Texas Water '16 Awards Book

Awards Program

Conference Luncheon, Wednesday, April 20 11:30 a.m.

Awards Breakfast, Thursday, April 21 7:30 a.m.

WEAT Awards

TAWWA Awards

WEF William D. Hatfield Award.................................2

Membership Awards...............................................24

WEAT Sidney L. Allison Award.................................3

Young Professionals Maverick Award.....................24

WEAT Medal of Honor for Heroism Award.................4

Water Conservation & Reuse Awards..................24-26

WEF George W. Burke Jr. Award..................................5 WEAT Outstanding Public Official Awards............6-7 WEAT Winfield S. Mahlie Award..................................7

JOINT WEAT/TAWWA Awards

WEF Outstanding Service Award.............................8

Ken Miller Water for People Founder's Award..........26

WEF Lifetime Membership Awards.............................9

Watermark Awards................................27-35

WEF Arthur Sidney Bedell Award.........................9-10 WEAT Lifetime Achievement Award...................11

WEAT Awards

JOINT TAWWA/WEAT Award

Laboratory Analyst Excellence Award......................36

Workforce Development Awards.....................11-12

Municipal WWTP of the Year Category 1.......37 Municipal WWTP of the Year Category 2......38

TAWWA Awards

Municipal WWTP of the Year Category 3......39

Partnership for Safe Drinking Water........................12

Outstanding Operator of the Year...............40

AWWA Service to the Water Industry Award...........13

Emerging Leader Award..........................41

AWWA Honorary Member Award.....................13

Exemplary Employer Award....................................42

Outstanding Service Award ................................14-15

Ronald B. Seiger Biosolids Management Award.....43

TAWWA Chapter of the Year Award........................16

Susan B. Hier Award for Excellence in Education & Licensing...........................................................44

TAWWA William T. "Doc" Ballard Award............17 AWWA Silver Water Drop Awards.........................18 AWWA Life Membership Awards......................18 AWWA Gold Water Drop Awards.........................18 AWWA George Warren Fuller Award..........19-21

Alan H. Plummer Innovation & Excellence Award..........................................................45 5S Awards.............................................................46 Dennis R. Laskowski Recruitment Award...............46 River Cleanup Awards...............................................47

Fort Worth Museum of Science & History Thursday, April 21, 6:30 p.m.

WEAT Awards

TAWWA Awards

President’s Service Awards..........................................48

Chair’s Service Awards............................................48

Change of Leadership...........................................48

Change of Leadership...........................................48

Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

1

WATER ENVIRONMENT FEDERATION

WILLIAM D. HATFIELD AWARD ...to recognize an operator of wastewater treatment plants for outstanding performance and professionalism.

Ben Hodges Ben Hodges received his Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Management, with a minor in Biology, from Texas Tech University in 2000. He began his career at the Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation as an environmental monitoring specialist.

In 2002, Ben began his tenure at the Upper Trinity Regional Water District as a Water Operator Trainee at the Tom Taylor Regional Water Treatment Plant. He quickly and steadily rose through the ranks, being promoted to superintendent of the Taylor Plant in 2007.

While superintendent, Ben became a member of the coveted “Double A” club, acquiring Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Class A Operator Licenses in both water and wastewater.

In 2011, on an interim basis, Ben agreed to take on the additional role of Superintendent of the District’s Northeast Service Area. After evaluation of several internal candidates, Ben was offered the permanent position in the Northeast Service Area.

Most recently, as a result of the level of leadership and responsibility he has demonstrated in this role, Ben was promoted to the newly created Northeast Operations Manager.

As Northeast Operations Manager, Mr.

Hodges is responsible for the daily operations and maintenance, record keeping, regulatory compliance, and personnel supervision for the Northeast Area. Ben wears multiple hats, having direct responsibility for not only the Riverbend and Peninsula wastewater reclamation facilities, but also for the Tom Harpool Regional Water Treatment Plant, a highly sophisticated membrane filtration water treatment facility.

He has excelled in this role, showing great aptitude and passion for water and wastewater treatment.

In particular, Ben took special interest in the Riverbend Plant, which uses the sequencing batch reactor (SBR) mode of treatment. Notoriously finicky, SBRs require diligence and an operator with a great understanding of the activated sludge process to be successful. Prior to Ben’s tenure, this plant had endured some operational setbacks. Ben teamed with a senior operator with the District, and the two of them took ownership of this plant.

Ben is happily married to his wife, Jawayne, and they will celebrate 20 years of marriage in 2016.

They have three children, Jaben, Blayne, and Jalie. Ben is an avid hunter and outdoorsman, and enjoys sharing many hours with his family in outdoor activities.

Use #txwater16 when posting about the conference on social media.

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Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

WATER ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS

SIDNEY L. ALLISON AWARD ...to recognize a person or organization that has made significant contributions to the engineering, science, and/or operation and maintenance of wastewater collection and pumping stations with the mission to transport wastewater to a treatment plant.

P. S. Arora, P.E. P. S. Arora, P.E. is the Water Utilities Assistant Director for the city of Denton, Texas. He received a B.S. in Civil Engineering from BIT, India, and a M.S. in Civil Engineering from Purdue University, Indiana. He has more than 25 years of experience including 11 years as a consultant and another 18 years at the city of Denton. He is responsible for Denton’s Wastewater Utilities which includes environmental compliance, wastewater treatment and collection, beneficial reuse, capital projects planning, short and long range forecasts, rates, impact fees and utility budget.

Under his leadership, successful capacity addition and water and wastewater impact fee programs were implemented in Denton. In addition, a successful asset management program has been created that includes the ESRI GIS, Cityworks for collection system CMMS, WERF SCRAPS Model for wastewater system prioritization, Infoworks Sewer for capacity modeling, InfoMaster Sewer for

Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

complete wastewater system asset management, and implementation of CMOM program that is continually tracked. The Asset Management Program resulted in more than 99.5 percent reduction in overflow volume, 80 percent reduction in number of overflows, and 95 percent reduction in wastewater main chokes.

P.S. is an active member of the Water Environment Federation (WEF), and has participated in numerous WPCF, WEAT, WEF, and EPA sponsored conferences and webinars as an attendee as well as a presenter. P.S was instrumental in the city of Denton receiving the Sidney Allison Award for the city of Denton wastewater collection system asset management program, and WEAT plant of the year for Category 3 Municipal Plants over 15 MGD for the Pecan Creek Water Reclamation Plant.

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WATER ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS

MEDAL OF HONOR FOR HEROISM AWARD … to recognize an individual (or group of individuals) from the State of Texas who has demonstrated exceptional courage and bravery in the performance of a single act of heroic behavior involving the water environment industry.

Central Wastewater Treatment Plant City of Dallas Starting May 8, 2015, the Central Wastewater Treatment Plant started observing higher flows than usual due to heavy rains. As days passed by and more rain came, the Central Plant started storing some of the increased flow in their peak storage lagoons.

The Central Plant personnel were closely watching rainfall and the Trinity River water level. On Friday, May 22 most non-essential staff at the plant were asked to evacuate as the plant’s entrance and exit roads were about to flood from rising water levels in the river.

Approximately 30 people including operations, maintenance staff and the HazMat team stayed at the plant for the next three days working 24 hours a day.

Everyone pitched in where they could to help keep the plant operating. The team slept and ate all

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meals at the plant site. The team worked together to manage approximately 34 percent more flow than the peak flow capacity of the facility while meeting their TCEQ discharge permit.

During this flood event and the subsequent flood events the Central Plant did not violate their TCEQ discharge permit or discharge any untreated flow.

In addition to dealing with the tremendous high flow challenge at the Central Plant, staff also assisted Trinity River Watershed Management by moving heavy construction equipment to higher grounds, assisted the nearby City of Southside by sending six electricians to help at their wastewater treatment plant, assisted the city’s Collection System Department, and even rescued a couple of stranded kayakers in the Trinity River.

Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

WATER ENVIRONMENT FEDERATION

GEORGE W. BURKE, JR. AWARD …to recognize municipal and industrial wastewater facilities or individuals for active and effective safety.

Central Regional Wastewater System Trinity River Authority of Texas The Trinity River Authority pioneered the concept of regional wastewater treatment by establishing the Central Regional Wastewater System in 1957.

As the third largest plant in the state, the CRWS facility has more than 211 miles of pipeline serving all or part of 21 contracting parties and serves approximately 1.2 million people in the Dallas/ Fort Worth area. The facility is rated to provide tertiary treatment to monthly average flows of 162 million gallons a day and daily maximum flows of 335 MGD, with the ability to treat a 2-hour peak of 405 MGD. The CRWS facility safety program, including the Employee Safety Committee, meetings and training was formalized in 1984. Five years later, the safety program was awarded the TWPCA (now WEAT) William Burke Jr. Safety Award.

Safety awareness and education permeate every aspect of daily work at CRWS. The purpose of the multifaceted Safety Education Program, beginning with the first day of employment and continuing for the duration of an employee’s tenure, is to ensure the safest possible work environment for all employees. In addition to the extensive training program, an Employee Safety Committee meets monthly to discuss safety concerns. The committee is comprised of CRWS facility

Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

staff members with representatives from each department.

To ensure the safety of surrounding communities, CRWS cooperates with the Dallas County Hazardous Materials Team and Offices of Emergency Management in Grand Prairie, Irving, Dallas and Dallas County in annual evacuation drills.

CRWS has been a member of the National Safety Council since 1978. In 2014, the facility was awarded the NSC Occupational Excellence Achievement Award. This award recognizes CRWS as achieving illness/injury records better than or equal to 50 percent of the Bureau of Labor Statistics for their NAICS code.

Presently, CRWS is one of the largest wastewater treatment facilities in Texas. A facility the size of Central Regional Wastewater System has only one lost time accident reported in the 2015 fiscal year. This is a direct reflection of the facility’s commitment to safe working practices and the result of our integrated safety program.

CRWS celebrated 60 years of operation in December 2015. The facility is able to boast treating one trillion gallons over a 21- year period without permit violations.

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WATER ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS

OUTSTANDING PUBLIC OFFICIAL AWARD …to recognize an elected official or regulator who actively promotes sound science in environmental policy and regulations.

Rep. Myra Crownover Myra Crownover is serving her eighth full term of office from House District 64. The district is located solely within Denton County, and includes the University of North Texas, Texas Woman’s University and North Central Texas College.

Representative Crownover has been recognized several times for her pro-conservative, pro-business stance on issues affecting both the Denton area as well as the State of Texas. She has been twiceselected as a “Champion for Free Enterprise” by the Texas Association of Business, their highest honor for an elected official. In 2009, she was presented with the 2009 Taxpayer Champion Award by Texans for Fiscal Responsibility and named “Guardian of the Rainy Day Fund” by the Republican Caucus.

A former public school teacher, Representative Crownover is currently involved in the banking and energy industries. She was raised in Colorado City, Texas, where she graduated from Colorado High School. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in education from Southern Methodist University and her Master’s degree from Texas A&M University.

In 1970, Myra married Ronny Crownover, DVM. They celebrated their 30th anniversary before his death in March of 2000. Representative Crownover has lived and worked in Denton for over 30 years. She has four children and six grandchildren.

WATER ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS

OUTSTANDING PUBLIC OFFICIAL AWARD …to recognize an elected official or regulator who actively promotes sound science in environmental policy and regulations.

Sen. Kevin P. Eltife Kevin P. Eltife was sworn in on March 5, 2004, to represent the citizens of Senate District 1.

Previously Senator Eltife served on the Tyler City Council for three terms before serving as Mayor of Tyler for an additional three terms. During his tenure as Mayor, he put the city on a “pay-asyou-go” plan to reduce general obligation bond debt while cutting the city property tax rate by 50 percent.

In 1997 Eltife was appointed by Governor George Bush to serve on the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Among the recognitions he has received for public service, the Texas Junior Chamber of Commerce selected him as one of Five Outstanding Young Texans in 1998. Active in his community, he has volunteered his time and energy to a variety of organizations including the East Texas Food Bank Board, Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce and Hospice of East Texas.

(Continued)

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Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

In 2010 Lt. Governor David Dewhurst appointed Senator Eltife to serve as Chair of the Senate Administration Committee, in addition to serving on the Senate Business and Commerce, Economic Development, Finance, and Natural Resources Committees. Senator Eltife was also chosen to serve on two Select Committees, Redistricting and Open Government, and serves on the State Preservation Board. In prior Legislative Sessions, Senator Eltife was appointed to the Senate Administration, Government Organization, Health and Human Services, and International Relations and Trade Committees.

Senator Eltife has received the “Freedom to Teach” award by the Association of Texas Professional Educators and was named a “Champion for Free

Enterprise” by the Texas Association of Business.

