Award Nomination

Apply for WEF Awards here.

Submit Nominations for Awards to: Matt Alpaugh, Advisory Committee Chairman (alpaughm@jccal.org).

BEDELL AWARD 

The Bedell Award was established to acknowledge extraordinary personal service to a WEF Member Association. 

The award is named for Arthur Sidney Bedell, WEF’s second president, for his long devotion and service to the New York Sewage and Industrial Wastes Association, now the New York Water Environment Association. He was Chief of the Bureau of Sewage and Waste Disposal of the New York State Department of Health.

The award is presented by a WEF representative at the WEF Member Association Annual Meeting.

Criteria:

  • Member of the Water Environment Federation.
  • BURKE AWARD 

    The Burke Award recognizes a municipal or industrial wastewater facility for establishing and maintaining an active and effective safety program.  This award was established in 1982 in honor of George W. Burke, Jr., for his many years of service to both the water environment field and WEF as staff manager of technical services. Mr. Burke was instrumental in developing WEF’s annual safety survey and assisting in the production of several safety training aids and promotional packets. 

    The purpose of this award is to encourage an active and effective safety program in municipal and industrial wastewater facilities.

    Award presented by a WEF representative at the WEF Member Association Annual Meeting.

     

    Criteria:

    • The documented and illustrated safety program and safety record of the facility for the preceding calendar year are the primary criteria for the award. 
    • Additionally, each WEF Member Association is allowed full freedom to establish its own criteria. 

BURKE AWARD 

The Burke Award recognizes a municipal or industrial wastewater facility for establishing and maintaining an active and effective safety program.  This award was established in 1982 in honor of George W. Burke, Jr., for his many years of service to both the water environment field and WEF as staff manager of technical services. Mr. Burke was instrumental in developing WEF’s annual safety survey and assisting in the production of several safety training aids and promotional packets. 

The purpose of this award is to encourage an active and effective safety program in municipal and industrial wastewater facilities.

Award presented by a WEF representative at the WEF Member Association Annual Meeting.

 

Criteria:

  • The documented and illustrated safety program and safety record of the facility for the preceding calendar year are the primary criteria for the award. 
  • Additionally, each WEF Member Association is allowed full freedom to establish its own criteria. 

HATFIELD AWARD 

The Hatfield Award is presented to operators of wastewater treatment plants for outstanding performance and professionalism. The award was established in honor of Dr. William D. Hatfield, Superintendent of the Decatur, Illinois Sanitary District, who was President of the Central States Sewage Works Association in 1944-45 and served as President of the Federation in 1958-59.

The award consists of a plaque suitably inscribed with the recipient’s name and is presented by a Federation representative at the Member Association annual meeting.

Criteria:

WEF Member Associations select their recipient for the Hatfield Award following the WEF general criteria indicated below:

  • Member of the Water Environment Federation. 
  • Documentation of a successful system of reports from the operator to his or her superiors that fulfill the information requirements and provide the operator with a forum for suggestions for improvements. 
  • Use of a good public relations program. 
  • The nominee should have contributed to the dissemination of information concerning advancements in the field. 

LABORATORY ANALYST AWARD 

The Laboratory Analysts Award recognizes individuals for outstanding performance, professionalism and contributions to the water quality analysis profession.  The award is presented by a WEF representative at the WEF Member Association annual meeting.

Criteria:

  • Member of the Water Environment Federation. 
  • Candidate must be employed at an educational facility laboratory, industrial, commercial, or municipal laboratory which performs wastewater-related analysis, and must have direct analytical responsibilities. 
  • Candidates are eligible for this award only once. 
  • Qualifying criteria may include: 
    • Membership and involvement in professional associations. Examples: Water Environment Federation Committees, Standard Methods Joint Task Groups, MA committees and conferences and conference activities. 
    • Outstanding efforts in the area of wastewater and environmental aquatic analyses, including such items as innovative sampling techniques or solutions to a treatment, analytical or environmental problem. 
    • Involvement in community activities or public relations. 
    • Presentations at professional conferences, meetings, etc. relevant to water quality analysis. 
    • Professional certifications. 
    • Continuing education. 
    • Contributions that have been beneficial to the nominee’s facility. 
    • Unusual initiative or performance “beyond the call of duty”. 

