People/Awards

The Birmingham (Alabama) Water Works Board had three women engineers on its staff earn doctorate degrees. Engineers April Nabors and Jaquice Boyd, along with newly hired engineer Ashlyn Manzella, hold doctorates in civil engineering and work in water filtration for the utility.  

Two AWWA leaders were appointed to the boards of nonprofit water organizations. David LaFrance, CEO, was appointed to the board of Water Education Colorado; and Tracy Mehan, executive director of government affairs, was elected to the board of directors of River Network.

EPCOR received 2020 awards from the AZ Water Association:

Awards for operational safety and excellence went to two EPCOR Water facilities: Chaparral District water treatment facility and to the water distribution system for the town of Fountain Hills, as well as the former Rio Verde Utilities systems. Rio Verde was also recognized for wastewater treatment facilities and the collections system.

The 2020 Water Project of the Year award was presented to EPCOR USA for the $29.4 million expansion of the White Tanks Regional Water Treatment Plant in Surprise.

Blake Lukis, a 15-year licensed water and wastewater professional and former Framingham (Massachusetts) Department of Public Works deputy director, was named DPW director for the Framingham.

Middlesex Water has been selected as one of the New Jersey Top Workplaces by NJ.com. 

Ray Pardee, who was water treatment plant superintendent in Cottage Grove, Oregon, for 20 years, has retired.

Mid-Dakota Rural Water received the Secretary’s Award for Drinking Water Excellence from the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Judith Hansen, superintendent of the Kingston (New York) Water Department, received the George Warren Fuller Award from the AWWA.

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. 

Events

Oct. 5-9

Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC) Connect, virtual. Visit www.wef.org.  

Oct. 5-23

AWWA High-Tech Operator Course 2 – Fall 2020, virtual. Visit www.awwa.org.  

Oct. 7

AWWA webinar, “Adding Utility Benchmarking to Your Continuous Performance Improvement Toolbox.” Visit www.awwa.org.  

Oct. 13-15

AWWA-Iowa Section Annual Conference, virtual. Visit www.awwa-ia.org.

 Oct. 13-15

North Dakota AWWA Section Annual Conference, Fargo, North Dakota. Visit www.awwand.org.  

Oct. 14

AWWA webinar, “Applying Real-Time Hydraulic Models to Everyday Operations.” Visit www.awwa.org.  

Oct. 15

AWWA webinar, “Innovation Roadmap for Utilities.” Visit www.awwa.org.  

Oct. 19-Nov. 20

AWWA Water Treatment Operator Course Level 3, virtual. Visit www.awwa.org.  

Oct. 20

AWWA webinar, “Water Audit Software.” Visit www.awwa.org.  

Oct. 21-23

Intermountain Section AWWA Annual Conference, virtual. Visit www.ims-awwa.org.  

Oct. 26-Nov. 13

AWWA High-Tech Operator Course 3 – Fall 2020, virtual. Visit www.awwa.org.  

Oct. 28

AWWA webinar, “A Closer Look at New and Not So New CECs: PFAS, Microplastics and Solvents.” Visit www.awwa.org.