In 2007, the Texas Municipal League named him “Legislator of the Year.” The Texas Association of Realtors gave him a “Hall of Fame” award in 2011. Also in 2011, he received an “Honorable Mention” from Texas Monthly magazine, which also recognized him in 2007 for being “tough, pragmatic, independent . . . (and) a problem solver.” In 2014, the Texas Press Association gave Senator Eltife the “Friend of the First Amendment” award.

A Tyler native, Senator Eltife is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He is the owner of Eltife Properties and resides in Tyler with his wife, Kelly, and sons, Walker and Jack.

WATER ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS

WINFIELD S. MAHLIE AWARD ...to recognize a member of WEAT who has made significant contributions to the art and science of wastewater treatment and water pollution control.

Dan Halter, P.E. Daniel received his associate degree in industrial maintenance from Wyoming Community College and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Wyoming at Laramie, WY, in 1998.

projects that Daniel envisioned and implemented include controls systems, conversion of grit facility to largest Headcell systems in the US, solids handling pump station, and a 450 MGD influent pump station.

Right after graduation, he joined the city of Dallas as an assistant plant engineer and started his career in the wastewater industry at Southside wastewater treatment plant. He then moved to Capital Improvements group of Dallas Water Utilities as a project manager.

Daniel’s most notable accomplishment is the implementation of predictive maintenance program at Central Plant. This program uses a risk based approach to maintenance based on operating system data and computerized records to prioritize maintenance repairs and minimize costs.

During his project manager tenure, he received his professional engineering license from the State of Texas in 2005. Shortly after that, he was promoted to manager over maintenance at Central Wastewater Treatment Plant. Daniel played a major role in rehabilitating aging facilities to advanced and reliable processes. Some of the key

The benefits of this program were evident during and after the May 2015 flooding DWU experienced as the plant successfully treated 469 MGD flow although the peak flow capacity is only 350 MGD. His management style has brought the operations and maintenance group together and formulated a winning team for DWU Central.

Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

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WATER ENVIRONMENT FEDERATION

OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD ...to recognize an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the water environment profession and to the Federation and its Member Associations.

Jenna Covington Jenna Covington is assistant deputy director – wastewater for North Texas Municipal Water District. She is a licensed professional engineer and holds a Bachelor’s and Masters of Environmental Engineering from Texas Tech University.

Committee Chair 2014-2015; Vice President 2013-2014; President-Elect 2014-2015, and currently finishing her term as President 20152016. Jenna was the 2006 recipient of the WEAT Emerging Leaders Award for outstanding service in support of the Association by a young member.

Jenna joined North Texas Municipal Water District in 2015, where she oversees a staff of over 185 people, 14 wastewater treatment facilities and an annual budget in excess of $100 million to provide wholesale wastewater services for 24 cities and one million people in the North Texas area.

While Jenna is a passionate water professional, there are a number of other dimensions to her.

She is a Christ follower, wife, and mother of three.

Her and her family are actively engaged in their church, First Baptist Church of Allen. Jenna serves as Bible Fellowship Group teacher for high school senior girls and has been with them since their sophomore year. As the senior girls are graduating, Jenna and her husband, Paul, are transitioning in as Directors of their adult Bible Fellowship Group.

Additionally, Jenna is currently coaching U7 girls’ soccer. Jenna enjoys spending time with her husband Paul and their 3 children: Greyson (9), Piper (6), and Claire (4).

Prior to her current role, Covington served in various roles with CH2M HILL, including vice president, client portfolio manager, and project manager.

Jenna’s first engagement with the Water Environment Association of Texas (WEAT) and the Water Environment Federation (WEF) began as a student in 1998. She was instrumental in the development of the Society of Environmental Professionals, the first Student Chapter of WEAT, serving as Founding President for 1998-1999 and Vice President for 1999-2000.

Since graduation, she has served in numerous positions within WEAT including: Membership Committee Chair 2002-2008; Long Range Planning Committee 2002-2005; Committee Leadership Council Chair 2006-2008; Secretary 2008-2010; Management Review Committee 2007-2010 and 2013-2016, Water Reuse Committee Chair 2012-2015; Strategic Planning

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Jenna is a forward looking leader who has a passion for the water industry. During her year as President, WEAT has focused on continuing to deliver the value our members have come to expect and we strategically identified and made progress on two strategic objectives: 1) development of an operator training program targeting continuing education of our highest licensed operators, and 2) development of communication plans to identify how we can most effectively communicate with Texans. Great progress has been made in the past year, and the future looks bright.

Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

WATER ENVIRONMENT FEDERATION

LIFE MEMBERSHIP AWARDS ... to recognize individuals who have been a member of WEF for 35 or more consecutive years, and are age 65 or older.

Gary Sober Leonard Levine Sharon D’Orsie William R. Lewis

Chandler Houston Houston Edinburg

Frederick J. Winter Glen D. Middleton Martha H. Martin Carol Batterton

San Antonio Dallas Sugar Land Fredericksburg

WATER ENVIRONMENT FEDERATION

ARTHUR SIDNEY BEDELL AWARD ...to acknowledge extraordinary personal service to the Water Environment Association of Texas.

The ­honoree must be a member of WEAT and should exemplify organizational leadership, administrative ­service, membership activity, stimulation of technical functions, or similar contributions to WEAT.

Julie Nahrgang Julie Nahrgang is the Executive Director of the Water Environment Association of Texas and the Texas Association of Clean Water Agencies.

Julie has worked and volunteered with WEAT since 2007. She received a Bachelor of Science in Economics and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Trinity University in San Antonio and received a Lifetime Honorary Studentship to the Student Union at the world –renowned London School of Economics.

She has worked with nonprofits since 2003 as an organizer, manager, program developer, legislative liaison, and finally now as an Executive Director.

As such, Julie oversees all of the legislative and regulatory changes pertinent to the clean water industry. She monitors bills, testifies for and against wastewater related legislation, and represents WEAT and TACWA in a number of Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) stakeholder areas.

Her interests include the intersection of public policy and the political process. Since 2003, she has been active with a number of community nonprofits and water aid organizations, including the Gazelle Foundation.

To say that Julie has had a positive impact on our industry would be a gross understatement.

She is constantly working, promoting, improving and striving to move this organization forward.

Her dedication is unparalleled. In short, Julie is a champion for our organization and we simply would not be where we are today without her leadership and servant spirit!

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1949 1952 1955 1958 1959

WATER ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS ARTHUR SIDNEY BEDELL AWARD WINNERS Victor Marcus Ehlers 1990 Earnest F. Gloyna Winfred S. Mahlie 1991 Stephen M. Jenkins J.H. Sorrels 1992 Robert T. McMillon Roger Moehlman 1993 Ron L. Mayo C.H. Connell 1994 Paul Roach

1961

A.C. Bryan

1995

Joe King II

1963 1964 1965 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989

David F. Smallhorst David G. Chase John P. Wold Albert H. Ullrich G. R. Herzik, Jr. Pearl Goodwin Jack E. Huppert Sam L. Warrington Clayton H. Billings Joe Driskell Joe P. Teller J.L. Robinson John B. Scott A.E. Holcomb Ernest F. Cross W.S. Sam Hutton S.A. Garza Robert L. Nichols P.D. Parks Dick Whittington Joseph F. Malins, Jr. Marshall L. Haney Sharon D’Orsie Bert H. Bates, Jr. William Goloby Rhonda Harris

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Patricia M. Cleveland Foster Crowell Raj Bhattarai Alan Plummer Ron Sieger Betty Jordon Betty Carol Mayo Mary Evans Cathy Henderson Raymond R. Longoria Jim Taafe Carolyn Ahrens Wieland Richard Eason Carol Batterton Brad Castleberry John Bennett Ronald Dale Carlson Jody Zabolio Dawn Anderson David Briggs

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Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

WATER ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD ...to recognize and honor an individual who has demonstrated continual and tireless contributions toward the improvement of the water environment throughout a long and distinguished career in the wastewater treatment industry and in WEAT and WEF. The nominee shall be a person of proven preeminence in numerous WEAT activities and shall have held positions of leadership in the WEAT organization.

Betty Jordan Betty Jordan has served as the President of the Water Environment Association of exas and as a member of the Water Environment Federation’s Board of Trustees. Betty has been a trailblazer in this industry since graduating from the University of Texas at Arlington with her Bachelor of Science in Biology (1976), Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry (1977), and Master of Science in Civil Engineering (1979).

In 1980, Betty joined Alan Plummer Associates, Inc. and currently serves as Manager of Technology, Principal, and member of the Board of Directors.

As the manager of technology, Betty mentors young engineers and works with others in the firm to ensure that the company carefully evaluates new technologies and incorporates them into solutions for clients as appropriate.

In her 30 years with APAI, Betty has worked in a variety of environmental engineering areas including water, wastewater, water reuse, odor, pretreatment, and permitting. But Betty is fond of telling people - my heart is really in sewage!

A popular speaker, she can relate to elementary school students, YPs, and even the OFs in our industry. Her efforts have garnered her recognition with several industry associations including the Water Environment Federation, AWWA, and WEAT. Winner of the Arthur Sydney Bedell Award, Betty Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

has been actively involved in both the North Texas Section of WEAT and the state association. She has served in officer positions and has been an active member of the state program committee since the 1980s, helping organize and develop the programs for many specialty seminars.

She is a passionate fund raiser for Water for People and received WFP’s Kenneth J. Miller Award in 2007. Recently, she was the key note speaker at the Stockholm Junior Water Prize Competition passionately challenging students, after her presentation on Water for People, not to settle for being brilliant and educated - but to look beyond themselves and to use their talents to make the world a better place for their having been there!

Betty lives with the two most spoiled cats in the universe. She is actively involved in her church and the local classical music scene and loves to travel both domestically and internationally. She also loves to cook and prepare elaborate gourmet dinners for fun evenings with friends and family.

[AND YES, YOU CAN BID ON ONE OF THESE DINNERS AT THE WFP SILENT AUCTION.] Betty attributes much of her success in our industry to having had the encouragement of two great cheerleader parents and having had the privilege of working for Alan Plummer who led by example and encouragement and sometimes a little motivating pressure.

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TEXAS SECTION - AMERICAN WATER WORKS ASSOCIATION & WATER ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AWARD …to recognize a utility, agency, company or individual for an innovative and successful program designed to promote workforce development for the utility, agency or company or the water industry in general. Another purpose of the award is to bring workforce development programs forward for others to use or adapt or be inspired.

Magda Alanis City of Houston As division manager for the city of Houston’s Public Utilities and Engineering Department, Magda works on recruitment, retention, career development and operator certification. She has worked to make the city more visible and competitive in order to recruit and retain personnel.

The city has developed a high school program to assist high school students in obtaining their Class D operator license. Also, entry level staff attend their internal TCEQ-approved trainer classes to prepare for the certification exams.

Magda helped develop the case to obtain funding to develop a standard entry salary for operators which ended up in a salary increase, making the City more competitive. The city has also explored hiring staff on a temporary basis because the inhouse process is shorter as a faster way to bring employees on board.

If the temporary workers exhibits good working skills and remains interested in the operations process, they can be hired as permanent employees.

This process works particularly well when hiring veterans.

The city of Houston has benefitted from Magda’s work because they have reached recruits at all skill levels, retained employees, and created higher morale and job satisfaction through compensation for license attainment.

These programs allow for on-going support which enhances career awareness and allows for on-going support by reducing overtime and response time for maintenance and repairs, thereby benefiting all the citizens of Houston.

Junior Meter Madness Contest 1 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Exhibit Hall The Junior Meter Madness Contest matches students from high school environmental programs for a test of their meter-assembling skills and dexterity in the Exhibit Hall from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Please support these “future water professionals” by attending on Wednesday.

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Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

TEXAS SECTION - AMERICAN WATER WORKS ASSOCIATION & WATER ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AWARD ‌to recognize a utility, agency, company or individual for an innovative and successful program designed to promote workforce development for the utility, agency or company or the water industry in general. Another purpose of the award is to bring workforce development programs forward for others to use or adapt or be inspired.

Marisa Reyes Tarrant County College As Director for Community and Industrial Education at Tarrant County College, Marisa Reyes is responsible for Water/Wastewater Treatment programs that offer three certification programs: Water Operations-Distribution, Water Operator – Groundwater and Surface, and Wastewater Operator.

The Environmental Protection Agency awarded the college a grant to offer free training. The grant supports the College in recruiting, training, and providing opportunities to secure employment in the environmental field.

