Hurricane Irene originated in the Caribbean in late August 2011, and travelled up the East Coast of the U.S., causing widespread damage to infrastructure and a number of deaths. Vermont was one of the hardest hit states. Flooding from heavy rains as the storm passed on August 29 damaged roads, bridges, and several municipal wastewater treatment plants. However, the staff members did an impressive job in restoring the facilities and the water treatment quickly, for which they received an EPA excellence award. The hosts talk with Jeff Fehrs, Environmental Engineer for the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, about the challenges faced by the operators of Vermont’s wastewater treatment plants because of Hurricane Irene, and more generally, about the critical role that small town wastewater treatment plants play in the health and safety of their communities and the environment