People/Awards

Many staff members from NEW Water in Green Bay took part in the 53rd annual Wisconsin Wastewater Operators’ Association conference. During the October event at Green Bay’s KI Convention Center, staff received numerous accolades. Bruce Bartel received the Koby Crabtree Award for excellence in the industry; Jeff Smudde was named WWOA president; and Brian Vander Loop and Bill Oldenburg were honored for 25 years of membership, each earning a Life Membership. Aaron Eichhorst, Jake Becken, Matt Schmidt, Bobby Zepnick and Holly Blazer served as judges in the Operations Challenge. Two NEW Water teams competed in the Operations Challenge. The state’s first all-women team of Ashley Clark, Kim Williams and Kayli Van Effen took second place; and the men’s team of Corey Evers, Bryan Thomson and Matt Pamperin placed third.

• Todd Ellis was hired as water and sewer superintendent for the Village of Montgomery, Illinois. 
• The Water Team at the Jones|Carter civil engineering firm received the 2019 Environmental Project of the Year award from the Texas Chapter of the American Public Works Association for rerouting of the Dallas Salmon Wastewater Treatment Plant effluent line and rebuilding of North Kansas Avenue to meet Texas Commission on Environmental Quality copper and zinc discharge limits. 
• The Town of Bradshaw, West Virginia, received a $1 million federal grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission for water and wastewater structure improvements. 
• The Village of Sister Bay, Wisconsin, received a $1.6 million grant and accompanying $3.4 million loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to upgrade its wastewater treatment facility. 
• The North Red Deer Regional Wastewater System received Project of the Year honors from the American Public Works Association Alberta Chapter. 
• The Grand Coulee Wastewater Treatment Plant received its fifth straight Award of Excellence from the Washington Department of Ecology. 
• Dr. Michael Richard, a world authority on wastewater treatment microbiology, has retired after more than 35 years in the industry. 
• The Southwestern Parkway Combined Sewer Overflow Basin project in Louisville, Kentucky, received the Best in Engineering Design award and a National Award of Excellence in water and wastewater from the Design-Build Institute of America. 
• The City of Concord Wastewater Department received a 2019 Collection System of the Year award from the North Carolina Water Works Association. 
• The Linden (Michigan) Wastewater Treatment Plant received the state’s first Premier Utility Management Performance Award from the Michigan Water Environment Association in partnership with the state Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. 
• Southside Wastewater Treatment Plant in Clinton was named the Mississippi Water Environment Association Plant of the Year for the third time since 2008.
• The Thomas E. Taylor Water Treatment Plant in Lewisville received the Best Tasting Water in North Texas Region Award from the Texas Water Utilities Association.  
• The Tom Harpool Water Treatment Plant near Providence Village, Texas, received the Outstanding Large Membrane Plant Award from the South Central Membrane Association.   
• The Town of Summerland received the Brian Harvey Award of Excellence from the Water Supply Association of British Columbia. 
• Gary Robertson, executive director of the Western Virginia Water Authority, retired in fall 2019 after more than 15 years in the position.
• The Bloomfield Borough (Pennsylvania) Water Authority broke ground on its new water treatment facility.

Events

Feb. 3-5

New York Water Environment Association Annual Meeting and Exhibition, Marriott Marquis, New York City. Visit www.nywea.org.  

Feb. 5-8

Water Environment Federation Midyear Meeting, Hyatt Regency Riverwalk, San Antonio. Visit www.wef.org.  

Feb. 10-11

American Water Works Association International Symposium on Potable Reuse, W Atlanta Downtown. Visit www.awwa.org.  

Feb. 12-13

AWWA International Symposium on Biological Treatment, W Atlanta Downtown. Visit www.awwa.org.  

Feb. 17-20

2020 Water & Wastewater Equipment, Treatment & Transport (WWETT) Show, Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis. Visit www.wwettshow.com.  

Feb. 20

Virginia Water Environment Association Technical Online Conference. Visit www.vwea.org.  

Feb. 25-26

Michigan Water Environment Association Borchardt Conference, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Visit www.mi-wea.org.  

Feb. 25-28

Utility Management Conference, presented by the Water Environment Federation and AWWA, Hyatt Regency Orange County, Anaheim, California. Visit www.wef.org or www.awwa.org.

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