The Water and Wastewater Treatment programs are designed to provide students with the technical knowledge to competently perform in the water and wastewater utility industry. The program courses are intended for entry-level operators, experienced operators who want to enhance their

knowledge, and experienced operators seeking continuing education toward license renewal and advancement. Graduates completing the program certification are eligible to apply and test for the appropriate TCEQ licensing exam.

These certification programs provide newly licensed operators to fill demand shortages. Entry level operators will be given the opportunity to test for the next license level and the possibility of promotion and an increase in salary/benefits.

In addition, this program will provide an opportunity for underserved and veteran populations seeking short-term training at an affordable rate to join or re-enter the workforce.

The training will add new trade skills to their resumes, making them more desirable and marketable to potential employers.

AMERICAN WATER WORKS ASSOCIATION

PARTNERSHIP FOR SAFE DRINKING WATER The Partnership is a voluntary effort between six drinking water organizations, and more than 200 water utilities. The goal of the Partnership is to

provide a new measure of public health protection to millions by implementing prevention programs where legislation or regulation does not exist.

City of Houston East Water Purification Plant 3 Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

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AMERICAN WATER WORKS ASSOCIATION

SERVICE to the WATER INDUSTRY AWARD ‌to recognize those organization members who have provided valuable support for AWWA programs and goals through their long-standing Association membership.

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality 50 Years

AMERICAN WATER WORKS ASSOCIATION

HONORARY MEMBER AWARD ‌to recognize an individual whose knowledge and accomplishments in the field of water supply entitle them to special recognition.

Richard Talley Richard Talley has served in the Texas Section governance from 2008 thru 2012, holding the offices of vice-chair, chair-elect, chair and past chair, all of which have Section responsibilities.

He has served as chair of the section Water Utility Council and also served as a member of the AWWA Water Utility Council.

At the association level, his membership on the WUC allowed him to help shape AWWA policies and legislative direction. His work supporting the WIFIA initiative was part of the success of that legislation.

Though retired, he also continues service as the

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chair of the TXWARN Partners, chair of the Texas Section AWWA Awards Committee and as member of the Texas Section Lone Star Leaders.

Richard had a long career with the city of Fort Worth Water Department as the manager of laboratory services and most recently as Environmental and Regulatory Coordinator.

His expertise in water quality and regulations benefited the Fort Worth Water Department and other utilities in Texas. His understanding of technical water issues has given him the knowledge to champion various important initiatives in both the Texas Section and AWWA.

Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

AMERICAN WATER WORKS ASSOCIATION

OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD …to recognize those organization members who have provided valuable support for AWWA programs and goals through their long-standing Association membership.

Kathryn L. (Katie) McCain Katie has been a member of AWWA since 1985.

During her years of membership, she has served in many capacities.

She started her AWWA volunteer service in membership, serving at the Section level on the Membership Committee and subsequently at the Association level on the Membership Committee.

She served as a member and as chair at both levels. She earned all of the Presidential series of Membership Awards and in 1995, served as the President of the Diamond Pin Club, a group of dedicated and successful membership recruiters.

Katie served on the Texas Section Board of Trustees from 1986 thru 2005. She served as chair of the Membership Committee and went through the officer roles, serving as the chair of the section in 1998-99.

in Denver at ACE in 1986. She brought Pipe Tapping to the Texas Section in 1987. Pipe Tapping has remained a continuous passion. In 1992, she promoted the establishment of the Operator Involvement Committee to manage and coordinate the operator competitions.

She was involved in all aspects of the Pipe Tapping competition management culminating in helping to set up and coordinate the World Water Cup of Drilling and Tapping Competition. The international level of competition was formalized in 2000 and continues today with the competition between English, Dutch and American teams.

In the true spirit of competition, in 1997, Katie and Rhonda Harris competed in England using the English method of tapping. That experience was a highlight of her involvement in pipe tapping.

She was a member of the committee that established the joint annual Texas Section AWWA and Water Environment Association of Texas Conference in 1995. This conference, known as Texas Water, is the largest regional water industry conference in the country.

In 1999, she began her term as the Texas Section Director on the AWWA Board of Directors. In 2000, she was elected as an AWWA vice-president and served in that capacity for two terms. She finished her term as the Texas Section’s Director in 2002.

Another of her most memorable and lasting achievements was serving on the Selection Committee that decided to hire Section staff in 1997. That committee interviewed and hired the Section’s first and only executive director, Mike Howe. As evidenced by the success of the Section, that was a momentous decision!

In January 2003, she was elected as AWWA President-Elect. She then began her service as an AWWA presidential officer, serving as president in 2004-2005, the first woman to serve in that capacity. She is most proud of her presidential initiative to promote the Value of Water, an initiative that continues today and is increasingly more important as the public deals with the Flint, Michigan situation. Water service is complicated

She saw her first Pipe Tapping Competition

(Continued) Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

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and expensive but without it and adequate sanitation, there is little quality of life.

Another of her presidential achievements, working in conjunction with the then president of the Water Environment Federation, Lynn Orphan, was to develop formal, written guidelines for the management of the Utility Management Conference, a conference hosted jointly by AWWA and WEF. That agreement has allowed the UMC to continue to meet the needs of utility managers throughout the water sector.

As she transitioned away from association leadership, Katie found a new passion in workforce development. It followed easily from her desire to promote the water industry as a valuable service.

She repurposed the old HR committee into the Workforce Strategies Committee and began working to provide workforce solutions for the coming workforce crisis.

After her term as chair, Katie started focusing on veterans as a resource for the water sector.

As chair of the Veterans’ Workforce Initiative, she is working to find ways to connect veterans seeking rewarding careers in the water sector. She

currently works with the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Labor, the EPA, the U. S. Army and other veterans’ organizations to bring these qualified and committed individuals to our industry.

Over her years of service, Katie has attended and led scores of committee meetings, presented at technical sessions and workshops and authored a number of articles for various AWWA publications.

Katie received the George Warren Fuller Award from the Texas Section in 1995, became an AWWA Honorary Member in 2009 and received the Management and Leadership Division’s Exceptional Service Award in 2013.

Katie attributes her professional success in large measure to her service to AWWA. Through AWWA she has met and worked with other water professionals, many who have encouraged her to get involved in various AWWA initiatives and supported her as she worked on fulfilling those goals. She feels that AWWA is part of who she is and is grateful for the opportunities the organization and its members have given her.

Join us at the Awards Breakfast on Thursday, April 21 at 7:30 a.m. for presentation of additional awards.

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Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

TEXAS SECTION - AMERICAN WATER WORKS ASSOCIATION

CHAPTER OF THE YEAR Local Chapters play an essential role in the achievement of Texas Section AWWA goals and objectives. The local chapters organize a multitude of professional and social programs, conduct membership recruitment and retention drives, support technical activities striving to advance the water community, and market AWWA as “dedicated to the world’s most important resource.”

Through the annual Chapter Awards program, Texas

Section AWWA has the opportunity to recognize the valuable contributions of local chapters as they strive to enrich, educate, and enlighten the AWWA membership. Included in the Chapter Awards program is the Chapter of the Year Award. To win this award, the Chapter must submit in each of the five individual project award categories: Chapter communications, Community service, Educational offerings, Fundraising effort, and Membership recruitment and retention.

North Texas Chapter The North Texas Chapter chapter serves AWWA members and water professionals in the DallasFort Worth area. 2015 was a banner year for the chapter. It had a 20 percent increase in membership, as well as set records in attendance and event sponsorships.

The NCT Chapter Communications Committee works closely with the Membership Committee and other chapter committees to maintain proactive communication with its members. The chapter has a four-pronged approach to communications: The Lake, the chapter website, announcements at chapter meetings, and through member emails.

This year, the NCT Chapter starting making greater use of the chapter page of the TAWWA website, http://www.tawwa.org/group/north_ central. We use the web page for meeting notices and registration and for storing archived copies of The Lake. In addition, this year we started posting pictures of member events, providing a great way for members to access photos and enjoy memories of chapter events.

The NCT TAWWA Chapter has a very active YP community, with two chairs each from Dallas and Fort Worth respectively. They host

Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

various events that all members are welcome to attend, from site tours, to happy hours and the annual casino night fundraising event.

The North Texas Chapter is committed to community service in various ways, including providing judges for Dallas and Fort Worth area science fairs.

The chapter donated $21,250 to Water for People through two major events. The YP Poker Tournament raised $5,250, and the Annual Holiday Dinner raised $16,000.

The scholarship committee contributed $2,000 for the state level scholarships this year. In addition, the chapter awarded a total of 10 local scholarships with a total amount of $6,500.

The chapter holds a yearly Drinking Water Seminar in which the topics range from latest technology, to regulatory updates, to operator courses. The 2015 seminar achieved record attendance of 150 people . It included tracks for Water Supply and Treatment, Water Conservation and Water Loss Prevention and Communications, Research, Regulatory and Legislative Updates.

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TEXAS SECTION – AMERICAN WATER WORKS ASSOCIATION

WILLIAM T. “DOC” BALLARD AWARD William T. “Doc” Ballard was one of those people who not only was the consummate professional in his work, but also a mentor to many, and a friend to all. As a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin in 1946, and later with a Masters in Engineering from Georgia Tech, “Doc” began his career as a professional engineer with the State Public Health Department. He was assigned to the Tyler District Office and remained in Tyler working for the Department of Health, and later with LaGlonia Oil and Gas. He returned to the Department of Health as regional engineer of the Tyler office until his retirement in 1987.

“Doc” was a consultant in water and wastewater treatment until his death in November 1999.

him for what he did for others. As a public health professional, he remained committed throughout his long and productive career to helping us in the water profession do our jobs better and more effectively. And, “Doc” did it with a personal touch that made him a great mentor, teacher and welcome friend.

Many knew “Doc” from his work with utilities, his many scholarly and practical writings published in a variety of professional publications and his active role with organizations such as AWWA, WEF, WEAT and TWUA. And, he was a Texas Section AWWA Fuller Award Winner in 1991. For all that “Doc” did, those who knew him best remember

This award is not presented every year and only to those whose selfless contributions to the industry, beyond all others, deserves recognition.

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In 1999, the Texas Section AWWA created the W. T. “Doc” Ballard Award to recognize those Texas Section members who have distinguished themselves in our profession by using their personal influence to shape the course of change in our profession by helping utilities and individuals serve the profession better.

The recipient of this award is kept secret until announced publicly.

Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

AMERICAN WATER WORKS ASSOCIATION

SILVER WATER DROP AWARDS The AWWA Life Membership Awards are given to those members who have achieved 30 years of service to the water community and AWWA.

Lee Kyler Allison Ronald E. Anderson Chris Chen Malcom E. Codwin Charles J. Franey

Denton Austin Austin Irving Pinehurst

Sid McCain L. Michael Montgomery James M. Oliver Jim L. Siddall Thomas P. Taggert

Euless Houston Fort Worth Grand Prairie San Marcos

LIFE MEMBERSHIP AWARDS The AWWA Life Membership Awards are given to those members who previously achieved Silver Water Drop Award status and are now at least 65 years old.

Nancy E. Barnes Carole Bassinger Sam E. Beeler Chris W. Burkett Russell D. Flanagan

Austin Lewisville Lindale Mansfield Henderson

Ted Kilpatrick Edward R. McDow Jr. Monty D. Shank Richard S. Talley

Wylie Huntsville Palestine North Richland Hills

GOLD WATER DROP AWARDS The AWWA Gold Water Drop Awards are given to those members who have achieved 50 years of service to the water community and AWWA. The Texas Section AWWA honors one member as a Gold Water Drop Award winner.

H. Nugent Myrick

Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

Houston

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AMERICAN WATER WORKS ASSOCIATION

GEORGE WARREN FULLER AWARD One of the most prestigious awards in the water profession is the George Warren Fuller Award for distinguished service to the water supply field in “commemoration of the sound engineering skill, the brilliant diplomatic talent and the constructive leadership, which characterized the life of George Warren Fuller.”

This award winner is selected by previous Fuller Award winners, and kept a tightly guarded secret until the Texas Water Luncheon. In a unique ceremonial process, the current Chair of the Fuller Award Selection Committee of the Texas Section AWWA will call all Fuller Award Winners

in attendance to assemble in the front of the room. He will then direct the group to begin searching the room for the person known only to the committee members as this year’s Fuller Awardee. Slowly, as a brief highlight of this year’s awardee is read, the group will begin converging on this year’s winner’s location in the room. As the group converges, the detail in the awardee’s career highlights will become more and more specific.

See if you or the awardee realizes at the last moment who the awardee is for the Texas Section American Water Works Association 2016 Fuller Award.

