Note to editors: For a digital photograph of an award recipient, please contact 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 2009. At the 73rd annual Wastewater Operations Conference held in Brooklyn Center on March 25, 170 Minnesota facilities were honored for excellence in operations.
MPCA Assistant Commissioner Rebecca Flood had high praise for the award recipients. “Minnesota’s wastewater operators are at the front lines in protecting our state’s water resources. The women and men being recognized today have worked diligently, day in and day out, to ensure that Minnesotans can enjoy clean water today and in years 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 the MPCA Web site at www.pca.state.mn.us/water/wastewater.html and open the document titled, “Wastewater Operators Award: 2009 Winners.”
The annual Wastewater Operations Conference brings together wastewater operators from all over Minnesota for training and professional education. There are about 1,700 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.
