The Waynesville-Allens Creek and Maggie Valley Sanitary District plants were two of eight facilities to receive the “Gold Star” honor, which recognizes systems that have received the award for 10 consecutive years. 

In addition to Waynesville and Maggie Valley, Asheville’s Mills River and William DeBruhl plants, Robbinsville’s Rock Creek plant Weaverville’s Ivy River plant and Hendersonville received the N.C. Area Wide Optimization Award. 

Every year, awards are given to systems that demonstrate outstanding removal of individual particles, which can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. 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. In 2019, nearly 2.3 million North Carolina residents were served by these award-winning plants.