1972 1973 1974 1975 1976

TEXAS SECTION – AWWA GEORGE WARREN FULLER AWARD WINNERS Robert P. Van Dyke 1995 Katie McCain Haskell R. Street* 1996 Jack A. Renfro Richard G. Toler* 1997 Randy J. Goss David R. Smallhorst* 1998 Ronny Hyde John H. Stacha* 1999 Steve Walden

1977

J.L. Robinson*

1978 John T. Hickerson 1979 Otis Goldman* 1980 George O. Muller 1981 Charles K. Foster* 1982 Glen Doty* 1983 John Kubala* 1984 Phil Kosub 1985 James H. Bailey* 1986 Thomas D. Tiner 1987 Michael K. Tubbs 1988 Michael Meadows 1989 Kay Kutchins 1990 Dennis L. Allen 1991 W. T. “Doc” Ballard* 1992 Lee. C. Bradley, Jr. 1994 F. Warren Norris * Deceased

2000

Carole Baker

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Mark Lowry Bill Riley Gary Smith Jeannie Wiginton Charles Anderson Glenda Dunn Bill Smith Dean Sharp Mike Howe Charles Maddox Mary L. Gugliuzza Richard Talley Daniel Nix Donna Howe Ron Tamada

For a complete description on the career of George Warren Fuller, read the following pages.

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Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

AMERICAN WATER WORKS ASSOCIATION

GEORGE WARREN FULLER AWARD “Little can be said about George Warren Fuller without recalling a thousand and one connections which he has had with sanitary engineering practice in this country and abroad. Amazingly active mentally, he always catalyzed those individuals who were fortunate enough to work with him. An enthusiasm tempered by seasoned judgment and reinforced by a remarkable technical knowledge, accounting for the fact that his name is identified with almost every important sanitary advance in this country in the last four decades. Many, however, are born at the right time who are either ill equipped or are lacking in sufficient vision to make the most of that good fortune. In Mr. Fuller’s case, heredity and environmental influence, coupled with remarkable energy, all contributed to the development of a practitioner of outstanding stature. He will be remembered long in the future, as much for his distinctive personal characteristics as for his long list of contributions to sanitary science and practice.” So wrote Abel Wolman editorially in Municipal Sanitation after Fuller’s death on June 15, 1934.

George Warren Fuller was born in Franklin, Massachusetts, December 21, 1868, on the farm which was part of the land acquired by the family during the Revolutionary period. Three or four Fullers came to Massachusetts from England before the middle of the Seventeenth Century. The one with whom we are concerned was Ensign Thomas Fuller, who, in 1642, by vote of the people of Dedham, was “admitted” - a prerequisite to citizenship at that time - to the purchase of Martin Phillips’ lot. He seems to have been a capable and versatile man. He was a surveyor for several years after 1660 and selectman for fourteen years; he repeatedly represented the community at the general court, was co-trustee of money bequeathed for the establishment of a Latin school and laid out the road to Cambridge as well as many minor ones. He kept the town’s ammunition, for which he was paid ten shillings a year, but had considerable trouble in collecting the fee, and at one time remitted part of it in order to obtain settlement. In the succeeding line, down through Grandfather Asa Fuller, who was a Minute Man, there continues to be activity of a civic nature—service as selectmen, court representatives, and the like.

George Warren Fuller was at the head of his class when he attended the Dedham schools. His scholarship was,

of course, a source of great satisfaction to his mother.

At sixteen he passed the examination for entrance at MIT but, his father having died a few weeks before, it was thought best for him to have a fourth year in high school, after which he was graduated at the head of his class and with the highest marks given up to that time.

At MIT he met and came under the influence of such people as William T. Sedgwich, Ellen H. Richards, and Hiram F. Mills, all enthusiastically interested in the new science of public health.

Their influence was felt throughout his life. Following his graduation, he spent a year at the University of Berlin and in the office of Piefke, engineer of the Berlin water works. On his return to Massachusetts, the state board of health employed him for some five years, during the latter part of the period being in charge of the Lawrence Experiment Station where he extended the experimental work and studies started by another famous chemist and engineer, Allen Hazen. The Lawrence Experiment Station was then recognized as leading in research on the purification of water supplies and treatment of sewage in this country. Fuller’s brilliant achievements in this field attracted such attention to his ability that he was selected in 1895 to take charge of the experiments at Louisville, Kentucky, in the use of rapid filtration. Immediately after he had accomplished this work, he was offered a similar engagement in Cincinnati, Ohio. These experiments served to remove the questions, which had been raised about the adequacy of rapid filtration compared with slow sand filtration for these municipalities, and, at the same time, established the value of mechanical filtration where conditions were such as to warrant its use.

During his 34 years of practice as a consulting engineer, following the opening of his New York office and, later, the opening of branch offices in Kansas City, Missouri; Toledo, Ohio; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Fuller advised more than 150 cities, commissions, and corporations on their water supply and sewerage problems. The outstanding engagements, including among others: Washington, D.C.; New Orleans, Louisiana; St. Louis, Missouri; Indianapolis, Indiana; Kansas City, Missouri; Memphis, Tennessee; Wilmington, Delaware; New Haven, Connecticut; Lexington, Kentucky; Minneapolis and St. Paul,

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Minnesota; Montreal, Quebec; the Shanghai, China, Water Company; the International Joint Commission (Canada and United States boundary waters); the New Jersey Water Policy Commission; the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission; the Hackensack Valley Sewerage Commission; and the Metropolitan Sewerage Commission of Rhode Island. For many of these engagements, his service included full control over all engineering work involved in the preparation of plans and contracts, as well as the actual construction.

Notwithstanding a busy life in active practice, Fuller gave freely of his time and energy to the advancement of his chosen profession through participation in the activities of technical societies, through contributions to the engineering press, and through educational activities. His record in this respect is outstanding. He was a member of the American Water Works Association (President); the American Public Health ­Association (President); the Engineering Foundation (Chair); the American Society of Civil Engineers (Vice-President); the American Institute of Consulting Engineers; the American Society of Mechanical Engineers; the Institution of Civil Engineers of Great Britain; the American Chemical Society; the American Society of Bacteriologists; the Engineering Institute of Canada; the Vereines Duetscher Ingenieure; the Association Generale des Hygienistes et Techniciens Municipaux of France; and the Franklin Institute.

Perhaps the most significant of Fuller’s characteristics was his belief in organization and his devotion to standardization.

In 1920, at the Montreal Convention of the AWWA, Fuller negotiated the organization of a committee to codify and standardize water works practice. The Association before that time had developed a few specification Documents, but its relation to the preparation of those Documents was that of cooperative participation rather than leadership. The group under his leadership and chairmanship was first called the Standardization Council, later the Committee on Water Works Practice. He continued to be a dominant influence in the AWWA during the time its constitution and bylaws were being substantially revised.

At the New York Convention of the AWWA early in June 1934 (only a week before his death), Fuller was in constant attendance, participating in the sessions and continuing even then his stimulation of the activities of the Association and its elected leaders.

With the AWWA, APHA, ASCE and FSWA alone, more 22

than 45,000 professional and technical men in North America are indebted to Fuller for the guidance of their organizational readjustments in the 1920-30 period, which made possible the standing that these associations have today.

George Warren Fuller was first of all a capable engineer, equipped with a mind that never closed a channel to new ideas. He was an inventive technician—first in the laboratory field, later in engineering and design. He was a skilled negotiator; a public relations counsel who never called himself one, but who by such skill persuaded reluctant city officials that they were very wise and right to authorize sanitary improvements. He was a loyal citizen who found himself able and willing to render service to his country during World War I. He was uncannily able to give ear to the ideas and aspirations of younger men in the field and to inspire in them some measure of the spirit of leadership that he possessed. He believed in the organization and assembly of technical and professional men and devoted himself fully to the advancement of their associations and societies to the end that they serve better through planned action and cooperation.

Fitting indeed were the words of M. N. Baker, in his editorial tribute in the Engineering News Record: History will be better able than we are to appraise the contributions of George W. Fuller to the art of water purification, but history will not be so well able to appraise Mr. Fuller’s personal qualities of understanding, kindliness, sound judgment and tact as are we who have been fortunate enough to have frequent contact with him in our daily work. Here also should be recorded an acknowledgment of the debt the profession owes to Mr. Fuller, especially his chosen branch of the profession, for his liberal contributions of time and energy to its professional societies. It can be said without fear of contradiction that it was chiefly through his efforts that the American Water Works Association has been raised from the level of a social group to its present high standing as a technical organization. Mr. Fuller’s passing also serves to reemphasize the youthfulness of sanitary engineering and the fundamental nature of the contributions made by a generation of notable men, now largely departed— work that centered around the Lawrence experiments and laid the foundation for present design methods and practices of water filtration. Fuller’s achievements and those of others of his generation are a legacy to be utilized by the present generation to carry the art forward to greater perfection.

Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

Water Environment Association of Texas Competitions

• Texas Shootout (Wednesday) • Operations Challenge (Wednesday) • Process Control • Laboratory • Operations Challenge (Thursday) • Pump Maintenance • Safety • Collection System The awards ceremony is at 3:15 p.m. Thursday in the Top Ops/Best Tasting Drinking Water competition area in Exhibit Hall.

Texas Section American Water Works Association Competitions

• • • • • •

Junior Meter Madness (Wednesday) Meter Madness (Wednesday) Pipe Tapping (Thursday) Meter Madness (Thursday) Top Ops (Thursday) Best Tasting Drinking Water (Thursday)

The above awards are presented at the competition location following each competition.

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TEXAS SECTION - AMERICAN WATER WORKS ASSOCIATION

MEMBERSHIP AWARDS The Texas Section AWWA recognizes three members for their outstanding recruitment efforts that help maintain the Texas Section’s leadership as the largest single state Section of AWWA’s forty-three Sections.

The Section’s continued growth is a testimony to meeting the needs of water professionals statewide.

Bill Smith - 9 Bruce Curtis - 8 Katie McCain - 7

TEXAS SECTION - AMERICAN WATER WORKS ASSOCIATION

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS MAVERICK AWARD This year, the Texas Section AWWA will continue what will become a long tradition in recognizing one of our Young Professionals as an up and coming leader of the organization. The Maverick Award recognizes an outstanding Young Professional within the Texas Section of AWWA who exemplifies exceptional qualities in the following areas: Volunteerism, Community Involvement, Leadership, and Outstanding Service in

the science of water supply, treatment, operations, and quality. Young Professionals are those individuals who are a member of AWWA under the age of 35 who work or are involved in the water industry.

This award is kept a secret until the moment of the announcement at the awards ceremony.

TEXAS SECTION - AMERICAN WATER WORKS ASSOCIATION

WATER CONSERVATION AND REUSE AWARDS Each year, the Texas Section AWWA Conservation and Reuse Division recognizes those who have demonstrated excellence in Water Conservation and Reuse Practices.

Small Utility Direct & Bob Derrington Reuse Award

on the City’s 2014 existing and planned water supplies information. Reuse water will be used to make up this deficit.

The City of Round Rock is projected to have an average potable water demand of 52 million gallons per day (MGD) by the year 2050. The resulting potable water deficit is 6.3 MGD based

Opening ceremonies for the City of Round Rock’s Reuse Water Facility were held on Oct. 24, 2012 to mark the completion of the Reuse Water Treatment and Storage Facility and associated reuse water distribution mains providing reuse water to the city’s crown jewel of parks, Old Settlers Park.

City of Round Rock Reuse Water Fill Stations Project

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Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

Many customers have tied onto the system since that time including Dell Diamond, Texas A&M Medical School, Austin Community College, and Forest Creek Golf Club. Others are expected to follow in coming years. The remaining distribution system was completed in July 2015.

Two Reuse Water Fill Stations were included as a small part of the overall project. With significant early success, and a less than 11 year payback, these stations are both innovative and economical.

They can also be seen by the rate payers and the general public at-large as a sign that the city’s utility is focused on doing the small things that when looked at in total create big results in an ecofriendly economic way.

Small Utility Indirect

City of Pflugerville Girl Scout Patch Program

In an effort to promote water conservation in the community and throughout the region, the city of Pflugerville’s Water Conservation team always looks for innovative and creative opportunities to promote Water Conservation education to all age groups. The Regional Girl Scout Patch Program was established to provide educational curriculum for all age groups of scouts to learn about water conservation. The program teaches the girls about the importance of water as a precious resource and how to conserve water while sharing their information and knowledge with family and friends throughout the community. The program’s intended audience is the Girl Scouts of Central Texas Council which includes 46 counties in Texas with over 392 Girl Scouts in Pflugerville alone.

This knowledge will help the scouts understand the need to conserve water for the future. “Together We Can Make a Difference” is denoted on the patch to show how important it is for everyone to conserve.

