NAWC Presents Award to Arizona American Water
Arizona American Water won second prize in the National Association of Water Companies’ (NAWC) 2009 Management Innovation Awards, according to American Water Works Company.
The award was presented at the 5th National Drinking Water Symposium on Oct. 13. The annual Management Innovation Awards recognize new and innovative programs that promote better water service, wider recognition of the industry, and improved utility management.
American Water’s Arizona operations received the award for significantly reducing water consumption at its Northwest Valley Regional Water Reclamation Facility. The facility’s operations team created a way to reuse water from the treated effluent by filtering it with a water filter intended for drinking water. By reusing the filtered water for operational purposes, the team drastically reduced purchased water costs by more than 50 percent annually, and – at the time of the award nomination – the facility estimated a water savings of more than 12 million gallons a year. Since the nomination was submitted, the facility has obtained new data that shows the actual savings is more than 20 million gallons of water per year.
Arizona American Water, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Water, is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to more than 300,000 people.