Congrats To Our No.1 Wastewater Treatment Facility!

The City of Santa Cruz Wastewater Treatment Facility was awarded Plant of the Year 2013 (for facilities in the range of 5-20 million gallons per day) at the California Water Environment Association’s Annual Conference on May 2.

The award is based on the review of infrastructure, management practices and compliance records among medium-sized plants throughout the state. 

This honor illustrates the high quality of service provided to Santa Cruz residents by the Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) which is managed by the City of Santa Cruz Public Works Department.

Dave Meyers, Senior WWTF Operator, says winning factors include:
  
- An energy software system detailing energy consumption and shut-off equipment which translates into more efficient and cheaper energy for customers.  
- State-of-the-art centrifuge bio-solid processing equipment which separates water and solids.  
- Overall cleanliness and odor control system.  
- Seamless teamwork among 48 employees — especially in the maintenance lab and collections and operations groups.
 
The California Water Environment Association’s (CWEA) award program not only recognizes outstanding achievement within the wastewater field, but also serves to stimulate public awareness of the importance of wastewater treatment to public health and the water environment. 

The Santa Cruz Wastewater Treatment Facility won the CWEA Monterey Bay Section Award in 2013, 2012, 2004 and 2003.

It was also recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its green power accomplishments in 2012 and 2013.  

School and other groups are welcome to schedule tours of the Santa Cruz Wastewater Treatment Facility by contacting Dan Seidel, the plant supervisor, at DSeidel@cityofsantacruz.com or 831.420.6044. 

For more information on the Santa Cruz Wastewater Treatment Facility please visit the Santa Cruz Public Works Department website: http://www.cityofsantacruz.com.  

About Santa Cruz Public Works Department 

The Public Works Department provides the City of Santa Cruz with a variety of services including engineering design, traffic engineering and maintenance, storm water management, street maintenance, resource recovery management, wastewater management, flood control and parking control.

The Public Works Department is committed to bringing the Santa Cruz community the highest possible quality of life.  

About National Public Works Week May 18-24, 2014 

According to the American Public Works Association, “The 2014 National Public Works Week theme, ‘Building for Today, Planning for Tomorrow,’ recognizes that what we do today is vital to a sustainable and vibrant tomorrow.

Public works plays a key role in the planning, building and maintenance of infrastructure projects in their communities that will allow future generations to enjoy a higher quality of life.”