizations.

He set that precedent by being honored Tuesday in Chicago by the
Water Environment Federation, after having been named honorary member of
the American Water Works Association five years ago. Turner was in
Chicago this week attending the federation's Technical Exhibition and
Conference.

The two organizations, with combined worldwide membership of about
100,000, have designated only 328 honorary members in their collective
histories. Only six people have received honorary membership in both
groups.

Besides serving as president of the federation in 1996-97, Turner has
served at the national and state levels on the boards of AWWA,
Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies, Georgia Water &
Pollution Control Association, Environmental Financial Advisory Board,
South Carolina Water Environment Association, Water Environment Research
Foundation and of many local organizations.

He has received the Arthur Sidney Bedell and George Warren Fuller
awards, the highest awards of the Georgia association affiliated with
the AWWA and the federation.

Turner entered local water management in 1986 after more than 20
years of service in consulting, industry and government. During his
service in Spartanburg, S.C., and Columbus, he has focused on quality
initiatives as specific tools to improve organizational effectiveness
and customer service.