Pennsylvania American Water’s G.C. Smith Water Treatment Plant, which serves approximately 19,000 customers in Dauphin and Lebanon counties, has received the prestigious Presidents Award from the Partnership for Safe Water.

The program is a volunteer initiative developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Environmental Protection, American Water Works Association and other organizations representing water suppliers that continuously provide water quality that surpasses regulatory standards.

(Photo: The award-winning team at Pennsylvania American Water's G.C. Smith Treatment Plant are Nate Koch, Al Midlick, Justin Brame, Mike Barger, Shawn Wiley, Ricky Bitting, Mike Rager, Jon Prawdzik, Steve Grizzle and Chris Abruzzo.)

Pennsylvania American Water’s facility has been participating in the Partnership since 1996.

The Hershey area plant received the Directors Award in 1999, and is the fifth Pennsylvania American Water facility to earn the Presidents Award. Only 15 water systems across Pennsylvania have been achieved this highest level of performance.

The Presidents Award’s goals are the highest possible level of performance that can be achieved in the four-phase program. The award recognizes achieving Phase IV’s stringent individual filter performance goals for turbidity (cloudiness).

Company officials hosted a recognition ceremony this week to honor the treatment plant’s professional staff for achieving the milestone.

“Our Hershey team worked very hard to earn the Presidents Award, and this recognition is a testament to their expertise and dedication to better serve our customers,” said Chris Abruzzo, senior director of water quality and environmental compliance for Pennsylvania American Water. “Reaching this elite status is a significant achievement in our ongoing efforts to not only meet stringent performance goals but also improve the quality of our water.”

The Partnership for Safe Water is a voluntary self-assessment and optimization program for water treatment plant and distribution system operation.

More than 250 utility subscribers, collectively serving more than 100 million people, are committed to the Partnership’s goals of providing safe, high-quality drinking water through achieving operational excellence in water treatment.

Partnership members participate in a rigorous four-phase self-assessment and peer review process, developed by industry experts and are recognized for their commitment to delivering safe water to their communities.

The Partnership for Safe Water is sponsored by the American Water Works Association, Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, Association of State Drinking Water Administrators, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Association of Water Companies, and the Water Research Foundation.

For more information, visit DEP’s Partnership for Safe Water webpage.

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5/30/2016