Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Contact: Dan McLean, 651-297-1607 Toll-free: 1-800-657-3864 St. Paul, Minn - The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) recently recognized outstanding performance by operators of wastewater treatment plants in 2007. For meeting the agency's criteria for excellence in operations, these 160 Minnesota facilities were awarded certificates of commendation at the Annual Wastewater Operations Conference in March. MPCA Commissioner Brad Moore had high praise for the operators, "The excellent work performed by these operators is greatly appreciated. Meeting these high standards helps protect our lakes and rivers, keeping these valuable resources available for all Minnesotans to enjoy." To be eligible for the certificates, the winning facilities 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 operators from across 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.