Kentucky’s Area-Wide Optimization Program

The purpose of the AWOP is to encourage drinking water systems to voluntarily achieve optimization goals that are more stringent than current regulations. AWOP promotes improving the operation of existing facilities rather than implementing costly capital improvements. In doing so, the program provides tools and approaches for drinking water systems to meet water quality optimization goals and provide an increased and sustainable level of public health protection to customers.

In particular, the program emphasizes the reduction of turbidity and disinfection by-products through the drinking water treatment process. Turbidity, or cloudiness, is a measurement of particles in water including soil, algae, bacteria, viruses and other substances. Disinfection by-products are formed when Chlorine, which is used for disinfection, reacts with organic material found in the source water.>