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EPA has awarded the City of New Bedford an Excellence Award for our Industrial Pretreatment Program. New Bedford Department of Public Infrastructure (DPI) Wastewater Division employees Wayne Perry and Jamie Ponte recently accepted the award on behalf of New Bedford.
The New Bedford Industrial Pretreatment Program in New Bedford, Mass. was recently selected by EPA for a 2016 Regional Industrial Pretreatment Program Excellence Award.
The pretreatment program staff of New Bedford, led by Wayne Perry, Industrial Pretreatment Program Engineer, under the supervision of Jamie Ponte, Wastewater Superintendent, was recognized by EPA’s New England Office for exceptional work in inspecting, permitting and sampling of industrial users that discharge industrial waste into the City’s collection system.
Mr. Perry’s efforts to regulate the numerous amount of dentists that discharge dental amalgam waste into the City’s sewer system was one of the primary reasons for the award nomination. All 24 dental facilities were inspected in FY 2015 and found to be in compliance with Massachusetts regulations. The City of New Bedford also implements a septage hauler inspection program. Under this program, 100 percent of all loads from 24 separate waste haulers are monitored for pH and visually inspected for oil and grease. For many years, the City has also submitted outstanding annual industrial pretreatment reports, which detail industrial pretreatment program highlights over the course of the year.
“The professionals implementing the industrial pretreatment program, as well as the state environmental agencies that support them, are key to keeping our environment healthy. EPA is proud to give them the credit they deserve,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England Office.
The EPA Regional Industrial Pretreatment Program Excellence Award was established to recognize and honor employees of publicly owned wastewater treatment plants for their commitment to improving water quality through outstanding oversight of industrial users discharging to the municipal sewer system. More often than not, and particularly with smaller facilities, conscientious pretreatment coordinators and staff continue to perform exceptionally with limited resources.
The New Bedford Pretreatment Program was presented the Excellence Award at the 18th Annual EPA New England Industrial Pretreatment Program Conference in October, and the awardees will also be acknowledged in January 2017, at the annual New England Water Environment Association Conference in Boston.
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