The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources has honored 66 water treatment plants for surpassing federal and state drinking water standards in 2025. The division’s Public Water Supply Section awarded the facilities the N.C. Area Wide Optimization Award, which is part of a state effort to enhance the performance of existing surface water treatment facilities.
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. Winners in The Smoky Mountain News coverage area were plants serving Waynesville, Fontana Dam, Franklin, Maggie Valley, and Western Carolina University.
For more information on the AWOP program, visit the DEQ website.