The city of Aurora’s Water Production Division has won a national award for the quality of its drinking water.

The Aurora Water Production team was one of only 27 surface water treatment plants nationwide to receive the Presidents Award from the Partnership for Safe Water, a national initiative to improve the quality of drinking water. The award means Aurora plant is in the top quarter of the top 1 percent of surface water treatment facilities in the United States, according to a city of Aurora press release.

“The city of Aurora Water Treatment Plant is among an elite group of utilities to achieve this award,” said Robert C. Cheng, chair of the Partnership for Safe Water Steering Committee. “The entire team at the city of Aurora Water Treatment Plant has demonstrated its commitment to superior treatment plant performance and its leadership in quality improvement to utilities throughout North America.”

According to the city’s annual water quality report, the sources of water for the Aurora Water Treatment Plant include surface water from the Fox River and a blend of water from several shallow wells and deep wells. The Aurora Water Treatment Plant is capable of fully treating 36.5 million gallons of water per day.

This also marks the fifth year in a row in which Aurora’s Water Production team has achieved the Directors Award from the Partnership for Safe Water.

Following the announcement of both the Presidents and Directors Awards, the team was also recognized by Mayor Tom Weisner and the City Council on Tuesday for their dedication to safe, high-quality drinking water for all of Aurora’s water customers.

The Partnership for Safe Water is a voluntary program in which water treatment plants perform numerous tests and self-analysis to optimize their existing water treatment processes.  Treatment plants that are successful in consistently producing water quality that is better than what is required by current Federal regulations may earn the recognition of the Directors Award and potentially the Presidents Award, which recognizes the highest possible and most stringent level of filtering performance in a water treatment facility.

The Partnership For Safe Water is a national initiative developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the American Water Works Association, and four other prestigious drinking water organizations. The Partnership’s mission is to improve the quality of water delivered to customers by optimizing water treatment system operations.  For more information, visit www.awwa.org.

For more information on Aurora’s water and how the system works, visit the city’s annual water quality report or visit the city’s FAQ page.

SOURCES: City of Aurora press release and website pages, American Association of Water Works