PUD Earns 'TOP' Award for Clean Drinking Water

Posted Wednesday, February 1, 2023

Skagit PUD’s Judy Reservoir Water Treatment Plant received a Washington State Office of Drinking Water Treatment Optimization Program (TOP) award in recognition of 21 years of meeting and exceeding strict water quality standards.

Skagit PUD is among only four water treatment plants in Washington to receive the 20-year TOP award.

Skagit PUD voluntarily participates in the state’s program, where water filtration plants commit to meeting treatment optimization goals for particle removal and disinfection that are more stringent than current regulatory requirements.

Surface water, taken from streams and rivers, typically requires more filtration and treatment than groundwater withdrawn by wells because of surface water’s greater susceptibility to runoff and other forms of pollution.

Because turbidity (water cloudiness caused by suspended particles) is a readily measured indicator of treatment plant performance, TOP tracks finished water turbidity data for all conventional and direct filtration plants in Washington.

Maintaining low turbidity is critical in protecting consumers from microbial contaminants and safeguarding public health.