GREER – Greer Commission of Public Works was recently awarded the 2018 Area-Wide Optimization Program (AWOP) Excellence Award by the S.C Department of Health Environmental Control (DHEC) for going beyond state and federal drinking water regulations. It’s the 12th consecutive award for CPW.
“Many people take for granted the clean water that comes out of their tap. Public health is at the forefront of what we do and to provide such an essential resource to Greer is something we take a lot of pride in,” said Stephen Kennette, Water Filter Plant Manager.
The objective of AWOP is to encourage water treatment plants to “voluntarily optimize” or increase water treatment techniques to protect public health. While participation in AWOP is voluntary, hourly water sampling, attending conferences and updating employee certifications played a factor in the success of Greer’s program. According to SCDHEC, the AWOP model is approximately 10 times better than regulatory standards and can reduce the risk of waterborne illnesses.
“This past year has been a challenge with the extreme rainfall we’ve received. To maintain and exceed state drinking water regulations is a testament to the skilled staff we have,” said Kennette.
Greer CPW receives water from two raw-water reservoirs – Lake Cunningham and Lake Robinson. This recognition means CPW’s raw water treatment costs remain low and customers continue to receive top quality services. While the primary goal is to serve as a drinking water resource, the lakes also serve as a recreational avenue for many fishermen and outdoor enthusiasts.
[FAST FACTS]
– Greer CPW has approximately 19,000 water customers and provides wholesale to Blue Ridge Rural Water Company
– Greer CPW’s water filter plant operates 24 hours a day, 365 days per year, has 7 employees, an onsite laboratory and the capacity to treat 24 million gallons of water daily
– CPW’s full water quality report can be found here
– SC AWOP first began in 1998