The N.C. Division of Water Resources has honored 64 water treatment plants for surpassing federal and state drinking water standards in 2020.  The division’s Public Water Supply Section awarded the facilities the prestigious N.C. Area Wide Optimization Award, which is part of a state effort to enhance the performance of existing surface water treatment facilities.

In 2020, the state recognized 13 facilities with the “Gold Star” honor, which is an award for systems that have received the N.C. Area Wide Optimization Award for 10 consecutive years. They are:

• Lincolnton
• Marion
• Newton
• Kerr Lake Regional Water System
• Weaverville-Ivy River
• Waynesville-Allens Creek
• Maggie Valley Sanitary District
• Wilkesboro
• Harnett County
• Boone
• Burnsville
• Broad River Water Authority
• Cape Fear Public Utility – Wilmington – Sweeney.

Awards are given each year to water systems that demonstrate outstanding turbidity removal, a key test of drinking water quality. Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness or haziness of water caused by individual particles that can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. Microbes are microscopic particles that occur naturally but can include harmful bacteria and viruses.

While all drinking water systems must meet strict state and federal drinking water standards, these systems met performance goals that are significantly more stringent than state and federal standards. In 2020, nearly 2.5 million North Carolina residents were served by these award-winning plants.

The award winners for 2020 are: