[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 206 (Thursday, December 14, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1226]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        RECOGNIZING NANCY QUIRK

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MIKE GALLAGHER

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 14, 2023

  Mr. GALLAGHER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the remarkable 
career of Mrs. Nancy Quirk and to celebrate her retirement from the 
Green Bay Water Utility in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
  Nancy began her career in civil engineering with her studies at the 
University of Wisconsin-Platteville. A Wisconsin-certified Professional 
Engineer, she worked at the Madison Water Utility before accepting the 
position of Technical Engineering Service Manager at Waukesha Water 
Utility. For the past ten years, Nancy's career brought her to Green 
Bay as General Manager of Green Bay Water Utility, the third largest 
drinking water utility in the state.
  Nancy's vision, commitment, and perseverance has elevated the Utility 
as an industry leader that prioritizes the health and welfare of its 
customers. Thanks to her leadership, Green Bay Water Utility became one 
of the first in the nation to voluntarily remove all known public and 
private lead service lines.
  The removal of lead service lines was no small task. Nancy 
facilitated her team's efforts to research records from the 19th and 
early 20th centuries to find potential lead lines, locate current 
property owners, knock on 3,000 doors to check pipes, and use 
specialized cameras and vacuums to scan lines for lead. At the time, 
utilities were prohibited from replacing privately owned lines, but the 
Utility worked with Wisconsin legislators to allow the Utility to 
replace 247 privately owned lead lines at no cost to homeowners. Nancy 
pooled funding sources for the five-year, $8 million lead pipe removal 
project and led her team to replace nearly 2,000 public and private 
lines in total.
  Removing lead service lines was a remarkable example of how Nancy's 
work benefitted the citizens of Green Bay, but her vision for the 
future of safe water in Green Bay didn't stop there. In 2018, the 
utility took the forward-thinking step of proactively testing for PFAS. 
This allowed the Utility's water quality team to continue to closely 
monitor any PFAS as research evolves. Additionally, Nancy oversaw the 
implementation of unidirectional flushing for the entire distribution 
system, scouring of raw water lines, combining pressure zones, and 
instituting the Utilis Satellite Leak Detection System. At half the 
cost of the previous system, the Utilis system found potential leaks in 
more than 10 percent of the City's water pipes in the first year alone. 
The repairs to those leaks saved the City an estimated 30 million 
gallons of water.
  An astute manager, Nancy's list of improvements to internal 
operations is impressive. As General Manager, Nancy oversaw the 
business of wholesale service to customers, adding a neighboring town 
and three villages. Nancy restructured the Utility and streamlined 
employee operations through improved communications, staff additions, 
and cross training. She instituted employee benefits, appreciation 
programs, and events. She also sought upgrades for technologies, 
equipment, distribution lines and the facility itself.
  Nancy's passion for providing safe drinking water extends beyond the 
borders of the Green Bay Water Utility and its service area. A member 
of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) since 1987, Nancy 
chaired the Wisconsin Section of AWWA and is a past National Director 
representing Wisconsin. She served six years on the Water Utility 
Council for AWWA where she was the regulatory chairperson of the 
technical advisory groups. She was a trustee for Municipal 
Environmental Group-Water in Wisconsin and the Regulatory Committee for 
the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA). Today, she 
concludes her term as one of 15 representatives appointed nationwide to 
EPA's National Drinking Water Advisory Council.
  Nancy's achievements have not gone unnoticed. She was awarded as a 
Distinguished Alumni in Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-
Platteville. She received the Leon Smith Award from the Wisconsin 
Section of the AWWA and was awarded the George Warren Fuller Award for 
Distinguished Service to the Water Supply Field by the American Water 
Works Association. Most recently, Nancy was named a NEW Watershed 
Champion for her work in improving area waters.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing Mrs. Nancy Quirk for her 
exceptional leadership and commitment in embracing the core values of 
the Green Bay Water Utility. She has made our communities a better and 
safer place. Upon her retirement, she leaves the legacy of providing 
safe drinking water for thousands of people in Northeast Wisconsin. We 
are grateful to her for granting us the security of knowing the water 
that flows from the Green Bay Water Utility to our tap is safe to 
drink.

                          ____________________