A national clean water association has recognized the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water) with two awards for environmental protection. The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) presented the awards for achievements at the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant. The National Environmental Achievement Award recognized the development of innovative technology with global application and the Platinum Peak Performance Award acknowledged the five-year record for Blue Plains in achieving outstanding compliance with EPA standards for improving water quality in the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay.

“The Clean Water Act in the 1970s was a critical first step in preserving our nation’s waterways and it paved the way for federal funding, regulation and enforcement,” said DC Water General Manager George S Hawkins. “That was nearly 40 years ago. Our waterways and the aquatic life they support are still in dire need of protection. DC Water has one of the most advanced research programs in the country and is at the forefront of improving technology for environmental protection.”

DC Water was selected for The National Environmental Achievement Award for creating new research and technology design and operating criteria for enhanced nitrogen removal from wastewater. This innovation by the DC Water team has global impact in protecting aquatic life in waterways that receive wastewater discharges. This is the second consecutive year that DC Water has been recognized with this award for research and technology. Locally, when employed at Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant, these technologies will help protect the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay.

The focus of this particular research is to turn solid nitrogen in wastewater into nitrogen gas, rendering it harmless to the receiving waters. In their assessment, the scientists at Blue Plains concluded this to be a compact and cost-effective environmental technology that gives an alternative solution to utilities across the country. As a result, utilities and communities now have another reliable alternative to protect their local environment.

NACWA also presented DC Water with the Platinum Peak Performance Award for five consecutive years of 100 percent annual NPDES permit compliance. The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, regulates the effluent, or treated wastewater, that Blue Plains discharges to the Potomac River. Blue Plains is held to one of the most stringent permits in the country. This is the first time that Blue Plains has received the Platinum Award.

Hawkins accepted both awards at the annual NACWA conference, held July 20 to 23 in San Francisco, California.