FRANKFORT — Winchester Municipal Utilities was among 42 surface water treatment plants recognized recently by Kentucky’s Energy and Environment Cabinet.

The plants were recognized for meeting the 2017 goals of Kentucky’s Area-Wide Optimization Program, known as AWOP.

AWOP is a multi-state initiative administered through the U.S. EPA which encourages drinking water systems to voluntarily achieve optimization goals that go beyond regulatory requirements. Kentucky is one of 26 participating states.

All of Kentucky’s public water systems are encouraged to participate in AWOP to provide the highest quality water to residents, a state news release said.

AWOP provides tools and approaches for drinking water systems to meet water quality optimization goals and to provide an increased and sustainable level of public health protection to consumers.

“Together, these 42 drinking water treatment plants serve more than 1.1 million Kentuckians,” said Joe Uliasz, supervisor of the Division of Water’s Drinking Water Compliance and Technical Assistance Section. “These drinking water treatment plant operators deserve our recognition and appreciation for their daily efforts to exceed the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act.”

WMU received a certificate for meeting the AWOP criteria, alog with: the AWOP criteria: Barbourville Water and Electric, Berea Municipal Utilities, Bullock Pen Water District, Burkesville Water Works, Century Aluminum, Danville City Water Works, Franklin Water Works, Glasgow Water Company – Plants A and B, Green River Valley Water District, Greensburg Water Works, Greenup Water System, Hardin County Water District No. 2 – Plants A and B, Hartford Municipal Water Works, Hodgenville Water Works, Hopkinsville Water Environment Authority, Jackson County Water Association, Jackson Municipal Water Works, Jamestown Municipal Water Works, Kentucky American Water Co. – Plants B and C, Kentucky State Penitentiary, Laurel County Water District No. 2, Lawrenceburg Water and Sewer Department, Leitchfield Water Works, Liberty Water Works, Logan Todd Regional Water Commission, London Utility Commission, Louisa Water Department, Madisonville Light and Water, McCreary County Water District – Plant A and B, Morehead State University, Northern Kentucky Water Service – Plant C, Rattlesnake Ridge Water District, Richmond Utilities, Stanford Water Works, West Liberty Water Company, Western Fleming Water District and Williamsburg Water Department

Two Kentucky water treatment plants received an AWOP Champion Award. This award shows the high level of optimization achieved, as well as the system’s overall compliance record for the previous three years. Logan Todd Regional Water Commission was awarded the 2017 Champion Award for a large drinking water treatment plant. Leitchfield Water Works received the 2017 Champion Award for a small drinking water treatment plant.

Thirteen AWOP drinking water systems received special recognition, with a gold seal on their certificates, for achieving the AWOP goals 100 percent of the time in 2017. These include Barbourville Water and Electric, Bullock Pen Water District, Glasgow Water Company – Plant A, Greenup Water System, Jackson County Water Association, Jamestown Municipal Water Works, Kentucky American Water Co. – Plant B, Laurel County Water District No. 2, Lawrenceburg Water and Sewer Department, Liberty Water Works, Logan Todd Regional Water Commission, McCreary County Water District – Plant B, and Rattlesnake Ridge Water District.