MIDDLEBURY — Middlebury’s Waste Water Treatment Facility, 243 Industrial Road, will hold an open house on Friday, May 27, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Gov. Peter Shumlin has proclaimed May 27 as Water Quality Day. Fittingly, 10 wastewater and storm water facilities throughout Vermont will host open houses that day. The public is invited for a fun and informative glimpse of the people, science, and high-tech of Vermont’s drinking water, wastewater, and storm water systems.
In his proclamation, Gov. Shumlin said, “The storm water, wastewater and drinking water systems and facilities in communities around Vermont are the first and most critical barriers defending against water pollution from human activities and protecting the public health.” He praised water quality professionals for working “24/7, 365 days a year,” calling them “public servants dedicated to protecting public health and the environment, who deserve the understanding and support of the Vermont citizenry.”
Daniel Hecht, director of Green Mountain Water Environment Association (GMWEA), says, “The scope of our water infrastructure is staggering. In the U.S., we rely on 3 million miles of drinking water and wastewater pipe — enough to go around the world 108 times. A citizen’s shared ownership of public water systems may be the most valuable thing they own. In Montpelier, for example, each household is served by $169,000 worth of pipes and equipment, about $18,500 per person, adult or child.”
For more information on the open house at the Middlebury facility, contact Bob Wells at (802) 388-6514 or [email protected].