Arlington Water Utilities spends the year delivering billions of gallons of water to the City's more than 370,000 residents, not to mention visitors from all over the world who flock to landmarks like Six Flags Over Texas and AT&T Stadium.
But it's not enough to just get that water to the tap. Delivering high quality drinking water is Arlington's priority and the taste of its water has won awards from statewide organizations like the Texas Water Utilities Association.
So, how do they do it? The Laboratory Services division of Arlington Water Utilities plays a big role. Here are some highlights of the work that goes on there:
1. The lab does a whole lot of testing.
In 2015, Laboratory Services analyzed 11,562 samples and performed 22,570 tests. The majority of the tests, 18,027, were in support of water treatment, making sure equipment at the city's two water treatment plants is achieving the results it should throughout the process and monitoring 120 distribution sites in the city each month. The lab also supports Water Resource Services' monitoring of industrial sites, making sure wastewater meets standards of safety before it enters Arlington's system. More than 2,000 of those tests were performed in 2015. In 2015, the lab also did 588 tests for customers who were concerned about their water.
2. The people who work at the lab are some of the best in the business.
The staff in the Laboratory Services Division is made up of seven professional scientists with more than 100 years combined experience. The laboratory also holds Environmental Laboratory Accreditation for both drinking water and non-potable water analysis through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. In addition to Water Utilities, they also provide services to Arlington's Community Planning and Development and Public Works departments.
3. Arlington Water Utilities wants you to know how it's doing.
Each year, the Arlington Water Utilities publishes a Water Quality Report for customers. It contains useful information about how Arlington water is treated and addresses timely topics like worries about lead exposure. It also gives detailed information about the presence of regulated substances such as: nitrogen, which can come from runoff from agriculture; chloramine, an additive used to control microbes; and coliform, which is present in the environment. Unregulated substances, like those that might occur as a byproduct of water disinfection, also are reported. Keeping track of unregulated substances helps the EPA determine whether regulation is needed. The report is available on the Arlington Water website at arlingtontx.gov/water.
4. The lab is training the next generation of water utility operators.
Nationally, about 30 percent of water and wastewater utilities workers are projected to retire over the next ten years and someone must replace them. Arlington Water Utilities works with Arlington ISD each year on an internship program to generate interest in the industry. Since 2014, eight Arlington High School students have achieved their class D water operator license as part of their internship at the lab. Four of those went on to get jobs with the City of Arlington.
Residents can also read about opportunities and services they may not know about the Arlington Fire Department, Arlington Animal Services Shelter, the Arlington Public Library and the Arlington Police Department's Property Room.
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