The Washington County Service Authority (WCSA) has received the 2025 Virginia Optimization Program Gold Standard of Excellence from the Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Drinking Water, marking the 15th time the utility has earned the distinction.
The recognition is the highest honor awarded to Virginia water utilities through the program, acknowledging WCSA’s commitment to water quality and public health. WCSA received the award for its Middle Fork Drinking Water Plant following a 12-month analysis of performance data by the Office of Drinking Water.
Each year, through the Virginia Optimization Program (VOP), the Virginia Department of Health recognizes drinking water plants that perform above and beyond minimum water quality standards by optimizing their treatment processes and operating efficiently and effectively. The primary purpose of the program is to reduce public health risks associated with drinking water.
The VOP works toward this goal by establishing and communicating optimization standards to water utilities and measuring their performance. Water treatment plants are graded on six criteria. To meet the gold standard, a plant must meet or exceed program goals at least 95% of the time.
“The Gold Award recognizes the hard work and dedication of our Middle Fork team in providing the highest-quality drinking water to our customers every day, and we are incredibly proud to have earned this distinction 15 times,” says Ron Seay, WCSA general manager. “This recognition reflects the commitment of our highly trained employees and their dedication to making a difference for customers throughout our service area.”
WCSA has the largest permitted capacity and the most service connections in the Mount Rogers Planning District. The utility’s Middle Fork Drinking Water Plant is a conventional surface water treatment plant with a capacity of 12 million gallons per day.