Awards

National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) Peak Performance Award

Peak Performance Awards recognize NACWA member agency facilities for excellence in permit compliance. This recognition program consists of three categories – Platinum, Gold, and Silver

Award Criteria

Platinum Awards
Platinum Awards recognize 100% compliance with permits over a consecutive five-year period. Platinum Awards will be given to facilities with a consistent record of full compliance for a consecutive five year period

If 100% compliance is maintained beyond the initial award, Platinum Award status is continued. Should 100% compliance not be maintained, member agency facilities must receive four consecutive Gold Awards to again be eligible for another Platinum Award in their fifth year of compliance.

Gold Awards
Gold Awards are presented to facilities with no permit violations for the entire calendar year.

Silver Awards
Silver Awards are presented to facilities with no more than five violations per calendar year.

All treatment facility applicants must be publicly owned by a current NACWA member agency and be in operation for at least one month or more during a calendar year. Treatment facilities must provide, at minimum, secondary treatment, or advanced primary treatment with a 301(h) waiver. Additionally, there are no facility capacity minimums for Peak Performance Award eligibility.

Year Awarded:
Platinum – 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018
Gold – 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2011
Silver – 2013
NACWA

Water Environment Federation George W. Burke Award

The George W. Burke Award recognizes a municipal or industrial wastewater facility for establishing and maintaining an active and effective safety program. This award was established in 1982 in honor of George W. Burke, Jr., for his many years of service to both the water environment field and WEF as staff manager of technical services. The purpose of this award is to encourage an active and effective safety program in municipal and industrial wastewater facilities.

Year Awarded: 2016, 2015, 2010, 2004, 1993
WEF

Water Environment Federation Safety Award

The purpose of this award is to encourage active and effective safety programs in the water environment field, and to recognize entities that not only invest their resources to develop high quality safety programs and adopt them within their own culture, but also actively seek out opportunities to share these programs with others in the water industry for the benefit of all.

This award is presented annually by WEF to an industry, municipality, organization, utility, or other entity engaged in the protection of the water environment to recognize the success of their efforts to promote safety and educate the water industry.

Criteria:

i. Documented safety program and materials.
ii. Documented success in improving or maintaining a safe
working environment.
iii. Documented internal and external promotional programs.
iv. Documented cooperative and/or outreach programs.
v.  Documented use of injury data.
vi. Other unique efforts demonstrated by the applicant related
to promoting safety in the water environment field.

Year Awarded: 2016

WEF

Central States Water Environment Association Operations Award

The Operations Award is given annually to one recipient in each state. The purpose of this award is to recognize operators of wastewater treatment facilities who are performing their duties in and outstanding manner and our demonstrating distinguished professionalism.

Year Awarded: 2015
CSWEA

The Conservation Foundation Clean Water Award

The Clean Water Award is given to an agency doing its part to keep the East Branch of the DuPage River clean and healthy during. The Foundation has presented this award for many years to high performing wastewater treatment facilities on the East and West Branches DuPage River and Salt Creek. The purpose of the Clean Water Award is to recognize wastewater treatment facilities for outstanding work safeguarding the environment, based on the quality of effluent water they discharge. The availability of superior technology makes selecting “outstanding” facilities even more difficult. Glenbard Wastewater Authority commits significant effort and resources to operating an environmentally safe facility and supporting a watershed-based, adaptive management approach to achieving water quality goals through the DuPage River Salt Creek Workgroup.

Year Awarded:  2016, 2013
Conservation Foundation

           The Water Resources Utility of the Future Award

The Water Resource Utility of The Future Award is given to facilities that show success in innovative and sustainable management practices.

The UOTF concept was first introduced in 2013 to guide utilities of all sizes toward smarter, more efficient operations and a progression to full resource recovery with enhanced productivity, sustainability, and resiliency. Since then many utilities have successfully implemented new and creative programs to address local environmental and community priorities.

A partnership of water sector organizations—the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), the Water Environment Federation (WEF), the Water Environment & Reuse Foundation (WE&RF) and the WateReuse Association—with input from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) —proudly announce the recipients of the inaugural Utility of the Future (UOTF) Today Recognition Program. The program celebrates the progress and exceptional performance of wastewater utilities while supporting the widespread adoption of the innovative UOTF business model.

Year Awarded: 2023, 2020, 2016
Water Resources

ISO 50001 Energy Management

ISO 50001 Energy Management Certification For organizations committed to addressing their impact, conserving resources and improving the bottom line through efficient energy management, we developed ISO 50001

ISO 50001 Energy Management Certification For organizations committed to addressing their impact, conserving resources and improving the bottom line through efficient energy management, we developed ISO 50001

ISO 50001 Energy Management Certification For organizations committed to addressing their impact, conserving resources and improving the bottom line through efficient energy management, we developed ISO 50001