Lehigh County Authority Employees Win Two Wastewater Treatment Awards

LCA was honored with two awards from the Eastern Pennsylvania Water Pollution Control Operators Association earlier this month.

The first award, for Industrial Pretreatment, recognizes the staff at LCA’s Industrial Pretreatment Plant in Fogelsville and The Kline’s Island Wastewater Treatment Plant in Allentown for their diligent work to meet the requirements of the EPA-mandated pretreatment program.

“Pretreatment” is the treatment of wastewater from commercial and industrial facilities to remove harmful pollutants before they are discharged to a sewer collection and treatment facility.

Industrial users contribute about 5 million gallons per day to the 32 million gallons of wastewater treated each day at Kline’s Island. Each year, our staff takes about 500 water samples, conducts inspections, reviews reports, and performs field testing to ensure our industrial users are meeting or exceeding EPA requirements.

The EPWPCOA award recognizes facilities “for excellence in development and administration of an Industrial Pretreatment Program. The award is based on continuing high results determined by the Measures of Success used by the EPA in its review of the Annual Pretreatment Reports, and by additional information determined in inspections and audits.”

The second award, the Robert M. Bolenius – Gordon J. Wiest Clean Streams Award, recognizes the dedication of former LCA compliance officer Pat Mandes, who retired earlier this month. The clean streams award is given for “outstanding and unselfish service to the department of operations excellence through individual contact and dedication to the water pollution control field.”

Former LCA compliance officer Pat Mandes is presented with the Robert M. Bolenius – Gordon J. Wiest Clean Streams Award.

During her tenure with LCA, Mandes was responsible for oversight of the Industrial Pretreatment Program, our laboratories, management of the Wastewater Capacity Development Plan and management of the Authority’s Infiltration and Inflow Program.

She is a previous President of the Eastern Pennsylvania Water Pollution Control Operators Association; served as a Director of the Pennsylvania Water Environment Association; and also served as a chairperson of the Water Utility Council.

“We are proud of the work we do at Lehigh County Authority each and every day to serve the community, protect the environment and public health,” says LCA’s Chief Executive Officer Liesel Gross. “These awards are a wonderful compliment of our employee’s ongoing commitment to excellence. We are proud of their hard work and dedication.”