Three Utilities First to Receive National Award for Safe Water Practices

The Champlain Water District in Vermont, the City of Cleveland Division of Water, and the Southern Nevada Water Authority have received national awards for treatment plants that have maintained the Directors Award of recognition from the Partnership for Safe Water for ten years. This is the first time that any utility has received this honor.

The Partnership for Safe Water is a national volunteer initiative developed by EPA and other water organizations representing water suppliers who strive to provide their communities with drinking water quality that surpasses the required federal standards. The Directors Award is presented to water systems who have completed a successful review in the Partnership’s Self-Assessment and Peer Review phase, a phase in which utilities examine the capabilities of their treatment plant operation and administration and then create a plan for implementing improvements. The Ten-Year Directors Award plants are:

Champlain Water District (Vermont) - Peter L. Jacob Water Treatment Plant
City of Cleveland (Ohio) Division of Water – Nottingham Water Treatment Plant, and
Southern Nevada Water Authority (Nevada) – Alfred M. Smith Water Treatment Plant.

Developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other water organizations striving to provide optimum quality drinking water, the Partnership currently includes more than 200 water utilities, collectively serving more than 85 million people. This represents 60% of the U.S. population served by surface water systems. The three utilities ongoing participation in the program includes a rigorous review of treatment practices developed by national experts, and also includes a four-step, self-assessment and peer-review process.

The three utilities will be presented with the Ten-Year Directors Award at the American Water Works Association’s Annual Conference & Exposition in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in June.

Source: American Water Works Association