Large Utility Indirect

City of Plano Online Irrigation Education for HomeownersPlano

In an effort to expand outreach efforts, the city of Plano developed an online learning module focused on improving residential irrigation efficiency. Our module, Water, Water Everywhere: A Guide to Sprinkler Repair, is the first of its kind and is conveniently available to all residents at any time. Since its launch in January 2015, more than 1,700 residents have used the city of Plano’s online irrigation module to learn about identifying and fixing sprinkler problems and cycle and soak watering. The results show that this online learning module is not only convenient, but is an effective outreach method for teaching homeowners about irrigation systems. After completing this module, learners report they are empowered to assess, repair, and schedule their sprinkler system to reduce outdoor water waste and are changing their irrigation habits.

Honorable Mention City of Fort Worth Water Efficiency @ Work Symposium The Water Efficiency @ Work Symposium was initiated as an educational outreach targeting a segment of Fort Worth’s industrial, commercial and institutional customers to promote sustainability, water efficiency and best management practices. This initiative focused on front line facility managers, building professionals and conservation staff. The symposium’s objective was simply to share the how’s, why’s and benefits of implementing water efficient strategies from those who’ve done it through BMPs, technology and strategic changes. The half day seminar was free to attendees and addressed topics about the water/ energy nexus, LEED, sustainability and reuse. The underlying goal was education, but also to show (Continued)

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through success stories how simple enhancements and retrofits can yield significant water savings.

The industry experts touted the process of making efficiency a priority, while also showing the tangibility of realized bottom line reductions.

Non-utility Indirect

North Fort Bend Water Authority Larry the Sprinkler Campaign: Larry’s Toolbox

The North Fort Bend Water Authority has an urgent and pressing need to conserve water. Due to the potential of significant land subsidence in the area, the Authority has been mandated by the Fort Bend Subsidence District to utilize alternative water as a supplement to groundwater to meet water demands. Although surface water will make up the majority of the alternative water, conservation will have a significant impact on future water demands and has the potential to save the Authority hundreds of millions of dollars over time.

The Authority created a multi-faceted water conservation campaign in 2014 featuring Larry the Talking Sprinkler that received great feedback and has been crucial in starting the conversation on the need to save water. While this program has been successful, large scale programs need to be implemented in order to see real water savings.

The Conservation Committee was created to open a line of communication between the Authority and the municipal utility districts, homeowner associations, developers, and operators to discuss the various types of conservation programs that would appeal to the Authority’s diverse community.

After meeting nearly every month for a year, the Committee came up with a program called Larry’s Toolbox. The toolbox incentivizes MUDs and HOAs to implement the programs the Committee worked to create. This program has received positive feedback far beyond the Authority’s expectations, and it could not have been done without the ideas from the Committee.

WATER ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS & TEXAS SECTION - AMERICAN WATER WORKS ASSOCIATION

KEN MILLER WATER FOR PEOPLE FOUNDER’S AWARD The Kenneth J. Miller Founder’s Award was established in 2001 by the Board of Directors of Water For People to honor outstanding volunteer service to this international humanitarian effort.

Water For People was conceived as a North American response to the water, sanitation and health needs of millions living in the developing world.

From its beginnings, Water For People was envisioned to be a volunteer effort of the North American water community. The American Water Works Association (AWWA) leaders who organized Water For People believed that water professionals would recognize the urgent necessity to support 26

such a cause by contributing their financial assistance, organizational skills and professional expertise. As the organization grew and began accomplishing its vision, it became evident that extraordinary volunteer efforts were being made at the local level that should be publicly acknowledged and honored. The Ken Miller Water for People Founder’s Award was established to do this.

This is the tenth year this award is given jointly by the Texas Section AWWA and WEAT. The winner is recognized by Water for People at the AWWA Annual Conference in Anaheim. This winner is kept secret until announced at the award’s ceremony.

Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

WATER ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS & TEXAS SECTION - AMERICAN WATER WORKS ASSOCIATION

WATERMARK AWARDS FOR COMMUNICATION EXCELLENCE MEMBER AWARDS The Watermark Award for communications excellence recognizes Texas Section AWWA and WEAT members who have produced top quality communications. Effective internal and external communication is essential to a member’s ability to provide excellent service. Today’s water resource professionals must communicate with a variety of audiences to achieve success. Through these awards, Texas Section AWWA and WEAT hope to heighten awareness among all water resource professionals about the importance of effective communication.

Category I: Communications programs: internal campaigns, external campaigns, crisis communications, community relations

audience is the Girl Scouts of Central Texas Council (GSCTX) which includes 46 counties in Texas with over 392 Girl Scouts in Pflugerville alone.

The program is designed to educate youth and teen scouts by promoting a curriculum made up of activities that promote positive household water conservation behaviors.

Small Utility City of Pflugerville Regional Girl Scout Patch Program As water needs rapidly increase for both residential and industrial users, it is important to educate users as young as possible about water conservation and the detrimental effects of wasting water. To promote water conservation in the community and throughout the region, the city of Pflugerville’s Water Conservation team continually looks for innovative and creative opportunities to promote Water Conservation education to all age groups.

The Regional Girl Scout Patch Program was created to provide an educational curriculum for all age groups of scouts to learn about water conservation. The program teaches the importance of water as a precious resource and how to conserve water where the girls can share this information with family and friends. The program’s intended

“Together We Can Make A Difference” is denoted on the patch to show the importance of conservation. Pflugerville is proud to be the first municipal government to create and implement a patch program for the Girl Scouts of Central Texas.

Non-utility: Trinity River Authority of Texas 60 Year Campaign The Trinity River Authority of Texas celebrated 60 years of service in 2015. This milestone presented the perfect opportunity to celebrate the occasion and build on the organization’s common pride, commitment and sense of ownership. TRA also was able to involve the communities it serves.

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The overarching goal was to make the occasion memorable, special and educational and to keep cost at a minimum.

The 60-year logo design served to brand the effort and its conversion to an email tag helped carry it further as a symbol of Esprit de Corps. Staff members expressed appreciation for the reusable tote bag designed with the logo as well as deep appreciation for the time taken out of the general manager’s schedule to personally visit each facility and express his thanks on behalf of TRA and its board for the work done by all staff.

The governor’s proclamation and the creativity shown by the poster contest winners added an excellent finishing touch to the 60-year activities.

Large Utility El Paso Water Utilities Advanced Water Purification - A Sustainable Water Future for El Paso Commmunication Program El Paso Water Utilities (EPWU) has successfully met the challenges of supplying water in a desert region by conserving water resources and diversifying the water supply. But El Paso’s growing population and the continuing river drought means EPWU must prepare for the possibility of a year without river water. The drought-proof sustainable solution for EPWU is an Advanced Water Purification Facility that transforms treated wastewater into drinking water and delivers it directly to customers.

produces. It consists of a speakers bureau, aggressive media relations, pilot facility tours, video and social media. To date, dozens of regional and local media outlets have published positive news stories on the project. An initial phone survey showed that 84% of El Pasoans were in favor of the project, and 96% of those who toured the pilot facility are supportive of the project.

Honorable Mention City of Fort Worth Communicating Proposed 2016 Water and Wastewater Rate Changes In recent years, an increasing number of customers have complained about being encouraged to use less water yet the rates are going up. With the recent drought conditions this was heightened.

The Fort Worth Water Department produced a report and a PowerPoint presentation to illustrate the financial challenges the department faced, including the challenge of most income being variable most costs being fixed. Other points were what factors are driving rate increases and the impact of water conservation on rates. The PowerPoint started by explaining the value of water. Charts illustrated that the average monthly bill in 2014 was just $4 higher than it was in 2000 because average monthly use has significantly declined. The report was placed in libraries and emailed to neighborhood associations.

The director and finance staff met individually with the mayor and councilmembers prior to the proposed rates being considered for adoption.

EPWU has piloted the Advanced Purification The City Council approved the rate increases with Process and TCEQ will review the final report before only one dissenting vote.The PowerPoint that has design and construction of the full-scale facility can been taken into the community has received many begin. The biggest challenge with this project is positive comments, including that customers have not the technology, but gaining public acceptance. a better understanding of the rate situation.

EPWU has implemented a multi-pronged, on-going communications program that focuses on the science behind the project and the high quality water it (Continued) 28

Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

Honorable Mention City of Carrollton Small Pieces Make the Big Picture Campaign The city of Carrollton developed an education campaign to address the daily water use habits of residential customers. Carrollton’s residential customer base represents 95 percent of its total water connections, consuming 72 percent of all water delivered in Carrollton.

“Small Pieces Make the Big Picture” is a puzzlethemed campaign highlighting water use habits of residential customers. The graphics are printed on three plastic panels creating a triptych display to use at expos and fairs. Several colorful, 8-piece puzzles were developed as a hands-on activity providing an opportunity to reinforce the conservation message. As a giveaway, ink pens with a puzzle piece molded at the top were custom printed with “You Are a Piece of the Puzzle – Conserve”. The display has been well received at public events.

After booth visitors put the puzzles together, they are asked a question about the specific subject matter and rewarded with a puzzle pen. As a result of the information residents received at these events, the city’s annual irrigation inspection program “Save Water by the Yard” had to be extended past its usual ending date of September 30. The city’s water conservation webpages also received increased attention as a result of these media and promotional messages.

Category II. Periodicals: magazines or newsletters Non-utility: Glass House Strategies Waterlog Newsletter

Customers don’t like reading newsletters. So Glass House set out to create a newsletter that would read more like a magazine and be colorful, fun and engaging. Working with North Fort Bend Water Authority, it started by throwing out the rules of conventional newsletters and created pieces that involve the reader and let them take in a lot of information without taking a lot of time. And, of course, it wouldn’t be a North Fort Bend Water Authority piece if it didn’t star its water-saving friend, Larry the Talking Sprinkler.

River Authorities or Districts: Wells Branch Municipal Utility District Promoting Water Conservation in the Wells Branch MUD Word Newsletter The Wells Branch Municipal Utility District uses a variety of methods to promote participation in water conservation. One of the tools is the Wells Branch Word, a monthly print newsletter included with monthly water bills. Often space in the Word is used to promote water conservation awareness.

The newsletter fills a critical niche in the MUD’s awareness program by its direct distribution to all water customers. This past year it was used to promote a rain barrel purchase program, general water saving practices, and an Eco Fair in May. The Eco Fair was very well attended and had a number of vendors and guest speakers who helped to raise awareness about water conservation topics.

Additionally MUD staff was handing out free water saving devices such as low flow shower heads and faucet adapters, shower timers, water tank leak kits, educational reading material, waterless carwash towels and soil moisture meters. As a result of its efforts, the average household water usage has continued to decline over the past few years, as evidenced by its low GPCD of 63.1.

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Category III. Publications: annual reports, annual water quality reports, brochures, direct mail materials and other multi-page publications.

Small Utility: City of Frisco Public Works and Water Resources Department Annual Water Quality Report As a municipality and water provider, Frisco Water Resources submits an annual Consumer Confidence Report, which summarizes information about the quality of drinking water in the city. The city’s goal was to move beyond the regulatory requirements to create educational literature that not only contains the required information, but is also attractive, enjoyable to read, and encourages dialogue with residents.

In the 2015 report, Frisco combined form with function and integrated interesting and relevant information to help residents develop a more involved relationship with their local water resources. Instead of designing the report to look like a single-page report, Frisco created a small booklet or “magazine” that could be perused more easily.

The document also updates readers with a summary of water conservation programs available in the city, provides statistics and data reflecting citizen engagement over the past year, and provides helpful resources for protecting our watershed. The report is sent to every residential water connection in the city, and afterwards, many residents reached out to schedule sprinkler checkups, report water waste, or to ask questions about our current programs - stating that they had heard about the available programs from reading the report.

Non-Utility: Severn Trent Services Customer First The Customer First newsletter was designed to create a favorable impression of Severn Trent Services and educate the decision makers who hire the company to oversee their water and sanitary sewer systems. The October issue entitled “It’s Hurricane Season-What we do to keep your District prepared” does both.

The first section discusses the potential impact of a hurricane on normal water and sanitary sewer services. It also mentions Severn Trent’s Preventative Maintenance Programs. Then the article talks about the major issue during a storm, which is the loss of power and the need for an onsite power generating system.

Having an on-site power generating system is crucial but without fuel, it is useless. The article illustrates the steps that Severn Trent Services takes to ensure a reliable fuel supply during a hurricane; including agreements with fuel suppliers and the rigorous steps we take to insure the quality of the fuel.

