Environment and Conservation
March 25, 2015

The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Dan Crummell, Minister of Environment and Conservation:

Awards Recognize the Important Work of Water System Operators

Mr. Speaker I rise today to acknowledge the important work of municipal water system operators and to congratulate this year's recipients of the Operator of the Year and Volunteer Operator of the Year awards, which were handed out this morning at the Clean and Safe Drinking Water Workshop in Gander.

These awards are presented annually to one operator and one volunteer operator, nominated by their communities, for their dedication and outstanding contribution to providing clean and safe drinking water.

The winners will have demonstrated ingenuity, proficiency, dedication and professionalism in water system operation. They must be certified, or working towards certification; participate in education and training opportunities; show leadership; provide support to other workers, and go that extra mile for their community. I'm very pleased to tell you that the department received 26 very deserving nominations this year, and we were overwhelmed with the letters of praise submitted in support of these operators.

I'm happy to announce to this Honourable House that Marvin Bull of the Town of Eastport, has been named this year's Operator of the Year and Victor Keats of the Local Service District of Phillips Head has been named Volunteer Operator of the Year.

Mr. Speaker, delivering clean and safe drinking water to the residents of Newfoundland and Labrador is a challenging responsibility for communities, and this workshop provides an opportunity for operators to come together to increase their knowledge and share real-life local experiences. It also enables operators here in the province to learn from those involved in delivering clean drinking water in other parts of Canada and the United States.

We are always pleased to see such a great turnout for this event, and would like to thank the Department of Municipal and Intergovernmental Affairs for their continued financial support through the provision of a travel subsidy for communities that participate in the workshop. Addressing water quality issues is a priority for that department as well. In 2014-15, over $6.3 million was invested in drinking water quality-related projects including new facilities and upgrading of water treatment infrastructure and feasibility studies.

I ask all Honourable Members to join me in congratulating this year's winners and all the nominees. I thank each and every one of them for their continued commitment to delivering clean and safe drinking water to the residents of this province. And this is a commitment shared by this government. Mr. Speaker.

Thank you.

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2015 03 25                              2:20 p.m.