Margaret Doss, Columbia County water compliance manager, honored with water-industry award

Margaret Doss, a long-time Columbia County water professional, was honored recently at a water-industry conference for her decades of work in wastewater and drinking-water laboratory operations and training. Doss, who joined Columbia County as a wastewater laboratory analyst in 1991, said she loved the work because it allowed her to "serve the county" and help ensure safe drinking water.

Doss’s interest in science began in childhood in North Augusta, where, she said, she asked for a microscope at about age 6. She went on to earn a degree in microbiology from Clemson University and later obtained drinking-water and wastewater laboratory certifications and an operator certification. She rose to become head operator and helped design a central laboratory after then-director Bill Clayton decided to consolidate drinking-water and wastewater lab operations.

Over more than 35 years with the county, Doss said her role expanded into training and compliance. "We work well together. We're all a family here," she said, adding that the compliance manager position put the central laboratory, training and the business office under her jurisdiction. The narrator also noted that Doss has served as chair of the state water operator certification board and has worked with water professionals internationally.

At a recent conference, Water Professionals International announced a new award honoring women in the water field and recognized a recipient for having "shaped exams, strengthened processes, and mentored countless colleagues." The transcript records the award name as the "Bernard Doss Award." Doss described the moment as overwhelming: "I was so shocked" and "I couldn't even talk." She said the recognition felt unreal and that she had not worked for recognition but to improve the environment she loves.

Doss’s work is framed by public-health goals and workforce development: she emphasized that wastewater and drinking-water treatment serve communities by making sure people "have clean water to drink" and by protecting the environment when water is returned to the system. The county role she described includes laboratory oversight, operator training and compliance functions.

The recognition at the conference highlights Doss’s combination of technical work and training that, according to the transcript, has influenced colleagues across Georgia and internationally. The narrator closed by saying Doss’s childhood microscope wish "has turned into a lifetime of service and a legacy that will go on to inspire women in water for generations to come."