Wemlinger Plant Achieves Phase IV Excellence Award
Aurora Water's Wemlinger Water Treatment Plant in Colorado has received the rarely achieved Phase IV "Excellence in Water Treatment" recognition from the Partnership for Safe Water, according to an Oct. 14 press release.
The Partnership for Safe Water program is a national volunteer initiative developed by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency and other water organizations representing water suppliers who strive to provide their communities with drinking water quality that surpasses the required federal standards. Phase IV is the highest possible level of performance that can be achieved in the four-phased Partnership for Safe Water program, and signifies optimized plant performance. Only five other water utilities in the nation have reached this performance level.
"Reaching Phase IV status is a very significant achievement in our ongoing work to meet stringent performance goals," said Mark Pifher, director of Aurora Water. "Improving the quality of our water remains a goal we will continually strive to meet and exceed."
The Partnership for Safe Water currently includes more than 200 water utilities, collectively serving more than 85 million people. This represents over 60 percent of the U.S. population served by surface water. Each utility has committed to the enhancement of drinking water quality and operational excellence in water treatment. As members of the Partnership for Safe Water, utilities make a pledge to their communities to improve their treatment operations to reduce the risk of exposure to microbial contaminants, namely Cryptosporidium, a parasite that can cause illness. By making this commitment the member utilities' treatment practices undergo a rigorous review developed by national experts, and includes a four-phased self-assessment and peer review process.
The Partnership for Safe Water is sponsored by the American Water Works Association, Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, Association of State Drinking Water Administrators, EPA, National Association of Water Companies, and the American Water Works Association Research Foundation.