Jasper Waste Water Utility receives three awards
The City of Jasper Waste Water Department was joined by a Jasper Waste Water employee in earning three safety awards at the the recent Indiana Water Environment Association (IWEA) 77th Annual Conference held in Indianapolis.
The awards were announced at the Jasper Utility Service Board meeting held Monday evening.
The department was recognized with the Excellence in Safety Award during the annual awards luncheon on November 22nd. This is the sixth time — and the fourth year in a row — the department has received the award. Prior to this year, they received it in 2005, 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2012.
This award recognizes treatment facilities that exceed expectations in promoting and recognizing the importance of safety in the workplace.
“We are one in 27 plants that received this award in Indiana this year,” Ed Hollinden, Jasper Waste Water Utility Manager, said.
The program is designed to give recognition to plants that sustain a minimum of loss-time accidents and a good merit point record.
The waste water plant completed the safety inspection forms and scored a 100 percent on a comprehensive plant safety inspection conducted by an IWEA Inspector.
The waste water department also received the state’s top safety award; the Indiana George W. Burge Jr. Facility Safety Award.
The award was established in 1982 and is presented to a municipal or industrial waste water facility for establishing and maintaining an active and effective safety program. To be considered for the award, Ed Hollinden said, “The waste water plant had to undergo a ‘rigorous’ inspection by an inspector and comprehensive review of our safety programs and records.”
This isn’t given every year,” Hollinden explained. “The last may have been in 2011. You have to score 100 percent, have no lost work days for injuries and they also look at things like the city’s wellness program as well.”
Jasper is the only municipal waste water department in the State of Indiana to win the award in 2013. In receiving the Indiana Burke Award, the waste water plant will be in the running for the US Water Environment Federation (WEF) Award in 2014.
Finally, Waste Water Mechanic and Safety Committee member Mark Pierce received the L.L. Larson Safety Award.
The award is presented to an individual responsible for bringing safety improvements in the operation of the waste water facility. Those improvements include forming safety rules, improving education and other items that would help reduce the number of incidents at a facility.
Mark was presented the award because of his continuous efforts to improve the safety of his co-workers and the waste water facility. Mark is the first to win the award since 2011. Mark has worked at the City of Jasper for 27 years.
The Waste Water Utility has worked 1,246 days without an incident. The department is staffed with 20 employees that keep the facility running 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They clean about 2 million gallons of effluent each day.
The Indiana Water Environment Association (IWEA) Conference is held each year to offer continuing education and networking opportunities to water quality professionals throughout the state of Indiana as well as recognition for safe operation of waste water facilities.
