PRESS RELEASE           

April 30, 2008

 2008 Maryland Rural Water Association Awards

              Elkton, MD - The Cecil County Department of Public Works took home three awards from the 2008 Maryland Rural Water Association's (MRWA) annual awards luncheon held at the Clarion Fontainebleau Resort Hotel in Ocean City, Maryland on April 21, 2008. The Board of County Commissioners recognizes the professional efforts and commends the Public Works employees for a job well done.

       Jim Zell of the Department of Public Works' Water & Wastewater Division was named "Collection System Operator of the Year".  A County employee for five years, Mr. Zell leads a four-person crew in operating and maintaining the County's system of sewer lines and sewage pumping stations serving the County's five sewer service areas (Highlands; Meadowview; Cherry Hill; Harbor View; North East).  Mr. Zell earned this distinction for his commitment to customer service and the role he has played in support of a number of recent initiatives to increase the reliability of the sewer collection systems.

       County Director of Public Works W. Scott Flanigan was selected as the "William F. Eckman Decision Maker of the Year".  MRWA's Decision Maker of the Year award is intended to recognize elected officials or senior managers such as Directors of Public Works for their efforts in overseeing water and/or wastewater system operations.  Mr. Flanigan, who has been the County's Director of Public Works since October 2005, was selected by the MRWA Selection Committee in recognition of his leadership of the Cecil County Department of Public Works as it works to meet the County's water and sewer needs in the face of mounting growth pressures.

       The County's Pine Hills Water System was named the "Water System of the Year".  MRWA selects a "Water System of the Year" to recognize excellence in water system operations.  The County's Pine Hills system is one of three County-owned and operated water systems; it serves approximately 800 residents in the Pine Hills, Arundel, and Mariner's Cove areas of the County.  MRWA selected the Pine Hills system for this award as a result of the Department of Public Works' successful completion of a series of system improvements within the last three years including upgrading to an automated meter reading system, installation of an automated data acquisition and control system, and completion of a new well to ensure that the system's supply is sufficient to meet projected demand.

            Award selections were made by MRWA's Selection Committee and there were 14 award categories in all.  The Maryland Rural Water Association was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Woodbine, Maryland.  It provides free technical assistance and training to small drinking water and wastewater systems in rural areas throughout the State of Maryland.  Its activities are funded through grants from the United States Department of Agriculture, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and the Maryland Department of the Environment. 

Direct questions regarding this press release to:

 Ms. Vicky Rinkerman, Executive Office Administrator

Cecil County Commissioners' Office

County Administration Building

200 Chesapeake Boulevard, Suite 2100

Elkton, MD 21921

(410) 996-8310 or Fax (410) 996-1014

E-mail: vrinkerman@ccgov.org