Contact: Mike Sullivan, Oak Creek Water & Sewer Utility General Manager
(414) 570-8210, msullivan@water.oak-creek.wi.us
Partnership for Safe Water Award achieved by only 11 U.S. Utilities
OAK CREEK –The Oak Creek Water and Sewer Utility today announced it became the first and only Utility in Wisconsin to receive a “15-Year Directors Award” as part of the EPA’s Partnership for Safe Water Treatment Operations Program. The Utility received the rare recognition–only 11 U.S. utilities achieved this level of treatment excellence–at the American Water Works Association national conference in Denver.
“Participating in this program over the past 15 years assures consumers as well as local, state, and federal officials that we are on the leading edge of providing the safest, cleanest drinking water possible at reasonable rates,” said Mike Sullivan, Utility General Manager. “The award symbolizes the contributions of all Utility employees who seek more effective, efficient ways to produce high quality water.”
Utility Recognized for 15 Years of Safe Water Partnership
A Director’s Award is earned by a water treatment plant that has completed Phase III in the partnership program. Applied for annually, a Utility must demonstrate it achieved the program’s stringent goals.
The utilities must work through the arduous and difficult self-assessment process, identifying factors which may have been limiting the performance of the treatment plants and taking steps to address those factors. By aggressively pursuing the objectives of the Partnership, water plants demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement in the performance of their treatment facilities to help protect the health of their customers.
In Oak Creek, water treatment guidance is provided in part by its involvement in the Partnership, a cooperative of six drinking water organizations including the AWWA and the U.S. EPA. According to the AWWA website, over 85 million people receive higher quality drinking water from utilities that participate in this program. The Oak Creek water treatment plant is one of more than 400 treatment plants in the Partnership.
Oak Creek Water and Sewer Utility is known as one of the most progressive utilities in the Nation. Always seeking new ways to improve, the Utility has committed to continued excellence through a program of quality improvement. Utility employees produce the highest quality drinking water possible, and are proud to announce its water meets and exceeds all federal and state drinking water health standards.