Large Utility City of Fort Worth Water Department Annual Water Quality Report Fort Worth Water uses the Water Quality Report to meet the annual Consumer Confidence Report requirement and to inform and educate citizens on a variety of topics besides water quality, such as water conservation, current projects and special initiatives. In addition, the utility uses the report to create positive feelings and cultivate an image of professionalism and superior quality.

Fort Worth also takes advantage of EPA’s guidance allowing electronic distribution as long as certain provisions were met. This cut printing quantity (Continued)

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Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

by two-thirds and reduced the projects costs by 68 percent. Fort Worth did still mail copies to apartment dwellers and put copies in libraries and community centers. Customers were informed of the report’s availability with a bill insert telling them where to call or email to request a hard copy.

Only 31 such requests were received.

videos online has garnered more than 2,500 views over its short lifespan.

River Authorities or Districts: Trinity River Authority of Texas Implementing a social media plan Prior to August of 2015, the Trinity River Authority of Texas operated a Wolf Creek Park and Clean Rivers Program specific Facebook pages.

Both pages were updated infrequently, as dedicated staff was not available to commit enough time to ensure consistency and effectiveness.

Category IV. Online communications: websites, Facebook, Twitter, online newsletters, etc.

Non-Utility: Texas AgriLife Extension Water University You Tube Page The online video series of Texas A&M AgriLife Research’s Water University program exists as an easily accessible resource for North Texas homeowners – a digital guide to water conservation and environmental sustainability in the urban homestead. The series aims to dovetail with the science-based content delivered to North Texans through Water University’s Urban Sustainability Courses, a series of live public classes on conservation at home.

The series is hosted on YouTube and includes about 20 instructional and promotional videos to date, featuring initiatives led by Water University. The range of information covered includes conservation tips for vegetable gardening, rainwater harvesting, irrigation, composting and other best practices alongside promotional clips of Water University’s outreach events.

Production of new video content is a living project that continues to grow alongside the offerings of the Urban Sustainability Courses. The videos’ source files have been delivered to partner organizations and have also been used as course supplements. A YouTube channel that hosts the

TRA’s Strategic Plan adopted in 2013 called for enhanced outreach and engagement efforts among TRA stakeholders. Specifically, the plan desired outreach that aimed to raise positive public awareness, support conservation and education and establish relationships with customer entities, community organizations, business’ and residents within the Authority’s service area. It was decided that social media was a key component in engaging with the public. An addition to TRA’s communications team provided the opportunity for TRA to effectively join the water conversation via social media.

An official TRA Facebook page that incorporates all of TRA’s services was up and running as of Aug. 12, 2015. Although posts were only published two to three times a week with an average engagement rate of 6.5 percent in the beginning, as the frequency of posts increased so did impressions, engagement and page likes. Between Aug. 12 and Dec. 31, the page averaged 40 new page likes per month, finishing the year with a total of 186. The page received 10,307 impressions with almost 2,000 visitors having engaged by way of likes, comments, shares and post clicks boosting the engagement rate to an average 8.5 percent from October through December. TRA hopes to keep up the momentum into 2016.

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Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

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Large Utility: City of Fort Worth Water Department Texas Smartscape Flora Magazine Texas SmartScape® is an existing program housed in the North Central Texas Council of Governments storm water program. It consists of a website database of native and adapted plants for the North Central Texas. A key challenge faced by the Texas SmartScape® program was a lack of interest and awareness by the public. There seemed to be a lack of educational information available that was less intimidating for novice gardeners and every day homeowners that may not have experience with landscaping.

In order to capitalize on this opportunity, the Fort Worth’s Water efficiency group created an e-magazine to be distributed in conjunction with the Texas SmartScape® Plant Sale initiative in 2014. The e-magazine for 2015 was called Flora and the theme for this issue was beauty. This e-magazine took standard botanical information for a select group of SmartScape® plants and conveyed this information using the theme of a fashion magazine, such as Vogue. This highlighted the beauty of the plants and also made the information more approachable and memorable.

To date, the e-magazine has received over 54,000 page views and 37 shares on social media.

Category V. School Curriculums River Authorities or Districts: Trinity River Authority of Texas Toilet Game, booklet and bookmarks When TRA accepted an invitation to attend the W.A.T.E.R Festival (Water Awareness Through Education and Recreation) organized by the River Legacy Foundation in Arlington, staff members acted quickly to create materials for the event’s youth audience.

Starting from scratch and using only internal resources, TRA’s team created the Peter Potty game and complementary educational materials to teach youth about wastewater treatment, conservation, the Trinity River and watershed protection.

The Peter Potty game has a lid that opens and closes, and eyes that are wide with delight. Peter challenges young minds to help them understand what can and cannot be flushed down a toilet.

To keep it simple, players are given two items – one that goes in the trash (wipes) and one (toilet paper) that goes in the potty. At the festival, players studied each piece of wadded up material and made a toss. Overwhelmingly, the toilet paper was tossed into Peter, and the wad of wipes was put in the trash. The game is reinforced with an activity book and bookmarks.

Peter got a good review from the event’s planner: “I want to thank the Trinity River Authority for coming to the Water Festival and having such an awesome table setup and game. We appreciated the time spent creating and designing Peter the Potty. Again, awesome idea!” -Shannon Porter, Naturalist/Scout Coordinator, River Legacy Living Science Center

Large Utility: San Antonio Water System High School IMPACT Program SAWS has implemented a high school program called Impact, an innovative strategy that uses water as a catalyst to promote science and civic responsibility.

The program uses a four-target approach to accomplish these goals. There are classroom resources designed to support teachers by providing presentations and field trip opportunities, as well as instruction on implementing service/project­based learning into their classrooms.

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Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

Flow is a one-day summit featuring inspirational speakers with a focus on service to the community.

It is designed to rally a spirit of volunteerism and service.

Impact Teams are student teams that design and facilitate water-related projects during the course of an academic year.

Confluence: Where Ideas and Water Flow Together is a one­-day youth water conference that brings together high school students from all parts of the city to learn about water issues facing San Antonio and what they can do to make a difference. Participating Impact Teams share what they have learned with the goal of inspiring their peers to get involved as well. To date, more than 3,000 San Antonio area high school students have participated in Confluence.

From its humble beginning in 1988, the SAWS high school Impact program has evolved into a vibrant, thriving program that is shaping the future of this drought prone city as the youth it touches today grow into the decision makers of tomorrow.

Honorable Mention McAllen Public Utility 2015 Water Summer Camp McAllen Public Utility is dedicated to providing clean, safe drinking water for many generations to come. It works hard to educate the public on the issues surrounding water use and conservation.

The 2015 MPU Water Summer Camp was an action packed week educating 30 third-, fourthand fifth-graders all about water and wastewater with MPU. MPU Departments and staff came together to teach and entertain the campers.

The campers toured water and waste water treatment facilities and learned about the importance of preventing water pollution, and

how ground water is naturally filtered by Mother Nature . Through interactive activities and the Project WET! curriculum, campers were able to have a better understanding of the role water plays in their lives and in nature, as well all the work MPU does to protect public health.

MPU promises the camp this summer will be bigger and better!

Category VI. Writing releases, features, scripts, speeches, public service announcements, etc.

Large Utility: San Antonio Water System Dispelling myths about Vista Ridge, S.A. water supply After a long information campaign, misperceptions still existed about SAWS’ Vista Ridge Water Project. Even worse, it seemed that myths were deliberately being dispersed by those opposed to the project. SAWS needed a direct, clear discussion of the Vista Ridge project and its importance to San Antonio, and it needed to come from a trusted source so key opinion makers and stakeholders could get straight information from a peer they respected.

In the closing days of the 2015 Rates and Rate Structure information outreach, SAWS chairman Berto Guerra provided an opinion article for the San Antonio Express-News that brought the utility’s efforts across the finish. In the face of myths and misinformation, he set the record straight on why the proposed rates and rate structure were critical to San Antonio’s future and should be approved by City Council. He presented the facts in a calm voice from his perspective – someone who is a leader in industry, and who has led the city through challenging times.

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Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

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The Op-Ed ran on November 19, 2015, the day of the vote at Council concerning rates related to the Vista Ridge project. Mr. Guerra’s article was well received by the public and referenced in the discussion surrounding the vote.

Category VII. Audio and visual: videos, DVDs, slide shows, Power Point presentations, etc.

Large Utility: San Antonio Water System Ethics Training Video SAWS needed to provide ethics training to large numbers of employees in a format that minimized formal training and was convenient for the employees, who work all hours of the days, spread across the city with round the clock work schedules. By using a shortened, ‘bite-sized’ video format that played on the employee intranet, SAWS was able to disperse the video to where and when employees work, and document training.

Over 200 employees logged on and trained the first day, over 1,200 took the online module within three weeks.

River Authorities or Districts: Trinity River Authority of Texas Power Point Presentation Redesign In 2015, the Trinity River Authority’s Communications Division redesigned TRA’s PowerPoint templates to achieve what has been described as a tailored look and feel. The new templates were designed to allow the text to hit the page and display with fewer adjustments to titles, text, graphics or photo placement. The designs provide more space for the use of graphics and photos, which was requested, while allowing the presenter more options toward customizing their slides.

Maps can be horizontal or vertical. Board item title slides don’t have to be wedged into a confined space that overlaps the images, because there is a template designed specifically for longer titles.

The font is all the same style, which simplifies the use and the quality checks of the overall slide deck; and templates for external meetings include images unique to each facility.

Overall, the new slides meet the requested needs of the internal TRA customer while representing TRA’s brand as a polished, tailored PowerPoint presentation.

Honorable Mention:

City of Plano Water Water Everywhere: A Guide to Sprinkler Repair

In an effort to expand outreach efforts, the city of Plano developed an online learning module focused on improving residential irrigation efficiency. Our module, Water, Water Everywhere: A Guide to Sprinkler Repair is the first of its kind and is conveniently available to all residents at any time.

Since its launch in January 2015, more than 1,700 residents have used the city of Plano’s online irrigation module to learn about identifying and fixing sprinkler problems and cycle and soak watering. The results show that this online learning module is not only convenient, but is an effective outreach method for teaching homeowners about irrigation systems.

After completing this module, learners report they are empowered to assess, repair, and schedule their sprinkler system to reduce outdoor water waste and are changing their irrigation habits.

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Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

Category VIII. Miscellaneous: photography, logos, onetime advertisements, posters, illustrations, invitations

conservation program is promoting efficient use of water outdoors - - much of which is wasted due to overwatering or watering too much at one time.

To help reduce overwatering and runoff, Upper Trinity created an attractive infographic promoting “Cycle and Soak.”

River Authorities or Districts: Upper Trinity Municipal Water District Cycle and Soak Infographic Water conservation is critical for the Denton County area as the growing population increases demand for water, and severe droughts reduce available supplies in some years. A focus of Upper Trinity Regional Water District’s water

Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

“Cycle and Soak” irrigation was developed to promote shorter irrigation cycles, with breaks in between to allow the water to infiltrate into the ground before applying more water to the landscape. Thus, conserving water and preventing runoff. Upper Trinity uses this infographic in multiple ways, such as on their Water Conservation webpage and through social media, and can also be placed in print media such as utility bill inserts or newsletters.

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WATER ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS

LABORATORY ANALYST EXCELLENCE AWARD ...to recognize individuals for outstanding performance, professionalism and contributions to the water quality analysis profession.

Elizabeth Turner Elizabeth Turner serves as Environmental Services Officer for the North Texas Municipal Water District. She is responsible for overseeing the NTMWD Environmental Laboratory.

Elizabeth has more than twenty years of experience dedicated to laboratory work and provides a handson perspective for overseeing a large workforce including NTMWD’s National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation certified laboratory.

Elizabeth assists with troubleshooting of laboratory issues. She has implemented new technology for the laboratory such as an automated Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) analyzer, a discrete analyzer and FlowCam for phytoplankton analysis. She is continually looking for ways to better resource the laboratory for growth and improved customer service.

For example, she is guiding the replacement of the current 10 year old Laboratory Information Management System. She also focuses on training for the laboratory staff and was able to increase the training budget by more than 400 percent in the past three years.

Elizabeth is involved with the Water Environment Association of Texas Laboratory Committee. She assisted with the development of a laboratory track for the 2016 Texas Water Conference. She

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is a member of The NELAC Institute Board of Directors since 2009, helping to develop the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Standards. Elizabeth has served as president of the Texas Water Utilities Association Laboratory Analyst Section since 2013.

Elizabeth is a member of the Standard Methods Committee and is responsible for reviewing ballots for the various sections. She is chair of the Joint Task Group for Section 1090 Laboratory Occupational Health and Safety for Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. Elizabeth also developed a brochure to encourage membership in the WEAT Laboratory Committee.

