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Town of Mansfield, Mass. Water Pollution Control Facility Recognized

The Town of Mansfield, Mass. Water Pollution Control Facility was recently selected by EPA for a Regional "Operations and Maintenance Wastewater Excellence Award".

The staff of the Mansfield facility was recognized by EPA's New England Office for exceptional work in operating and maintaining the plant, as well as its overall commitment to improving water quality. The plant was among four facilities in New England acknowledged for exemplary performance during 2006. The Southeast Regional Office of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection was instrumental in nominating this facility.

The staff was recognized for their outstanding work in operating and maintaining the facility, as well as their overall commitment to improving water quality. In particular, the following individuals were recognized for their work: Ken Hackett, Operations Manager, and William Handy, Chief Operator. In addition, John D'Agostino, Town Manager, Lee Azinheira, Director of Public Works, and John Sullivan, Town Engineer, were acknowledged for their outstanding support.

"The professionals operating this wastewater treatment plant play a crucial role ensuring that our lakes and rivers are protected from unnecessary pollution," said Robert W. Varney, regional administrator of EPA's New England Office. "The individuals who run this plant, and the municipalities that support them, are key to keeping our environment healthy. EPA is proud to give them the credit they deserve."

The EPA Regional Operations & Maintenance Excellence Award was established to recognize and honor the employees of publicly owned wastewater treatment plants for their commitment to improving water quality not only with outstanding operation and maintenance, but also through a combination of continued permit compliance, effective financial management, and on-going operator training. More often than not and particularly with the smaller facilities, conscientious operators and staff continue to perform exceptionally with limited resources.

The staff and facility were recognized on January 24th at the annual New England Water Environment Association Conference in Boston. The Mansfield Water Pollution Control Facility will have the opportunity to be nominated for a national EPA 2007 National Operation and Maintenance Excellence Award this coming spring.

More information: EPA wastewater programs (http://www.epa.gov/ne/topics/water/wwater.html)

Source: U.S. EPA