Water buffalos give $80k to WFP

 (Hershey, Pa.) – September 28, 2006 - Pennsylvania American Water recently received nine national awards—including one for its Susquehanna water treatment plant—for maintaining the Partnership for Safe Water’s Directors Award requirements for five consecutive years. 

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.  During this phase, participating utilities identify areas of possible improvement in plant design, operation and management and then create a plan for implementing these improvements.

The Partnership currently includes more than 200 water utilities, collectively serving more than 85 million people nationwide. To date, 33 water treatment plants received the five-year award in Pennsylvania, 28 of which – or 82% – are Pennsylvania American Water facilities. All 35 of Pennsylvania American Water’s water treatment facilities are enrolled and in various phases of the Partnership program.

 “Maintaining Directors Award status for five years demonstrates Pennsylvania American Water’s ongoing commitment to optimizing treatment processes and providing high-quality water to customers,” said Dan Warnock, Pennsylvania American Water president. “Working as a team over the years, our employees have achieved this high mark of distinction. They are the driving force behind our success, and I am thrilled that they have achieved this national recognition. It is well-deserved.”

In addition to the Susquehanna Water Treatment Plant, the following Pennsylvania American Water treatment facilities have achieved the Partnership’s Five-Year Directors Award in 2006: 

        The following Pennsylvania American Water treatment facilities have achieved the five-year status in the Partnership in 2005:

             Pennsylvania American Water was presented with the Five-Year Directors Award at AWWA’s annual conference and exposition in San Antonio on June 12, 2006. Recognition ceremonies at local plants receiving the award will be held before year’s end.  More information about the Partnership and the Pennsylvania American Water plants receiving the award in 2006 can be found at www.pawc.com under “In the Spotlight.”

Easton Joins the Partnership for Safe Water HARRISBURG (Feb. 13) -- The City of Easton Water Filtration Plant, located in Northampton County, recently signed an agreement to become the newest member of the Partnership for Safe Water. The partnership program is a voluntary effort involving rigorous self-assessment procedures that are specifically geared toward identifying and correcting weaknesses in plant operation, design and administration. Correcting these weaknesses helps prevent waterborne disease outbreaks from organisms like Cryptosporidium and Giardia.    Through the partnership program, the Pennsylvania Section-American Water Works Association (PA-AWWA) has teamed up with DEP to heighten prevention of disease-causing organisms, to increase treatment plant performance and evaluation methods, as well as to develop public recognition for efforts toward optimal water quality. Active participation in the Partnership program will provide an extra level of protection for consumers of their drinking water.   The City of Easton filtration plant obtains raw water from the Delaware River.  Following treatment at the plant, drinking water is provided to more than 70,000 consumers. With the recent addition of Easton, 112 surface water filtration plants are enrolled in the Partnership Program in Pennsylvania.  These plants serve approximately 5.3 million people, which is well over half of the 8.3 million Pennsylvanians who obtain part or all of their drinking water from surface water treatment plants.
For more information, contact Ed Chescattie at 717-772-4018 or e-mail mailto:echescatti@state.pa.us Information is also available on DEP's website (Keyword "filtration").

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