A Richland County Utilities employee has received statewide recognition for her work in the field of water analysis.
Kelly Price was presented in January with the Laboratory Analyst of the Year Award from the Capital District of the Water Environment Association of South Carolina (WEASC). WEASC presents the award annually to a water and/or wastewater treatment analyst for performing excellent work in the laboratory of a water and/or wastewater treatment plant in South Carolina.
“We applaud Ms. Price on this honor, which demonstrates further that Richland County has a talented team of employees who work every day to provide the best services possible to residents,” said Interim County Administrator Ed Gomeau.
Price, who joined Richland County last year, was nominated by her co-workers for her dedication to the field and the effort she has put into streamlining laboratory tasks, including:
- Formalizing numerous analytical procedures in accordance with the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control
- Instituting schedules and timetables to ensure numerous sampling requirements are followed
- Improving the lab environment by obtaining necessary equipment, getting the lab certified to run more analyses in-house, coordinating the lab data systems with other divisions to better serve the department
- Starting protocols for proper sampling techniques for drinking water analyses as well as wastewater and groundwater sampling to ensure proper training and consistency in sampling to eliminate errors
“The Richland County Utilities team truly works hard in serving the best interest of the County,” Utilities Director Shahid Khan said. “We’re all extremely proud of Ms. Price and appreciate all she does for the team and our utilities customers.”