People/Awards

The Carnation Wastewater Treatment Plant operated by King County (Washington) earned a Platinum Peak Performance Award from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, for five consecutive years’ compliance with environmental permits.

Joe Kelley received an award for 25 years’ outstanding service with the city of La Junta, Colorado. Kelley recently retired but still does consulting.

The town of Sandwich, Massachusetts, received a $34,500 state grant to evaluate how the town communicates with its residents and how to use those communication tools to inform taxpayers about big upcoming capital improvement projects. Specifically, the town hopes to use the grant to raise awareness among its populace about the need to improve water quality and develop one or more wastewater treatment systems.

Terry Wright, founder of ClearCove Systems, received the Distinguished Inventor of the Year award from the Rochester (New York) Intellectual Property Law Association. Wright pioneered a number of improvements in wastewater treatment, including design of systems that reduce the energy used in the process and recapture gas. In addition to municipal applications, his wastewater treatment systems are being used by food and beverage companies.

Nick Mulick has been hired as the in-house attorney for the Key Largo (Florida) Wastewater Treatment District.

The Salida (Colorado) Wastewater Treatment Plant received a Gold Safety Award from the AWWA/Rocky Mountain Water Environment Association Joint Committee of Emergency Preparedness.

Jason Riegel was hired as wastewater superintendent for the city of Hays, Kansas.

Ken Helton of Dalton Utilities was named the District 1 Wastewater Collection System Operator of the Year by the Georgia Association of Water Professionals.

The Mill Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant was named Best Operated Water Reclamation Plant of the Year (less than 1 mgd advanced treatment) by the Georgia Association of Water Professionals.

The Loopers Wastewater Treatment Plant was named the Best Operated Water Reclamation Plant of the Year (greater than 10 mgd nondischarging) by the Georgia Association of Water Professionals.

Prudential Uniforms, a supplier of work apparel and textile services, received a 2017 Encina Wastewater Authority Gold Award for 100 percent compliance with industrial wastewater regulations. The company also received a Certificate of Partnership from the U.S. EPA for its use of green power.
 
The Washington County (Virginia) Board of Supervisors in Virginia appointed Kenneth Nurre to a four-year term on the Washington County Service Authority Board of Commissioners.

For the 19th consecutive year, the Noman M. Cole Jr. Pollution Control Plant in Lorton, Virginia, earned a Platinum Peak Performance Award from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies.

The Prince William County (Virginia) Service Authority’s H.L. Mooney Advanced Water Reclamation Facility won a Platinum Peak Performance Award from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies for the fourth consecutive year.

Rachel Chang and Ryan Thorpe, both of Manhasset, New York, won the Water Environment Federation’s 2017 U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize. The students designed a process to detect and purify water contaminated by bacteria, earning the top prize of $10,000 and an all-expense paid trip to Stockholm, Sweden, to represent the U.S. at the international competition.

The Illinois American Water Cairo District received the AWWA Wendell R. LaDue Utility Safety Award. The district has been free of safety incidents for 17 years.

The Illinois American Water Granite City Water Treatment Plant received the Directors Award of Recognition from the Partnership for Safe Water for maintaining Phase III certification for 15 years.

For the second year, Mount Pleasant Waterworks was named one of the Best Places to Work in South Carolina in a program created by SC Biz News with the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and Best Companies Group.

A new totem pole at Northwest Hospital in Seattle was created to honor Cindy James, an accountant who was a longtime staff member at Ronald Wastewater District in Shoreline. James died of cancer in fall 2016 at age 52.

For the second straight year, the Madison water filtration plant received a 2016 Area Wide Optimization Award from the North Carolina Division of Water Resources for surpassing federal and state drinking standards.

The Henry County Water Authority Walnut Creek Water Reclamation Facility was named Plant of the Year by the Georgia Association of Water Professionals.

Events

Sept. 30-Oct. 4 Water Environment Federation WEFTEC, McCormick Place, Chicago. Visit www.weftec.org.

Oct. 4-6 WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Exposition, South Point Hotel and Conference Center, Las Vegas. Visit www.watersmartinnovations.com.

Oct. 10-12 Iowa Section AWWA Annual Conference, Mid-America Center, Council Bluffs. Visit www.awwa-ia.org.

Oct. 11-13 Intermountain Section AWWA Annual Conference, Sun Valley Resort, Sun Valley, Idaho. Visit www.ims-awwa.org.

Oct. 12 Indiana Water Environment Association Collection Systems Specialty Conference, West Lafayette. Visit www.indianawea.org.

Oct. 15-17 Alabama-Mississippi Section AWWA Annual Conference, Grand Hotel Marriott Resort Golf Club and Spa, Point Clear, Alabama. Visit www.almsawwa.org.

Oct. 15-17 Southwest Section AWWA Annual Conference, Renaissance City Convention Center Hotel, Oklahoma City. Visit www.swawwa.org.

Oct. 15-18 Atlantic Canada Water and Wastewater Association 2017 Annual Conference, Prince Edward Island Conference Center, Charlottetown. Visit www.acwwa.ca.

Oct. 17-19 North Dakota Section AWWA Annual Conference, Fargo. Visit www.awwand.org.

Oct. 23-26 California/Nevada Section AWWA Annual Conference, Atlantis Resort, Reno. Visit www.ca-nv-awwa.org.

Oct. 24-26 Kentucky Water and Wastewater Operators Association North Central/Eastern Fall Wastewater Conference, Four Points By Sheraton Hotel, Lexington. Visit www.kwwoa.org.

Oct. 25-27 New England Water Environment Association Northeast Residuals and Biosolids Conference, Hilton Hotel, Burlington, Vermont. Visit www.newea.org.

Oct. 30-Nov. 2 Alaska Rural Water Association Annual Training Conference, Sheraton Hotel & Spa, Anchorage. Call 907/841-2800 or visit www.arwa.org.

Oct. 30-Nov. 2 AWWA Water Infrastructure Conference and Exposition, Westin Galleria Houston, Texas. Visit www.awwa.org.