Okatie, SC (August 15, 2017) –Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority (BJWSA) has received national recognition as a Utility of the Future Today – one of 25 water utilities from across the U.S. recognized as forward-thinking, innovative utilities that are providing resilient and value-added service to communities.
The selection committee, consisting of peer utility leaders, cited BJWSA for its achievements in the areas of Community Partnership & Engagement, Water Reuse and Watershed Stewardship.
The Utility of the Future Today program was launched in 2016 by four water sector organizations—the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), the Water Environment Federation (WEF), the Water Environment & Reuse Foundation (WE&RF) and WateReuse, with input from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
BJWSA General Manager Ed Saxon will accept the award during a ceremony at WEFTEC 2017 – WEF’s 90th annual technical exhibition and conference – in October in Chicago.
“Our highly-skilled, dedicated employees are experts in delivering high quality products and services and are most deserving of this recognition,” Saxon said. “We are committed to our mission of “Inspiring Trust and Enhancing Public Health” and apply it to everything that we do.”
The Utility of the Future Today concept is being promoted as the nation’s water system faces challenges such as aging infrastructure, water pollution and workforce shortages, as well as impacts of climate change, including drought, floods, storms and sea level rise. The 25 utilities recognized in 2017 are transforming operations to meet challenges by recovering resources, engaging in the community, forming untraditional partnerships and building an internal culture of innovation.
“The innovations coming to the water sector present an opportunity for a paradigm shift in the way utilities think about and solve long-standing challenges to clean and reliable water,” said Eileen O’Neill, executive director of the Water Environment Federation. “WEF is excited to recognize BJWSA for embracing innovative ways to better serve their community.”
To learn more about the program, visit www.wef.org/UtilityoftheFuture. Learn more about BJWSA at www.bjwsa.org.
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