DENVER, CO, Oct. 7, 2003 -- During a recent meeting of water supply professionals from Utah and Idaho held in Jackson, Wyoming, the Central Utah Water Conservancy District's Utah Valley Water Treatment Plant received the Phase IV "Excellence in Water Treatment" recognition from the Partnership for Safe Water.
This program is a national volunteer initiative developed by the U.S. EPA and other water organizations representing water suppliers striving to provide their communities with drinking water quality that surpasses the required federal standards.
Phase IV is the highest possible level of performance that can be achieved in the four-phased Partnership program, and signifies optimized plant performance. Only one other water utility in the nation has reached this performance level.
"Reaching Phase IV status is a very significant achievement in our ongoing work to meet stringent performance goals," said Dave Hardy, Plant Manager. "Improving the quality of our water remains a goal we will continually strive to meet and exceed."
The Partnership currently includes more than 200 water utilities, collectively serving more than 90 million people. Each utility has committed to the enhancement of drinking water quality and operational excellence in water treatment.
As members of the Partnership, utilities make a pledge to their communities to improve their treatment operations to reduce the risk of exposure to microbial contaminants, namely Cryptosporidium, a parasite that can cause illness.
By making this commitment the member utilities' treatment practices undergo a rigorous review developed by national experts, and includes a four-phased self-assessment and peer review process.
The Partnership for Safe Water is sponsored by 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 American Water Works Association Research Foundation.
