Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Contact: Alexis Donath, 651-757-2390 Toll-free: 1-800-657-3864 mailto:alexis.donath@pca.state.mn.us Editor's note: Digital photographs of award recipients are available by contacting Rachel Mueller at 651-757-2084 or by e-mail at rachel.l.mueller@pca.state.mn.us. St. Paul, Minn -- The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) recently recognized outstanding performance by operators of wastewater treatment plants during 2008. For meeting the agency's criteria for excellence in operations, 160 Minnesota facilities were honored at the 72nd Annual Wastewater Operations Conference, held in Brooklyn Center on March 26. MPCA Commissioner Paul Eger had high praise for the award recipients. "Water is one of Minnesota's most abundant and precious resources. The diligence and cooperation of these operators will ensure that Minnesota waters are protected and preserved today - and for generations to come." To be eligible for the award, facility operators had to comply with discharge permit requirements throughout the year. These requirements included submitting all monitoring reports to the MPCA correctly and on time, demonstrating compliance through monitoring or in surveys and employing MPCA-certified operators. For a complete list of winners, visit www.pca.state.mn.us/publications/wq-wwtp8-25.pdf. The annual Wastewater Operations Conference brings together wastewater operators from all over Minnesota for training and professional education. There are about 1,300 wastewater treatment facilities in Minnesota, including municipal, industrial and some privately-operated institutional facilities. The size of the community, institution or treatment plant is not a factor in awarding the certificates of excellence.