The original item was published from 7/29/2024 3:21:00 PM to 9/1/2024 12:00:01 AM.

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Water Department

Posted on: August 1, 2024 | Last Modified on: July 29, 2024

[ARCHIVED] Celebrating Florida Water Professionals Month

City of Winter Haven Honors Water Industry Professionals

Proclamation by Mayor Nathaniel J. Birdsong Jr.

The City of Winter Haven proudly recognizes August 2024 as Florida Water Professionals Month. This proclamation celebrates the dedication and hard work of water industry professionals who ensure the production and distribution of safe drinking water, and the proper collection, treatment, reuse, and disposal of wastewater and stormwater. These professionals play a crucial role in protecting the health of Florida's citizens and our state's natural resources.

Mayor Nathaniel J. Birdsong Jr. has officially proclaimed August 2024 as Florida Water Professionals Month, acknowledging the tireless efforts of these essential first responders. This recognition aligns with the state's ongoing commitment to water quality protection and conservation, highlighted by the bipartisan support for Senate Bill 712, the Clean Waterways Act, which aims to minimize nutrient pollution and protect our water quality.

Acceptance Speech by David Nicholson, Wastewater Treatment Plant Manager

David Nicholson, the Wastewater Treatment Plant Manager for the City of Winter Haven, expressed his pride and gratitude on behalf of the Winter Haven Water team. In his heartfelt acceptance speech, Nicholson stated:

"My name is David Nicholson and I'm the wastewater treatment plant manager for the city. I'm proud to stand here this evening and speak on behalf of the team at Winter Haven Water. I represent an exceptional team, many of whom are here this evening, and I'd like to thank you for recognizing these water professionals with this Proclamation, acknowledging the hard work they do in serving the residents and businesses in the City of Winter Haven. I could not do my job without this team backing me up. These dedicated professionals come to work every day to ensure the city's residents, visitors, and businesses can operate safe in the knowledge that we are working 24/7, 365 days a year to provide them with clean, safe water. The wastewater team works incredibly hard to ensure that both treatment facilities produce clean, safe reclaimed water to keep our parks and green spaces watered as well as providing our residents with irrigation.

These are challenging times in the water industry; however, the team at Winter Haven is at the forefront of meeting these challenges head-on. Water is a precious resource, and the city's One Water Master Plan will ensure that future generations of the city continue to have a clean, safe water supply for decades to come, enhancing our environmental stewardship while taking care of the lakes and wetlands. On behalf of the Wastewater team specifically, I would like to thank the commission for their support of the design and build of the new water recycling facility, which will be the crown jewel in the One Water Master Plan, and we are all excited to bring this to life in the months and years to come. Thank you again."

Acknowledging Our Dedicated Professionals

The Wastewater team deeply appreciated the Florida Water Professionals Proclamation presented at last night’s Commission meeting. We would like to acknowledge the following water professionals from the Wastewater division who attended the meeting: