People/Awards
- Garland (Texas) Water Utilities received a 2026 National Environmental Achievement Award in Community Leadership from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies for its highly successful recycled water program.
- Journal AWWA received a 2026 APEX Award for Publication Excellence, recognizing the editorial and design leadership of Kenneth L. Mercer, John R. Hughes, and Scott A. McPherson.
- Jeff Haby, P.E., of San Antonio Water Systems, was named MVP at the 2026 Underground Infrastructure Awards for his management leadership. North Texas Municipal Water District received the Asset Management Project of the Year award for its Wastewater Condition Assessment Program.
- The City of Pisgah won the 2026 Best Tasting Water award from the Iowa Rural Water Association.
- The Hayward Water Resource Recovery Facility was named Plant of the Year by the California Water Environment Association San Francisco Bay Section.
- The Leucadia Wastewater District, Olivenhain Municipal Water District, and San Elijo JPA jointly received the California Water Environment Association Local Public Outreach and Community Award for their 2025 Water Career Day.
- The Rancho California Water District was recognized as a 2025 Top Workplace in the Inland Empire for its employee-first organizational culture.
- West Harris County (Texas) Regional Water Authority was named Water Project of the Year for its regional water distribution system at the Underground Infrastructure Conference MVP + UI Honors.
- The inaugural WWETT Show Women of Wastewater awards were presented to Joanne Carroll of Subtegic Group; Kimberly Turner of Turner Septic; Michele Higdon, superintendent of the Shelbyville (Indiana); Michelle Amelse of Satellite Industries; and Sheila Joy, executive director of NASSCO.
- John A. Burgh, board director of the Contra Costa (California) Water District, retired after years of service overseeing water quality and reliability for more than 500,000 residents.
- Bill Goldsworthy, water and wastewater superintendent for the town of Telluride, Colorado, announced his retirement after a 40-year.
- Merlon Kidwell, watermaster of the Imperial Irrigation District in California, retired after a landmark 50-year career managing water delivery and distribution.
- Craig Anderson, director of drinking water for the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, retired.
- Doug Hansen, director of waste management and radiation control for the Utah DEQ, retired after a long career in environmental waste oversight.
- Theodore “Tab” Brown, chief of programs integration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, retired after a long career in federal water management.
Santiago Ochoa, superintendent of wastewater for the Laguna Madre (Texas) Water District, retired after 35 years of service, alongside Jose Salinas, collections manager (29 years).
Events
June 1-3
New York WEA Spring Meeting, Saratoga Springs City Center. Visit nywea.org.
June 1-5
International Water Association 2026 Leading Edge Conference, Rice University, Houston. Visit iwa-let.org/.
June 2-3
NACWA Strategic Communications: H2O Workshop, Las Vegas. Visit nacwa.org.
June 3-4
Wastewater Operator Level 3 and 4 Certification Preparation, Idaho DEQ Office, Boise. Visit deq.idaho.gov.
June 4
Central States WEA Classic Collections Seminar, Turner Hall, Watertown, Wisconsin. Visit cswea.org.
June 8-10
WEF/WateReuse Industrial Water Solutions, McCormick Place, Chicago. Visit wef.org.
June 9-11
National Rural Water Association national in-service training, The Davenport Grand, Spokane, Washington. Visit nrwa.org.
June 15-17
2026 Water Plant Operator Level 1 and 2 Exam Preparation (Days 1-3), Idaho DEQ Office, Boise. Visit deq.idaho.gov.
June 15-18
Michigan WEA 101st Annual Conference, Boyne Mountain Resort, Boyne Falls. Visit mi-wea.org.
June 15-18
Pennsylvania WEA Annual Conference (PennTec), Hershey Lodge. Visit pwea.org.
June 17-19
2026 Texas Water Association Summer Conference, Horseshoe Bay Resort. Visit tawwa.org
June 18
2026 New England Water Works Association Regional Membership Meeting, Newburyport, Maine. Visit newwa.org.
June 21
Ozone Basics and Beyond Workshop, Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C. Visit ace.awwa.org.
June 21-24
AWWA ACE26, Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C. Visit ace.awwa.org.
June 22-24
2026 Water Plant Operator Level 1 and 2 Exam Preparation (Days 4-6), Idaho DEQ Office, Boise. Visit deq.idaho.gov.
June 23
Michigan 2026 Industrial Stormwater Operator Certification Exam, EGLE District Office, Lansing. Visit michigan.gov/egle.
June 25
2026 Rural Water Association of Utah Wastewater In-depth Training, online. Visit rwau.net.
