El Paso Water is among an elite group of utilities to earn the Partnership for Safe Water’s Directors Award for Distribution System Operations. EPWater received this award for successfully completing a comprehensive self-assessment of distribution system operations and optimization that demonstrate the utility’s commitment to delivering safe, high quality water to the community.

“We are honored to be one of an elite group of systems to receive this award,” said EPWater CEO and President John Balliew. “Our utility’s goal is to be a leader in optimization and to continuously strive to optimize performance and provide high-quality water. The award demonstrates our ongoing commitment to protecting public health.”

The self-assessment process involves evaluation of distribution system operations and performance, identification of performance limiting factors and the development of action plans to achieve distribution system optimization. A final step involves participation by independent experts in a peer-review process, who prepare and publish a completion report. EPWater was one of a select group of utilities recognized at the annual conference of the American Water Works Association on June 12, for achieving the Directors Award-level of performance within the Partnership’s Distribution System Optimization Program.

The Partnership for Safe Water is a voluntary self-assessment and optimization program for water treatment plant and distribution system operations. More than 250 utility subscribers, collectively serving more than 85 million people are committed to the Partnership’s goals of providing safe, high-quality drinking water through achieving operational excellence. Partnership members participate in a rigorous four-phase self-assessment and peer review process, developed by industry experts, and are recognized broadly for their commitment to delivering safe water to their communities.

The Partnership for Safe Water is sponsored by the American Water Works Association, Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, Association of State Drinking Water Administrators, United State Environmental Protection Agency, National Association of Water Companies, and the Water Research Foundation.