Aurora wins national water quality award

Aurora long has said it has the best tasting water in the state, but now it appears science supports those claims.

The city's water production division has received the Directors Award of Recognition, one of the highest honors in the nation bestowed upon water treatment plants, from the Partnership for Safe Water.

The partnership is a national volunteer initiative developed by the Environmental Protection Agency and other water organizations representing water suppliers striving to provide their communities with drinking water quality that surpasses the required federal standards.

"Those taste tests are a big flashy award and they're nice to get, but this recognition from our peers states that we have produced the highest quality water possible," said Acting Superintendent of Water Production David E. Schumacher. "I guess it backs up the claims that our water is the best tasting but it's a very important recognition for us to receive. We take a lot of pride in what we do at the plant."

As members of the partnership, utilities make a pledge to their communities to improve their treatment operations to reduce the risk of exposure to microbial contaminants, namely Cryptosporidium, a parasite that can cause illness. By making this commitment, the member utilities' treatment practices undergo a rigorous review developed by national experts and includes a four-phased, self assessment and peer-review process.

Schumacher said plant operators have kept and reviewed "reams and reams" of data since August 2008 to analyze the plant's treatment process to remove all solid particles from the finished product.

Of the 98 designated surface water treatment systems statewide, Aurora is now one of only three municipally owned and operated surface water treatment plants in Illinois to achieve the elite status.

"For us, it's an internal pat on the back but now the pressure's going to be on to keep this performance level," Schumacher said. "That requires buy-in from everyone from the ground level on up and I think we've got that."

Mayor Tom Weisner also praised the plant workers in a written statement celebrating the award.

"Aurora's water was recently voted the best tasting in the state for three consecutive years and now has been awarded one of the highest safety recognitions in the country," Weisner wrote. "These are major accolades and another illustration of the importance of safeguarding our natural resources."