Virginia Creates 'Drinking Water and Wastewater Professionals Appreciation Day'

The Virginia General Assembly has voted to make June 30 annual Drinking Water and Wastewater Professionals Appreciation Day.

Conceived by the Prince William County Service Authority and supported at the regional and state level by numerous industry associations, the Drinking Water and Wastewater Professionals Appreciation Day honors the thousands of men and women that ensure clean drinking water and a healthy environment for the more than eight million residents of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The following organizations supported the bill, which was championed by Delegate Richard L. Anderson, R-51st District: the Virginia Section of the American Water Works Association, the Virginia Water Environment Association, the Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments (MWCOG), the Northern Virginia Regional Commission and the Virginia Rural Water Association.

“For an industry that is so critical to the health and economic welfare of millions of people in Virginia, this is highly appropriate and much-needed recognition for these hard-working men and women,” said Service Authority General Manager Dean Dickey. “We want to thank Delegate Anderson and members of the General Assembly for approving this resolution that acknowledges the dedication of those who work in this industry.”

“I am pleased that Virginia is formally recognizing our drinking water and wastewater professionals, and highlighting the very important work that they do every day, year-round to protect our environment and to preserve our quality of life,” said Ruth Anderson, Occoquan District Supervisor and member of MWCOG’s Chesapeake Bay and Water Resources Policy Committee. “Those who work in this sector are the ‘human’ element of our water infrastructure, which is essential to our robust local and regional economies.”

“Day in and day out, these pros safeguard the health of our citizens and make invaluable and lasting contributions to the Prince William community — and they care for our environment in the process,” added Delegate Anderson. “The General Assembly salutes the professionals who provide these invaluable services across the Commonwealth.”