You are one in a million! Actually you are one of the 17 million people that live on the land that drains into the Chesapeake Bay, and the actions that you take in your daily life have a big impact on the health of the Bay.

As a wastewater utility customer, the rates you pay support our mission of ensuring Virginia's water-quality programs are based on sound science and smart public policy. They've also helped treatment plants across Virginia continue benefitting from upgrades in new technology, encouraging cleaner, safer Bay waters.

In fact, from 1985 to 2009, nutrient pollution declined tremendously:

• Nitrogen levels in our State's waters decreased 24 percent, while wastewater nitrogen decreased 46 percent.
• Phosphorus decreased 37 percent and wastewater phosphorus decreased 69 percent.

Unfortunately, less than 75 percent of the 17-million Bay-watershed residents send their wastewater to a treatment plant. Consequently, without statewide involvement, unnecessary waste still ends up in local rivers, making clean-up efforts even more essential. At the Virginia Association of Municipal Wastewater Agencies, we are dedicated to the cause and will continue implementing cutting-edge treatment programs and processes to work toward a healthier Bay, every day.

With your support - our Heroes of a Cleaner Bay - the Chesapeake Bay continues improving. While more work still needs to be done, your day-to- day actions contribute greatly to our progress, and we thank you for supporting the cause.

Click here to learn how you can keep our waterways clean.