Virginia Governor Ralph S. Northam

WHEREAS, the health, safety, and well-being of all Virginians are of utmost importance to the prosperity and livelihood of our Commonwealth’s families and communities; and

WHEREAS, without reliable drinking water and wastewater treatment, the United States would suffer thousands of deaths each year due to waterborne diseases; and

WHEREAS, conscientious regulation and operation of both public and private drinking water treatment plants and distribution systems help prevent contamination and other avoidable incidents that threaten the health and well-being of Virginia’s more than 8.3 million residents; and

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth produces an average of more than 620 million gallons of wastewater each day, the proper treatment of which protects the ecological health of Virginia’s surface waters, such as the James and Potomac Rivers, and the Chesapeake Bay; and

WHEREAS, thousands of water and wastewater industry professionals in the Commonwealth’s public and private sectors dedicate their careers to keeping drinking water and treated wastewater clean and free of substances harmful to both humans and the environment; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia General Assembly, by passing House Joint Resolution 88 in 2016, designated June 30 as Drinking Water and Wastewater Professionals Day in Virginia;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Ralph S. Northam, do hereby recognize June 30, 2019, as DRINKING WATER AND WASTEWATER PROFESSIONALS DAY in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.