The American Water Works Association (AWWA) on Sept. 16 presented Halton Region with the Directors Award, recognizing an outstanding commitment to high drinking water quality and treatment. Of the 250 water service providers and 400 treatment plants that belong to the international Partnership for Safe Water program, Halton Region is the first municipality in Canada to receive this prestigious award.
“Halton Region continually meets and exceeds provincial drinking water standards and this achievement is a testament to our track record,” said Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr. “The Partnership for Safe Water is an important part of our commitment to ensuring we continue to provide residents and businesses with reliable access to the best possible drinking water. I would like to commend our water treatment team for this important accomplishment and thank them for their dedication to quality, continuous improvement and for delivering this critical service each and every day.”
Halton Region operates 12 water treatment facilities and delivers more than 65 million cubic meters of drinking water to residents and business every day. To learn more about Halton Region water quality and service, visit halton.ca.
AWWA’s Partnership for Safe Water is a collaboration of six drinking water organizations with a mission to improve water quality through the optimization of water system operations. Since Halton Region joined the Partnership in 2016, Region staff has used processes and tools provided by the program to optimize plant performance and deliver high-quality drinking water beyond regulatory requirements. The award specifically recognizes the achievements of the Burlington, Burloak and Oakville Water Treatment Plants.
“The Ontario Water Works Association commends the Region and its staff for their commitment to the Partnership, to its ongoing optimization efforts and to providing customers with the highest quality drinking water possible,” said Michele Grenier, executive director of the Ontario Water Works Association, the Ontario section of the AWWA.
The Regional Municipality of Halton serves 580,000 residents in the City of Burlington, the Town of Halton Hills, the Town of Milton, and the Town of Oakville. Halton Region is committed to meeting the needs of its residents through the delivery of cost-effective, quality programs and services, including water and wastewater; Regional roads and planning; paramedic services; waste management; public health; social assistance; children’s and seniors’ services; housing services; heritage programs; emergency management and economic development. For more information, visit Halton Region’s website.
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 for their commitment to delivering safe water to their communities.
The Partnership for Safe Water is an alliance of AWWA, the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, Association of State Drinking Water Administrators, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, National Association of Water Companies and the Water Research Foundation.
