George C. Whipple Award

For Outstanding Performance by a Drinking Water Quality Laboratory

Symposium

Presented by:

Stephen PeatsSecretary, Lab Operations Committee

George C. Whipple

Major Accomplishments that still affect our water treatment theories today:•Published in First Edition of Standard Methods

•“Municipal Water-Works Laboratories,” Popular Science, December 1900

•Observations on the Temperature of Surface Waters; and the

Effect of Temperature on the Growth of Micro-Organisms,” Journal of the New England Water Works Association, Volume 9, By New England Water Works Association, Read Feb. 13, 1895

The Chestnut Hill Reservoir Biological Laboratory

Built in 1889 this small wooden frame building

had one room for general biological work and

another that served as a photographic dark room.

This was the first such water biological lab in

the country .

Research by 1895

In 1889 George Whipple, a recent MIT grad, is selected to work at the lab. He works there for its first eight years and becomes the biologist in charge.

By 1895, the Chestnut Hill laboratory had been in operation for six years, and George and the staff had made more than 12,000 microscopic and more than 6,000 bacterial examinations of water samples.

George C. Whipple Scientific Accomplishments

At the tiny photo laboratory at the Chestnut Hill Pumping Station, George Whipple began his quest to learn about the cleanliness of

drinking water. His famous volume  "Microscopy of

Drinking Water" was published in 1899. On plate

#12, Professor Whipple illustrates protozoa.

Award Goals

The purpose of the George C. Whipple Award is to identify and acknowledge those drinking water testing laboratories that have demonstrated an

exemplary dedication to providing services consistent with the accomplishments of the above

named analyst that pioneered methods for the protection of waterborne contamination and the

assurance of proper public health in his community and beyond.

George C. Whipple Award Criteria

— Must be a Drinking Water testing Lab meeting current certification requirements in the state they are performing the tests.

— Must be involved in performing water quality testing and analysis using methods approved by EPA and/or the state for at least the previous two years.

— Organization itself or at least one member of it must be a member in good standing with NEWWA.

— Must demonstrate a dedication to “provide outstanding service to customers” by way of illustrating the use of ethical and innovated methods in a manner consistent with the goal “of emphasizing the protection of public health”

The Winner of the First George C. Whipple Award in 2013:City of Newport, (R.I.) Department of Utilities Drinking

Water Laboratory!

Left to right: Vijay Jain, Committee Chair; Terri Sullivan, Lab Manager; Helder Cabral, Microbiologist; Stephen Peats,

Committee Secretary; Mary D’Aoust, Committee Vice Chair.