Charleston Water System Receives Excellence in Management Recognition

(December 12, 2003)—Charleston Water System is one of 38 public wastewater utilities in the nation selected to receive the inaugural Excellence in Management Recognition award from the Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies (AMSA).

The Excellence in Management Program recognizes public wastewater utilities that have successfully implemented progressive management initiatives to address the wide range of challenges facing the industry, including pollution prevention, system capacity and reliability, operations and maintenance, and leveraging technology.

Charleston Water System was selected for this honor based on efforts to continually improve operations and protect the water environment; some of these efforts include implementation of a Strategic Plan, development of computer models for the Plum Island Wastewater Treatment Plant, implementation of an Environmental Management System (EMS), coordination of a successful recycling program, and energy use reduction.

Charleston Water System was the first, and to date is the only combined water and wastewater utility to achieve certification under the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) 14001 Standard for implementation of an EMS for environmental improvement. In addition, Charleston Water System has developed water quality computer models to ensure protection of water resources, developed a computer program to monitor and predict plant performance, and recycled millions of pounds of materials (including paper, metal, motor oil, concrete, tires, etc.).

“Charleston Water System truly embodies the spirit of the Excellence in Management Recognition Program. It is an honor and an inspiration to showcase the achievements of our nation's public wastewater utilities,” said Ken Kirk, AMSA's Executive Director.

The Charleston Water System provides wastewater treatment service for the Peninsula, Daniel Island, West Ashley, Hollywood, Folly Beach, and parts of James Island; water service is supplied to more than 400,000 people in the Greater Charleston area, including wholesale service to numerous municipalities.

For more information, please contact Jenny Hagan at (843) 727-7146. Click here to learn more about the Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies (AMSA).