Elizabeth regularly gives presentations at various conferences. She has been a speaker and moderator for the last two WEAT Laboratory Conferences.

She has given multiple talks at the Texas Water Utilities Association Annual School since 2011 on laboratory topics such as regulations, new methodologies and best management practices.

Recently she organized a half-day session and presented on the Importance of Laboratory Accreditation at the 2015 WEFTEC. This was the only laboratory focused technical session at the conference. Elizabeth is also scheduled to present at Texas Water 2016.

Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

WATER ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS

MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT OF THE YEAR Category 1 (<1 MGD) ...to recognize a municipal wastewater treatment plant in Texas that has consistently exhibited outstanding performance of daily activities beyond the normal call of duty.

Wastewater Treatment Plant #3 - Woodlands Division San Jacinto River Authority The San Jacinto River Authority owns and operates WWTP No. 3 located in MUD 39 of Montgomery County. The WWTP is a single stage nitrification facility operated in a complete mix mode that has a permitted flow of 0.9 MGD. The WWTP receives influent primarily from residential dwellings and a few commercial businesses with one industrial user. The average daily flow is 0.474 MGD. Plant influent flows to the headworks which has an automatic mechanical fine screen and aeration flow splitter. From the headworks, wastewater flows to one of the two aeration basins, thence to the two secondary clarifiers. Clarifier effluent flows into the chlorine contact basins and thence to the outfall which discharges to an unnamed creek.

Solids from the secondary clarifiers are either routed back to the aeration basins or pumped into two aerobic digesters. Liquid sludge is disposed of via off-site disposal for further processing.

In the past seven years, the SJRA WWTP No. 3 has had no compliance violations on monthly reporting. The plant regularly produces effluent

Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

CBOD and TSS results that are a third of the permitted requirement, with ammonia nitrogen averaging 0.2 mg/L. In addition, the facility is a Platinum 7 award recipient from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA). The outstanding performance of this facility is greatly attributable to the licensed operators who strive for excellence in all areas of responsibility.

San Jacinto River Authorityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to excellence in the operation and maintenance of Wastewater Treatment Plant No. 3 is not limited to its operators. Other technical and administrative employees share in this endeavor.

An Environmental Coordinator provides environmental and pretreatment support.

Support is also provided by a Technical Services Department, SCADA / Instrumentation and Controls Department and a Maintenance Department. The teamwork that operators and these support groups demonstrate is commendable and key to the performance of this superior facility.

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WATER ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS

MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT OF THE YEAR Category 2 (1 MGD to 15 MGD) ...to recognize a municipal wastewater treatment plant in Texas that has consistently exhibited outstanding performance of daily activities beyond the normal call of duty.

City of Weatherford Wastewater Treatment Plant The Weatherford Wastewater Treatment Plant, a municipal plant owned by the city of Weatherford, is operated with the goal of enhancing the quality of water produced there and in the spirit of continuous improvement.

The facility treats both liquid and solid streams.

For the liquids treatment, incoming flow is split between two plants, Old Plant and New Plant.

The Old Plant consists of a conventional activated sludge process with solids wasted to a gravity thickener. The New Plant consists of an Orbal treatment unit with solids wasted to the gravity thickener. Further liquids treatment includes sand filtration followed by ultraviolet disinfection.

Solids treatment consists of gravity thickening prior to belt press dewatering. All dewatered solids are disposed of at a landfill. Filtrate from the belt press is returned to the headworks. The Weatherford WWTP is also a Type II reclaimed water permit holder.

Improvements and upgrades to the Weatherford WWTP currently under design will allow partial effluent discharge to a tributary of Lake Weatherford. It is anticipated that the use of water for indirect potable reuse will require the Weatherford WWTP to limit total phosphorus to 0.5 mg/L. Improvements at the WWTP will allow

for biological phosphorus removal, with a chemical addition system as a back-up removal mechanism.

Improvements will be incorporated for both the liquids and solids treatment. A new reuse pump station will also be constructed on the WWTP property. Implementation of these improvements is scheduled for 2017.

The determination by the operations team to find and implement improvements is exemplified by two activities: Plant employees themselves implemented phosphorus removal at the New (Orbal) Plant. Enhancements include replacing all aerating disk constant speed motors with variable speed motors. Dissolved oxygen is monitored and controls the speed of the inside disks, while ORP probes control the speed of the outside disks to achieve anoxic conditions for phosphorus uptake.

The participation in the design effort for reuse improvements to allow a second effluent discharge location on a tributary of Lake Weatherford to augment the raw water supply.

The Weatherford WWTP exemplifies model stewardship toward its citizens, the natural environment, and the wastewater treatment profession through the treatment and operation of the Weatherford WWTP.

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WATER ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS

MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT OF THE YEAR Category 3 (>15 MGD) ...to recognize a municipal wastewater treatment plant in Texas that has consistently exhibited outstanding performance of daily activities beyond the normal call of duty.

Central Regional Wastewater System Trinity River Authority of Texas The Trinity River Authority celebrated its 60th year of operation in December 2015. TRA pioneered the concept of regional wastewater treatment by establishing the Central Regional Wastewater System in 1957.

CRWS has a fully integrated environmental laboratory providing complete analytical capabilities for plant process monitoring and control including a full-service industrial pretreatment division.

As the third largest plant in the state, the CRWS facility has more than 211 miles of pipeline serving 21 contracting parties and serves approximately 1.2 million people in the Dallas/Fort Worth geographical area. The facility is rated to provide tertiary treatment to monthly average flows of 162 MGD and daily maximum flows of 335 MGD, with the ability to treat a 2-hour peak of 405 MGD.

The facility maintains a sterling safety record with less than one lost-time incident per 100 employees in 2015. Safety awareness and education permeate every aspect of daily work at CRWS. A multifaceted Safety Education Program begins on day one of employment and continues for the duration of an employeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tenure. The CRWS Safety Committee, comprised of thirteen members of the plant staff and one manager representative, meets regularly to address safety issues.

During the treatment process, biochemical oxygen demand, suspended solids, and ammonia nitrogen are reduced by 99 percent. The CRWS plant has the mechanical dewatering capability of processing 234 dry tons of sludge daily. The resulting biosolids are currently disposed of in a municipal landfill.

CRWS is not only a very large collection and water reclamation facility capable of producing a very high quality effluent, but is also a full-service facility with in-house capability to accommodate virtually all of its operations, maintenance, administration, and technical service needs.

Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

CRWS has a long history of 100 percent compliance with its NPDES permit. The National Association of Clean Water Agencies honors those agencies achieving 100 percent permit compliance with a Gold Award and after five years of continuous compliance the Platinum Award.

CRWS has achieved 100 percent permit compliance continuously since 1994. The facility is able to boast treating more than one trillion gallons in that 21 year period without a permit violation.

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WATER ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS

OUTSTANDING OPERATOR OF THE YEAR ...to recognize an operator and member of WEAT who has provided dedication, years of faithful service, and professionalism at their facility.

Dan Spradlin Dan Spradlin has dedicated 15 years to responsible, effective, and efficient conveyance and treatment of municipal wastewater. His wastewater career started in Ohio, where he managed wastewater operations for the city of Aurora.

Dan moved to North Texas to be closer to family, and has spent the last four years with the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD). In those four years, he propelled through the ranks from plant operator, to chief operator, and finally, to his current position of supervisor.

His experience at NTMWD includes the 10 mgd Muddy Creek WWTP, the 24 mgd Rowlett Creek Regional WWTP, the 10 mgd Panther Creek WWTP, and, currently, the 56 mgd Wilson Creek Regional WWTP, which is the district’s largest treatment plant.

Along the way, he has built a reputation as an exceptional leader and team builder who sets soaring goals for his staff and facilities and inspires operators, maintenance staff, and support staff.

He is a coach and mentor, freely sharing his time teaching staff at multiple NTMWD plants.

His commitment to excellence has most recently earned the Wilson Creek Regional WWTP the NACWA Platinum Peak Performance Award, and plants at which he worked have won multiple NACWA Awards in the past.

Dan is a member of Water Environment Association of Texas and serves as the Memberat-Large on the WEAT Board. He also actively participates in NTMWD outreach efforts.

He conducts educational tours of the Wilson Creek Regional WWTP, and he serves as technical expert for the Wilson Creek Regional WWTP Oversight Committee, where he works to maintain good neighbor relations with the public and surrounding communities.

Prior to his career in wastewater conveyance and treatment, Dan spent four years in the United States Army in Fort Carson, Colorado, where he used his mechanical talents to repair all types of military vehicles and was awarded two Army Achievement Medals and one Army Good Conduct Medal.

Dan has a hobby of restoring cars and motorcycles and enjoys helping friends and neighbors restore their vintage vehicles. He and his wife Angie, have been happily married for 19 years and have five children, Kristen, Seth, Ryan, Josh, and Cheyenne.

Dan Spradlin is an outstanding professional in the wastewater treatment field who has demonstrated tireless dedication to the betterment of the water environment.

WATER’S WORTH IT ® is a registered trademark of the Water Environment Federation

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WATER ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS

EMERGING LEADER AWARD ...to recognize a young member of WEAT who has provided outstanding service in support of the Association in the form of committee involvement, recruiting, volunteer time, event participation, or other contributions.

Brigit Buff, P.E. Brigit Buff graduated with her Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and Certification of Business Foundations in 2007 and her Masters of Science in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering in 2009, both from The University of Texas at Austin. She is an assistant project manager at the CH2M Dallas office and has been with the firm since her graduation in 2009.

Brigit also holds a Professional Engineer license in Texas. She has been involved in a wide variety of project design and management including long-term and short-term water and wastewater planning, water and wastewater quality testing and modeling invasive species control, odor control systems, design of small and large diameter pipeline and pump stations, water contamination warning systems, and construction phase services and program management.

Brigit Buff became a WEAT member shortly after college graduation upon accepting a position with CH2M. As soon as she became a member, she actively sought out volunteer opportunities to get involved with the North Texas Section. She immediately became involved with the February Seminar Committee in 2010 and remained an integral participant in the planning committee for several years.

Brigit then joined the Fundraising Committee to plan the inaugural Sporting Clays Event. This

Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

event, in part thanks to Brigitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s planning and leadership, was such a success that the section decided to keep it as an annual fundraising event for the section. Brigit has also been in the Operations Challenge Committee. Brigit was elected as the WEAT NTS Treasurer in 2012.

As treasurer, she brought the section back into federal tax compliance and updated the section financials into QuickBooks for a more automated and auditable format. Brigit also became a mentor for other sections to help guide them through their status changes. As treasurer, Brigit also became (and continues to be) involved on the Scholarship Committee.

In 2014, Brigit was elected to NTS Vice President and Programs Committee chair. Brigit has been involved in leading the planning team for the OPStoberfest Annual BBQ. Each year that Brigit has been a part of the BBQ planning team, the event has seen increasing record attendance and fundraising.

In 2015, Brigit was elected as the president-elect and in 2016 will become WEAT-NTS president.

Brigitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s impressive motivation and contribution to the organization since her first year within WEAT has not only impressed the WEAT leaders, but also has motivated others within her company and her industry to become more involved in WEAT.

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WATER ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS

EXEMPLARY EMPLOYER AWARD ...to recognize a Texas employer that supports and facilitates employee involvement and activities within the Water Environment Association of Texas and the Water Environment Federation.

Signature Automation Signature Automation was founded in 2012, and provides control system planning, design, programming, configuration, and commissioning services for clients across the United States. The founding partners of Signature Automation recognize the many benefits of active participation in WEAT, therefore as a firm, have continually encourage participation from their employees.

Since the inception of the firm, they have promoted active participation in the professional organizations related to our industry and in particular, WEAT. They initiate these discussions during the interview process; re-emphasize them in our offer letters; and again address them on a continual basis during our day to day operations.

During these discussions with their staff about joining WEAT, they have emphasized the value of active engagement within the organization and, of course, of the many benefits of membership.

To assist in this, they promote, regardless of membership, attendance at numerous WEAT

activities throughout the year to help introduce staff to the organization.

To help encourage employees in taking the initial steps of joining WEAT and to later take on active roles, Signature Automation provides reimbursement for all costs associated with membership, inclusive of their time for activities held during normal business hours.

Additionally, they encourage staff to not only attend the many technical seminars, but also present at these events to share their knowledge with the industry. While currently a growing firm of 14 employees, they have had significant contributions to WEAT, with over half of their employees being WEAT members.

Currently, four of their staff sit on committees at the state and local levels including, membership in the Safety & Security Committee, the North Texas Electrical & Instrumentation Committee, and the North Texas Section Executive Committee.

