FRANKFORT, Ky. (May 17, 2017) – Kentucky’s Energy and Environment Cabinet has recognized 36 surface water treatment plants in Kentucky for meeting the goals of Kentucky’s Area-Wide Optimization Program (AWOP), for 2016.
AWOP is a multi-state initiative administered through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The purpose of AWOP is to encourage drinking water systems to achieve optimization goals that are more stringent than the regulations. Twenty-six states, including Kentucky, participate in AWOP.
AWOP provides tools and approaches for drinking water systems to meet water quality optimization goals, which in turn provides consumers an increased and sustainable level of public health protection. In particular, the program emphasizes optimal turbidity removal through the drinking water treatment process. Turbidity, or cloudiness, is a measurement of particles in water, including soil, algae, bacteria, viruses and other substances. The program also focuses on improving existing facilities rather than implementing costly capital improvements.
Participating systems that meet the high standards of AWOP receive certificates that recognize their accomplishments. “Together, these 36 drinking water treatment plants serve more than 1.7 million Kentuckians,” said Joe Uliasz, supervisor of the Compliance and Technical Assistance Section. “Drinking water treatment plant operators deserve our recognition and appreciation for their daily efforts to exceed the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act.”
Two water treatment plants received an AWOP Champion Award. This award takes into account the high level of optimization achieved, as well as the system’s overall compliance record for the previous three years. Wood Creek Water District was awarded the 2016 Champion Award for a large drinking water treatment plant (designed to produce 3 million or more gallons of water a day). Leitchfield Water Works received the 2016 Champion Award for a small drinking water treatment plant (designed to treat less than 3 million gallons of water a day).
Eleven AWOP drinking water systems received special recognition, with a gold seal on their certificate, for achieving the AWOP goals 100 percent of the time in 2016. These include Barbourville Water and Electric, Cave Run Regional Water Commission, Green River Valley Water District, Greensburg Water Works, Jackson County Water Association, Jamestown Municipal Water Works, Laurel County Water District No. 2, Liberty Water Works, Logan Todd Regional Water Commission, Madisonville Light and Water, and Rattlesnake Ridge Water District.
The following drinking water systems received certificates for meeting the AWOP criteria:
- Barbourville Water and Electric
- Burkesville Water Works
- Cave Run Regional Water Commission
- Columbia-Adair County Water Commission
- Danville City Water Works
- Franklin Water Works
- Glasgow Water Company – Plants A and B
- Green River Valley Water District
- Greensburg Water Works
- Hardin County Water District No. 2 – Plants A and B
- Hartford Municipal Water Works
- Hodgenville Water Works
- Jackson County Water Association
- Jackson Municipal Water Works
- Jamestown Municipal Water Works
- Kentucky American Water – Plants B and C
- Laurel County Water District No. 2
- Lawrenceburg Water and Sewer Department
- Lebanon Water Works Company, Incorporated
- Leitchfield Water Works
- Liberty Water Works
- Logan Todd Regional Water Commission
- Louisville Water Company – Plant A
- Madisonville Light and Water
- McCreary County Water District – Plant B
- Northern Kentucky Water Service – Plant C
- Ohio County Water District
- Rattlesnake Ridge Water District
- Richmond Utilities
- Stanford Water Works
- Western Fleming Water District
- Williamsburg Water Department
- Wood Creek Water District
For additional information about AWOP visit https://www.epa.gov/dwstandardsregulations/optimization-program-drinking-water-systems or contact Jackie Logsdon at jackie.logsdon@ky.gov or 270-824-7529.
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