Division of Water
Division of Water Scientist Receives Prestigious Award for Expertise in Drinking Water Supply

Julie Roney, an environmental scientist with the Kentucky Division of Water (DOW), has been named the recipient of a George Warren Fuller award for distinguished service to water utilities by the Kentucky-Tennessee Section of the American Water and Wastewater Association (AWWA). She is only the third woman to be selected for the award by the Kentucky-Tennessee Section since 1938.

The George Warren Fuller Award is presented annually to 43 members of the American Water and Wastewater Association nationwide in recognition of “sound engineering skill, brilliant diplomatic talent and constructive leadership” that characterized the life of Fuller, according to the AWWA Web site.

In presenting the award, AWWA Vice President Dean Fritzke praised Roney for her dedication and expertise.

“[Julie Roney] is one of the most respected water professionals in the state of Kentucky because of an impressive level of knowledge and experience as well as a total willingness to share that knowledge with others,” Fritzke said.

Roney has 29 years of environmental experience, 22 of which have related to drinking water. As a staff member of DOW for more than ten years, Roney advises public water utilities on water quality and technical issues. A frequent speaker at water industry training events, Roney believes that continuing education is key to effective water utility management.

“Water utility operators – especially at small public facilities – look to us at the Division of Water for information on current rules and technologies,” Roney said. “Training conferences give me the opportunity to assist operators with their day-to-day operations and help them solve problems unique to their plants, their water sources and their communities.”

Roney holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of Kentucky as well as Class IV treatment and Class IV distribution licenses. Her previous awards include the AWWA Kentucky-Tennessee Section Distinguished Service Award and the Kentucky Water and Wastewater Operators Association’s Eugene Nichols Award.

Fuller (1868-1934) was a pioneer in American water purification practice. He spent several years in Louisville and Cincinnati studying the viability of coagulation and rapid sand filtration to handle turbid waters, such as that of the Ohio River. Fuller was also instrumental in the standardization of biological testing practices, publishing the “Manual of Public Works Practice” in 1925 under the auspices of the newly formed AWWA.