White Deer Drinking Water Treatment Plan Receives National Award

PA American Water recently received a national award for its White Deer Water Treatment Plant, serving communities in Union and Northumberland Counties, for maintaining the Partnership for Safe Water's Directors Award requirements for ten consecutive years.
            The Partnership is a voluntary initiative developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other water organizations to recognize water suppliers that consistently achieve water treatment standards that surpass EPA regulatory requirements.
            The Directors Award is presented to water systems that have successfully completed a rigorous review in the Partnership's Self-Assessment and Peer Review phase. To receive the ten-year award, utilities must carry out operational and management improvements and deliver water that not only meets drinking water standards but also surpasses the EPA's regulations for ten consecutive years.
            "Maintaining Directors Award status for ten years demonstrates Pennsylvania American Water's ongoing commitment to optimizing treatment processes and providing high-quality water to customers," said Paul Zielinski, Pennsylvania American Water senior director of water quality and environmental compliance. "Our professional staff at the plants is the driving force behind our success, and I am thrilled that they have achieved this well-deserved national recognition."
            The White Deer plant, located in New Columbia, combined with the company's treatment plant in Milton, serves more than 12,000 customers in the boroughs of Lewisburg, Milton, Northumberland, and Watsontown, and the townships of East Chillisquaque, West Chilliquaque, Delaware, Kelly, Buffalo, East Buffalo, Turbot, White Deer, Point, Upper Augusta, and Gregg.
            "As new, tougher water quality standards are established, our plant operators are working to not only meet those regulations, but we go a step further to surpass them," said Pennsylvania American Water Production Manager Bob Schnitzler. "This award validates our employees' efforts and commitment to delivering the best water quality possible to our customers, at an exceptional value of about a penny per gallon."
            The Partnership currently includes more than 200 water utilities, collectively serving more than 85 million people nationwide. All 36 of Pennsylvania American Water's water treatment facilities are enrolled and in various phases of the Partnership program.
            The Partnership for Safe Water is sponsored by the American Water Works Association, Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, Association of State Drinking Water Administrators, United States Environmental Protection Agency, National Association of Water Companies, and the American Water Works Association Research Foundation.


11/7/2011

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