People/Awards
Nancy Hausrath was hired as utilities director for the City of Hagerstown, Maryland.
Brandon Kelly was hired as director of the Department of Public Works for the Town of Shirley, Massachusetts.
Nathan Brockman was hired as superintendent of the wastewater plant in the City of Eagle Grove, Iowa.
Mike Prinz was hired as general manager of the Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District in California.
Albert Lau was hired as general manager of California’s Santa Fe Irrigation District. He replaced Michael Bardin, who retired.
The Pender County Wastewater Treatment Facility was honored for engineering excellence by the American Council of Engineering Companies of North Carolina. The adaptive ecosystem reclamation wastewater treatment facility includes a 500,000-gpd hydroponic reactor that includes a greenhouse enclosure.
The Melinda K. Knoerzer Adaptive Ecosystem Reclamation Facility in Pender, North Carolina, received the 2019 Grand Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of North Carolina.
Brunswick County Public Utilities received the George W. Burke Jr. Safety Award from the North Carolina American Water Works Association and North Carolina Water Environment Association. In addition, Bobby Faircloth, utilities collections foreman, received the Collection System Operator of the Year award.
The Henry County Water Authority received the Collection System of Excellence Platinum Award from the Georgia Association of Water Professionals. Mandy Gatewood received the Customer Service Award.
The New England Region of the U.S. EPA recognized several facilities with the 2018 Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant Excellence Award:
- Westerly (Rhode Island) Wastewater Treatment Facility, led by Nick DeGemmis, superintendent
- Windham (Connecticut) Wastewater Treatment Facility, led by David Garand, chief operator
- Winchester (New Hampshire) Wastewater Treatment Facility, led by Rick Meleski, plant manager
- Leominster (Massachusetts) Wastewater Treatment Facility, led by Robert Chalifaux, chief operator.
Paula Lynn Ely of the Great Barrington (Massachusetts) Wastewater Treatment Plant was named Operator of the Year by the New England Region of the U.S. EPA.
Tim Bilodeau, chief operator of the Lancaster (New Hampshire) Wastewater Treatment Facility, received a 2018 Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator of the Year Excellence award from the U.S. EPA New England office.
The Charles River Water Pollution Control District Industrial Pretreatment Program in Massachusetts received a 2018 Regional Excellence Award from the U.S. EPA New England office.
The Warren (Massachusetts) Wastewater Treatment Facility received a 2018 Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant Excellence Award from the U.S. EPA.
Three Narragansett (Rhode Island) Bay Commission team members received regional awards for excellence at the New England Water Environment Association convention:
- Nora Lough, biologist, Wastewater Trainer of the Year award, U.S. EPA Region 1
- Michael Spring, maintenance manager, Alfred E. Peloquin Award
- David Aucoin, safety compliance coordinator, Operator Safety Award.
Bill Patenaude, a principal engineer in the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Office of Water Resources, received the Clair N. Sawyer Award from the New England Water Environment Association. He is the founder of the DEM Wastewater Leadership Boot Camp.
Jeffrey Sikora, a wastewater treatment operator in Auburn, New York, received a 2018 Quarter Century Operator Club Award from the New York Water Environment Association.
The Vacaville Easterly Wastewater Treatment Plant received a 2018 Wastewater Plant of the Year award from the California Water Environment Association Redwood Empire Section.
Greer Commission of Public Works employee David Viers was named the Wastewater Operator of the Year by the Water Environment Association of South Carolina Blue Ridge Foothills District.
Jonathan Gresham was named director of utilities for the City of Amarillo, Texas.
The Twin Lakes (Wisconsin) village board recognized Terry Trongeau upon his retirement after 24 years, ending as head sewer operator.
Former Austin (Texas) City Council member Berl L. Handcox became the namesake of the city’s fourth water treatment plant in western Travis County. Handcox was the first African-American council member elected under the manager-council form of government.
Events
May 7-10
Residuals and Biosolids Conference, presented by the Water Environment Federation, International Water Association, Florida Water Environment Association and The Water Research Foundation, Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County Convention Center, Florida. Visit www.wef.org.
May 8-10
WEF Stormwater and Green Infrastructure Symposium 2019, Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County Convention Center, Florida. Visit www.wef.org.
May 13-16
Alaska Water Wastewater Management Association Annual Statewide Conference, Hotel Captain Cook, Anchorage, Alaska. Visit www.awwma.org.
May 14-15
Michigan Water Environment Association Spring Wastewater Conference, Island Resort and Casino, Harris, Michigan. Visit www.mi-wea.org .
May 14-16
Central States Water Environment Association Annual Meeting, Monona Terrace, Madison, Wisconsin. Visit www.cswea.org.
May 15-16
Smart Water Networks Forum (SWAN) 2019, Hyatt Regency Miami. Visit www.swan-2019.com.
May 17-18
WEF Mathematical Models for Biological Used-Water Treatment Process Research and Design, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona. Visit www.wef.org.
May 22-24
48th Annual Joint Meeting, Connecticut Section AWWA and Connecticut Water Works Association, Woodstock Inn & Resort, Vermont. Visit www.awwa.org.
May 26-28
British Columbia Water and Waste Association Annual Conference and Trade Show, Victoria Conference Centre and Fairmont Empress, Victoria, British Columbia. Visit www.bcwwa.org.
TPO welcomes your contributions to Worth Noting. To recognize members of your team, please send notices of new hires, promotions, certifications, service milestones or achievements as well as event notices to editor@tpomag.com.
