Local Water Utility Receives Award Of Recognition For Outstanding Performance

Utility is one of an elite group to receive honor

Zone 7 Water Agency’s Del Valle Water Treatment Plant has received the “Directors Award of Recognition” from the Partnership for Safe Water for the 15th consecutive year, an honor achieved by only 30 water utilities across the country since the program’s inception. The Partnership is a program developed by the American Water Works Association (AWWA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and associated Partner organizations, to guide water suppliers towards improving water quality by optimizing system operations. Zone 7 was presented this award for again successfully maintaining Phase III of the Partnership program, a phase which includes comprehensive evaluation of treatment plant operations and performance, identification of performance limiting factors, and the development of action plans to achieve optimization. The plant was one of a select group of utilities honored by the Partnership at the annual conference of the AWWA, the largest and oldest worldwide organization dedicated to safe water.

“We are honored to receive this award,” said Zone 7 General Manager Jill Duerig. “Our utility’s goal is to continually strive to optimize operations and improve the quality of water we deliver to our customers. Achievement of the Directors Award demonstrates our ongoing commitment to protecting public health.” Zone 7 provides treated drinking water to water retailers serving approximately 220,000 people in Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin and the Dougherty Valley area of San Ramon. It also supplies untreated water to local agricultural users and provides flood protection to eastern Alameda County.

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 industry-wide for their commitment to delivering safe water to their communities.

The Partnership for Safe Water is an alliance of the American Water Works Association, Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, Association of State Drinking Water Administrators, United States Environmental Protection Agency, National Association of Water Companies, and the Water Research Foundation.

About American Water Works Association
Established in 1881, the American Water Works Association is the largest nonprofit, scientific and educational association dedicated to managing and treating water, the world’s most important resource. With approximately 50,000 members, AWWA provides solutions to improve public health, protect the environment, strengthen the economy and enhance our quality of life.