State Honors Longtime Lewis County Water Specialist

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The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) announced this week that 10 people from the state are being honored during the annual “National Drinking Water Week” for their roles in ensuring communities have access to safe and clean drinking water.

Among those was Sue Kennedy, who spent 29 years as a water specialist for Lewis County Public Health & Social Services. Kennedy helped both single-residence wells and large water systems in Lewis County recover after the 2007 Chehalis River flood. She was also instrumental in the lives of countless other individuals in Lewis County whose wells tested positive for bad bacteria or nitrates.

Kennedy was honored with the “Lifetime Achievement” award from DOH.

The American Water Works Association started Drinking Water Week more than 40 years ago to highlight the essential role of clean, safe drinking water for both community health and economic wellbeing. DOH has participated in these awards for 20 years.

Other awards and winners are as follows.

Commitment to Excellence award: 

• John Anderson, water treatment/water quality superintendent, Sammamish Plateau Water and Sewer District

• Kevin Cook, treatment plant operator, Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District, Bellingham 

• Wyatt Long, public works manager, City of Rock Island

• Scott Dixon, general manager, Dallesport Water District, Dallesport



Above and Beyond award:

• Christopher Roblin, Evergreen Rural Water, Republic.

Grace Under Pressure award:

• Joe Grogan, public works director, Town of Coupeville.

Lifetime Achievement award: 

• Jon Lovie, former Whidbey Island Water System association president 

• Mark “Bubba” Scott, water system manager, Pend Oreille PUD; 

• Tim McMurrin, water/wastewater manager, Klickitat PUD.

Award winners are from all over the state and have worked for organizations ranging from rural systems serving single households up to large utilities serving hundreds of thousands. They were nominated by supervisors, peers and staff from the DOH office of drinking water.