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.
