Sept. 18 is World Water Monitoring Day, but for Polk County Utilities, every day is a water monitoring day. Operators test samples from multiple points in the water production and distribution systems seven days per week in six water service areas.
Polk County Utilities (PCU) serves areas throughout unincorporated Polk County from 27 water plants through more than 1,000 miles of pipelines.
PCU operation:
- Produces and distributes 19.7 million gallons of drinkable water each day.
- Collects and treats 9.4 million gallons of wastewater each day.
- Produces and distributes 11 million gallons a day of reclaimed water for irrigation.
Ray Freeman, PCU’s water production manager, oversees processes including the treatment, disinfection and distribution of drinking water. Polk County Utilities has a team of 15 operators, each who are licensed through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Earning and maintaining a water operator’s license requires years of training, testing and continuing education to ensure that the operators are knowledgeable and skilled at producing water that is consistently safe and healthy to drink and use in Polk County homes and businesses. At the Central Water Production Facility, which is located in Bartow, Fla., all operators hold a class A license or are in training for one. The class A license is the highest level of licensure that the state offers…