Use #txwater16 when posting about the conference on social media.

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Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

WATER ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS

RONALD B. SIEGER BIOSOLIDS MANAGEMENT AWARD ...to recognize a WEAT member(s), an engineering firm, a specific project, a municipality, or a

specific municipal or industrial facility that has made significant accomplishments in the field of biosolids technology and management practices within the boundaries of the State of Texas.

Jody Slagle Jody Slagle served for more than 20 years as an environmental engineer for the Austin Water Utility in biosolids treatment and recycling at the Hornsby Bend Regional Biosolids Management Plant, and was the Compost Manager for the Dillo Dirt Program. He also worked for the City of Dallas for 10 years. Jody has a degree in Business Management from Texas Tech University and degrees in Agronomy and Civil Engineering from Texas A& M University.

Jody has been a leader in the wastewater community. He served for many years on the WEAT Biosolids Committee and ultimately as committee chair. He provided technical support to the WEAT Government Affairs Committee on many occasions, and developed technical programs for Texas Water and successful Odor and Biosolids conferences.

Jody’s forward thinking focus on resource recovery, and on service to the community are common threads woven through all he has accomplished.

He also shared his knowledge of compost and biosolids beyond Texas borders, through presentations at conferences nationwide. Jody’s forward thinking focus also involved bringing research on key biosolids issues to Hornsby Bend.

As Compost Manager, Jody grew Austin’s flagship Dillo Dirt program, expanding sales fourfold from the time he took command. He ensured that a portion of the compost was given away for schools and other institutions that might not otherwise be able to afford soil amendments to improve their lawns.

During his tenure, he supported multiple graduate students from the University of Texas to investigate a variety of issues, hosted USGS field studies on the fate and transport of endocrine disruptors in biosolids, hosted pilots of a variety of solids processing technologies, and led pilots of various compost feedstocks.

He also served the Austin community through site tours, his strong relationships with the birding community and environmental groups; in short, Jody’s attention and commitment to the Austin community reflected brightly on AWU and Hornsby Bend.

Jody’s contributions to WEAT, to biosolids producers across the nation and to the citizens of Austin are the basis for being presented this prestigious award.

www.waterforjobs.org Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

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WATER ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS

SUSAN B. HIER AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION & LICENSING ...to recognize an individual who has demonstrated passion and service to the operators of Texas.

Gary Sober Gary Sober graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Zoology from Oklahoma State University in 1970. From 1973 to 1980, Gary worked for Oklahoma State Department of Health and the Environmental Protection Agency.

In 1980, Gary moved to Austin, Texas, and established Environmental Training, Inc. and Envir-O-Spec, Inc. in 1983. The focus of the two companies was developing and implementing training courses in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, and developing standard operating procedures for facilities.

In 1997, Gary began working as the Research and Development Manager of Byo-Gon, Inc. His focus was researching natural solutions for grease, odor, and solids reduction. In 2005, Gary became Vice President of Byo-Gon, Inc., and began research of a product for remediation of soil contamination.

Gary continues to operate his Environmental Training, Inc. business, which focuses on trouble shooting water and wastewater plant operational challenges. With Environmental Training, Inc., Gary provides training across the State of Texas for water and wastewater operators with the Texas Water Utilities Association and hosts specialty training programs for operators seeking to upgrade their wastewater licenses.

Gary also sits on the RPM Water Supply Corporation Board, near Chandler, Texas, where he is a valued member as the only licensed operator on the board.

Over the past 39 years, Gary has focused his career on advancing the training of operators in the State of Texas. Gary has attended numerous schools, 44

including EPA Operators Training (University of Cincinnati), Environmental Protection Agency Instructors Training, Texas Workforce Commission, TCEQ Instructors Workshops, and Texas Rural Water Classes. Gary continues to work with TCEQ and now serves as a subject matter expert for licensing requirements for water and wastewater operators.

Gary has been active in WEAT for more than 35 years, beginning with his participation in Central Texas WEAT. More recently, Gary has been an active member of WEAT in the North East Texas Section (NE-WEAT).

Gary was instrumental in getting NE-WEAT back to an active section after moving to east Texas in 2003. Over the past seven years, Gary has served NE-WEAT as the Vice President, President, and most recently Section Representative.

Gary was influential in promoting and organizing the NE-WEAT Biennial Seminar, which brought together Operators, Engineers, Manufacturers, Equipment Reps and Industrial representatives.

NE-WEAT has grown in membership under his direction and guidance, and has some of the highest attendance in the state among industrial members.

Gary is also on the Operations Challenge Committee for WEAT, where he serves as a Laboratory Event Judge and Fundraising captain.

In January of 2015, Gary was selected as the chair for the WEAT Ad Hoc committee on training and will work closely with the WEAT Board of Directors to implement WEATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first active and advanced training program focusing on operators and their educational needs.

Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

WATER ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS

ALAN H. PLUMMER ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AWARD ...to recognize an individual who has made outstanding contributions in the field of environmental sustainability practices within the State of Texas.

Sebastian “Buster” Fichera The son of Italian immigrants, Sebastian “Buster” Fichera was born and raised in Galveston. It was there that he learned the importance of stewardship as he labored alongside his father on a shrimp boat in the family business.

In an industry with razor-thin profit margins, the difference between success and failure was inextricably linked to maximizing the use of resources, and waste wasn’t something that could be allowed. The lessons learned growing up set into motion the driving forces behind Mr. Fichera’s ethos for sustainability.

A graduate of The University of Texas at Austin with a degree in biology, Buster began his professional career in the water and wastewater industry in 1976 working for the Galveston County Health Department. While there, he was responsible for inspecting and overseeing petrochemical industries in the Texas City area.

Buster moved to Clearwater, Florida, in the early 1980s where he worked with the Pinellas County

wastewater system in a variety of capacities including environmental laboratory manager and water quality manager.

Since 1992, Buster has been employed by the Fort Worth Water Department. In 2005, he became the assistant water director for the Water Reclamation and Reuse Division, overseeing the Village Creek Water Reclamation Facility, which is recognized as a world-class water reclamation facility and industry leader in innovation and sustainability practices.

Under his leadership, VCWRF has pioneered three environmentally sustainable practice programs — the biosolids reuse program, the reclaimed water program, which produced more than 400 million gallons of Type I and Type II reclaimed water in 2015, and the energy recovery program.

Buster is working toward making VCWRF a net zero energy facility.

WATER’S WORTH IT ® is a registered trademark of the Water Environment Federation

Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

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WATER ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS

SELECT SOCIETY OF SANITARY SLUDGE SHOVELERS The Select Society of Sanitary Sludge Shovelers was founded by the Arizona Member Association in 1940.

It originated to encourage members to get involved.

You cannot join the zociety – you must be “selected” on the basis of merit. Within WEAT, induction into the prestigious society is based on “Outstanding, meritorious service above and beyond the call of duty by recruiting at least five new members. Shovels may also be awarded for exceptional service as established by the WEAT Board.

Steve Coonan, Jenna Covington Toshio Shimada

WATER ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS

DENNIS R. LASKOWSKI RECRUITMENT AWARD ...to recognize a member of WEAT for his/her outstanding recruitment effort.

Raj Bhattarai Rajendra Bhattarai has 35 years of public sector experience in water quality management. He manages Austin Water’s Environmental and Regulatory Services Division.

He was president of the Water Environment Association of Texas from 2007 to 2008, and president of the Texas Association of Clean Water Agencies in 2001, 2013 and 2014.

Raj is a board member of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, and of the Water Environment Research Foundation for which he is also the chair of the Research Council. He is the chair of the Water Research Foundation Tailored Collaboration Review Committee.

Raj is a recipient of the Gascoigne Medal and the Bedell Award from the Water Environment Federation, and the Mahlie Award from WEAT for “significant contributions to the art and science of

wastewater treatment and water pollution control.”

Raj has a B.Tech. in Civil Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur and a Masters of Science in Environmental Health Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.

He is a registered professional engineer and a board certified environmental engineer. In October 2015, Raj was inducted into the Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Academy of Distinguished Alumni of the University of Texas at Austin. He has more than 100 presentations and publications to his credit.

Raj is the quintessential WEAT member and clean water advocate. He is passionate about his work and tireless in his efforts to promote both WEAT and the clean water industry.

46 Texas Water 2016 TM Awards Program

WATER ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS

RIVER CLEANUP - MOST TRASHIEST SECTION AWARD The WEAT Public Communication and Outreach Committee and Municipal Resource Recovery Design Committee jointly planned a Texas River’s Cleanup Challenge for all sections to compete and win the title of “Most Trashy Section”. The program began after Texas Water 2015. Amy Robinson and Nick Landes (North Texas Section) spearheadied the program. The mission is to promote familyoriented awareness of environmental stewardship and interaction between sections. The challenge consisted of sections participating in local river clean-up programs and tracking the amount of trash collected from May to April each year.

Three sections participated in the challenge: North Texas Section, Coastal Bend Section, and Lubbock Section-Texas Tech University Society of Environmental Professionals Student Chapter.

The North Texas Section of WEAT participated in the Trinity River Trash Bash in Fort Worth and the Keep Grapevine Beautiful event. They also organized a new cleanup event, Redeem the Stream, as part of the Texas River Cleanup Challenge. The North Texas Section collected over 3,000 pounds of trash and 380 pounds of recyclables, which equaled a total of 245 bags of trash. Some interesting pieces of trash were a Chris Farley CD Cover, a hobby horse, rebar, snake skin, and they found a cute little bright green frog enjoying its newly clean environment. The section put together a River Cleanup Challenge slogan “DON’T BE DEAD IN THE WATER, I ACCEPTED THE TEXAS RIVER CLEANUP CHALLENGE” and proudly wore their matching shirts at each event.

The Coastal Bend Section of WEAT and TAWWA participated in the Texas General Land Office Adopt-a-beach program to clean-up beaches and beachfront in the Corpus Christi area.

They partnered with students from Texas A&M Kingsville to maximize cleaning efforts to clean-up the areas surrounding North Beach. Their team collected about a dozen bags of trash with items Texas Water 2016TM Awards Program

including cigarette butts, glass bottles, cans, plastic bags, food wrappers, and clothing. The Coastal Bend Section would like to give a special thanks to TAMUK for helping to keep the beaches clean!

The Texas Tech student organization of The Society of Environmental Professionals and 16 other student volunteers arranged a river cleanup at the Canyon Lakes system, including the Comancheria Lake which serves as a main runoff channel for most of the northern Lubbock area. It had amassed large concentrations of cans, debris, and other trash.

Volunteers found very interesting items among the reeds and grass, including five license plates, dozens of discarded oils, a TV and car fenders and bumpers. A student found a complete dollhouse play set, and an almost working cell phone!

They suspected the area had long been neglected and were thrilled to give it the cleanup it needed.

They collected over 100 bags of trash! The bulk of the items collected were cans and bottles. After seeing the first hand impacts on the lake system, the volunteers shared their interest in starting an annual trip to help keep Lubbock clean. SEP would like to thank all the volunteers, including Nick Landes on behalf of Freese and Nichols, as well as Stewart Gerhart (Lubbock Park Operations) and Raquel Padilla (Keep Lubbock Beautiful) for help choosing the site and providing the cleanup tools and dumpster.

Most Trashiest Section Award: North Texas Section Best Trashy Site Award: TTU Student Chapter of SEP Most Interesting Piece of Trash Award: Best of Chris Farley Album Cover The PCOC and MRRDC want to thank the volunteers, coordinators and members of each Section that participated in this year’s challenge and strongly encourage all sections to compete for next year’s award to be the “Most Trashiest Section”.

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The following takes place at the Conference Night Out at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History 6 :30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, April 21 WATER ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS

PRESIDENT’S SERVICE AWARDS Each year the outgoing president of WEAT recognizes members for their service to the organization during the president’s term.

This year, outgoing President Jenna Covington will recognize members for their service during the past year.

TEXAS SECTION - AMERICAN WATER WORKS ASSOCIATION

CHAIR’S SERVICE AWARDS Each year the outgoing chair of the Texas Section AWWA recognizes section members for their service to the section during the chair’s term. This

year, outgoing Chair Jennifer Elms will recognize a group of key members who have served the section during the past year.

WATER ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS & TEXAS SECTION - AMERICAN WATER WORKS ASSOCIATION

CHANGE OF LEADERSHIP Outgoing WEAT President Jenna Covington and outgoing TAWWA Chair Jennifer Elms will welcome their successors – David Jackson for

WEAT, and Bruce Curtis for TAWWA – into their new leadership roles.

Texas Water 2017TM Austin April 10-13 (Tuesday through Thursday)

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Congratulations to all our winners!