LVMWD nominated for water awards

LVMWD nominated for water awards

Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (LVMWD) was recently nominated for the 2003 Annual Water Quality Awards by the California Regional Water Quality Control Board’s Los Angeles Region.

The water district was nominated for an award in the Water Quality Leadership category for its comprehensive, innovative approach to a variety of water issues.

According to information provided by Arlene Post, director of resource conservation and public outreach, LVMWD was a contender for many reasons. From its water recycling program and urban runoff control, to the diversion of waste from landfills and nutrient reduction in wastewater, the district is a pioneer in water quality, Post said. The agency employs an in-house watershed scientist, conducted the Malibu Lagoon Restoration and Management Study and supported the Santa Monica Bay Epidemiological Study. Furthermore, LVMWD assisted in listing the southern steelhead trout as an endangered species and it continually monitors water quality, according to Post.

Although LVMWD didn’t win the Water Quality Leadership award (it went to the Los Angeles City Council), district employees are proud to have been nominated for their work.

"It’s a very high honor just to have been nominated by members of the local community," said LVMWD General Manager Jim Colbaugh. "The criteria are stringent and it’s a pleasure to note that each year, there seems to be more nominees worthy of recognition for their efforts at improving water quality," he added.

—Stephanie Bertholdo