Photo By Lance Cpl. Federico Marquez | Brian Ervine, left, a utilities system operator assistant, and Bryan Harlan, a water...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va.—For the thousands of Marines, civilians and family members who live and work on base, clean drinking water is available with the turn of a handle.
Behind that seemingly simple convenience, is a dedicated team at the Mainside Water Treatment Plant that treats approximately 1 million gallons of drinking water each day while monitoring quality and ensuring the installation's water supply meets safety standards.
In April, the team was awarded the 2025 Silver Water Treatment Plant Performance Award in recognition of their hard work and dedication. The award specifically highlighted the facility's excellence in filtration and backwash operations; this critical step where solid particles, dirt and impurities are removed, and the filters are routinely flushed to ensure maximum efficiency.
“A lot is riding on us doing our jobs right,” said Brian Ervin, a utilities system operator assistant at the plant.
Reliable access to clean water supports daily life and operations across the installation, to include housing, training environments, workplaces and dining facilities.
"Businesses will close; you can't flush your toilets; and you can't cook or clean,” explained Bryan Harlan, a water plant operator. “It’s pretty essential to modern-day life."
To meet this demand, the water treatment plant operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. The treatment process begins at Breckenridge Reservoir, the primary drinking water source for Quantico's main side, which holds approximately 168 million gallons.
Harlan explained that the process for water treatment begins in the reservoir, where they keep the water moving.
"We bubble oxygen through the reservoir to help with turnover and to keep the water moving," he said. "You really don't want water to sit stagnant."
According to Harlan, this process reduces stagnant conditions that can cause algae growth, taste and odor issues, and the release of naturally occurring materials from bottom sediments.
Once drawn into the Mainside Water Treatment Plant, operators, laboratory personnel and maintenance staff continuously monitor the systems and test its quality to ensure the water is safe and meets the Virginia Department of Health’s standards.
“Our basic tests include chlorine residual, pH, fluoride, phosphate and hardness," said Mike Urban, the plant's deputy facility manager. "Some of the specialty tests, like PFAS, bacterial testing, E. coli and metals, are performed by a certified laboratory."
By tracking these chemical and physical levels, operators can identify potential issues throughout the process.
"Usually, you can tell because it doesn't change quickly; it'll change slowly," Urban said of the routine water testing. "If you're checking it the right way, you can actually see where chemical and physical levels will creep up or drift down, where you can adjust your flow rates, and where you can adjust their chemical feed rates also."
After treatment, the potable water enters the installation's distribution system and is stored in water towers throughout the base, where operators monitor systems to maintain reliable water pressure.
This 24-hour dedication is frequently tested by extreme weather, such as Winter Storm Fern in 2026. When snow and ice closed roads, operators were forced to trek through wooded, isolated towers on foot to keep the water from freezing.
"There are people at home," Harlan said, as he was one of the operators who maintained the water towers during Winter Storm Fern. "They still need their water."
Whether checking water towers in the freezing dark, analyzing chemical levels in the lab or maintaining the distribution system, the Mainside Water Treatment Plant team works around the clock. Their unseen efforts ensure that safe, reliable drinking water is always available to the Marines, civilians and families who depend on it.
| Date Taken: | 06.18.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 06.18.2026 13:18 |
| Story ID: | 568160 |
| Location: | VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 20 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Behind the flow: Quantico water treatment personnel provide safe drinking water around the clock, by LCpl Federico Marquez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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