(Pictured above) Larry Brookman, Aqua Virginia Field Operator (center) accepts the 2024 Silver Water Treatment Plant Performance Award for Excellence in Filtration and Backwash from Lisa Crabtree, Office of Drinking Water Deputy Director in the Abington Field Office (left) and Dr. David Dawson, P.E., Deputy Field Director (right) Virginia Department of Health Office of Drinking Water, Abingdon Field Office. Chairman of the Virginia Optimization Program Committee.
Two decades of recognition reflects the company’s leadership, commitment to innovation and dedication to public health
Aqua Virginia, an Essential Utilities company, today announced its Lake Monticello water treatment facility received the 2024 Silver Water Treatment Plant Performance Award from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) Office of Drinking Water. This marks the 20th consecutive year Aqua Virginia has received this recognition, an achievement that underscores the company’s long-standing commitment to protecting public health and delivering high-quality drinking water.
The Silver Award recognizes small water systems that consistently exceed state and federal regulatory requirements and meet rigorous optimization goals in filtration and backwash performance. Aqua Virginia has maintained its award-winning performance every year since the program’s inception in 2004, advancing from bronze status to Silver in recent years—a testament to the company’s continuous investment in quality, innovation and improvement.
“Receiving this award of excellence for two decades is a remarkable honor,” said John Aulbach, President of Aqua Virginia. “I’m incredibly proud of our team, especially plant operator Larry Brookman, who is celebrating 30 years at the facility this year. Their expertise and dedication ensure we deliver on our mission to provide safe and reliable water to our customers every day.”
To continue enhancing service reliability and environmental stewardship across its 37-county service area, Aqua Virginia is conducting a plant expansion study to identify future facility upgrades at Lake Monticello.
This initiative is part of a broader effort to strengthen service reliability and environmental sustainability across the company’s 37-county footprint. Through a combination of targeted infrastructure upgrades and more than $120 million in planned system investments through 2029, Aqua Virginia is reinforcing its commitment to delivering exceptional water and wastewater service for years to come.