DELEGATE SERVICE AWARD 

In recognition of the outstanding work by Member Association Delegates in the House of Delegates, WEF provides a Service plaque for each retiring Delegate. The Award is presented to the Delegate at the Member Association Annual Meeting.

Delegate Service Awards are ordered by WEF and shipped to the MA prior to the MA Annual Meeting.

QUARTER CENTURY OPERATOR CLUB 

The Quarter Century Operator Club recognizes operators of wastewater treatment facilities for their service and dedication in a difficult and dangerous profession.  The Club was created under the sponsorship of Frank Woodbury Jones, who served as the Clubs’ first registrar.  

Eligibility Criteria: 

  • Member of WEF for a minimum of five consecutive years, immediately preceding application. 
  • Significant, full-time participant in the water environment profession for a minimum of 25 years, 10 years of which must have been in active participation in the day-to-day collections, maintenance, operations, laboratory, or management of a wastewater transportation or treatment facility. 
  • Completed and signed application. 
  • Complete and detailed resume of experience. 

GOLDEN MANHOLE SOCIETY AWARD 

This award recognizes exceptional individual performance and service to and for municipalities and public utilities that have made significant contributions to their collection systems.

The nominee may be an employee or a consultant and must be a current or new AWEA member by the award ceremony. Selection will be based on level of participation these individuals have made to the operations, maintenance or design of collection systems. Individuals that have demonstrated significant contributions that promote pride and safety in the workplace, teamwork, education, and the promotion of professionalism in the collection systems field, contributions to operational efficiency of the collection system, professional recognition, management, or leadership capabilities are encouraged to submit a nomination. 

In an effort to recognize individuals that have made contributions to their collection system, AWEA welcomes nominations for plant operators, maintenance personnel, supervisors, and management. 

The selection criteria will be somewhat flexible to allow consideration to individuals who might not have been considered in the past. AWEA realizes that many of the employees and consultants working within the state’s collection systems are the backbone that keeps these systems operational and would like to consider these individuals for recognition as well.

PLANT EXCELLENCE AWARDS 

In recent years, AWEA expanded its Plant Excellence Awards Program to include both industrial wastewater facilities and domestic (publicly-owned or privately-owned) wastewater facilities. The AWEA Plant Awards Committee administers the Plant Excellence Awards Program and recognizes winners at the Annual AWEA Conference. 

GENERAL

Domestic facilities will be classified by design of treatments systems according to design flow.

Lagoon treatment systems will be classified as either facultative or aerated treatment systems.

CATEGORIES

Category I <1 MGD

Category II 1 to < 5 MGD

Category III 5 to 10 MGD

Category IV >10 MGD

Category V Lagoons

Category VI Bio/Trickling Filter (any size)

The AWEA Awards Committee will administer the Plant Excellence Awards and recognize winners at the annual conference.

ELIGIBILITY RULES

The following rules shall apply:

  • Applicant plant must be in Alabama
  • At least on employee of applicant plant, company, or utility must be a current member of AWEA
  • Nominations may come from a plant employee or owner, ADEM, or other regulatory agency, or others
  • For consideration, an application for AWEA Plant Excellence Awards must be completed and received by the AWEA Awards Committee no later than May 31, 2021.
  • The review period for applicant plants will be the most recently completed 12 month monitoring period
  • Systems with combination trickling filters/ activated sludge must compete in the activated sludge category
  • There shall be only one (1) award of excellence and one (1) award of recognition per category. The only exception to awarding more than one (1) award per Category is in a tie, in which case a second award will be given to the plant that has the same score
  • Systems are eligible to win an award in their category a maximum of two (2) consecutive years, at which time they will be presented with an award for their achievement
  • After a system/plant  has won an award for two (2) consecutive years, they will be ineligible to compete for one (1) year

EVALUATION RULES

The AWEA Awards Committee will follow these general steps:

  • Date stamp and review application for completeness
  • Prepare list of plant applicants/ nominees
  • Send notification to plant applicants/nominees of receipt of application and request any missing information
  • Apply evaluation matrix to be developed by Committee
  • Contact two top plant applicants/nominees in each category and schedule site visit
  • Tour applicant/nominee’s facility and confirm information included on application (note: photographs will be taken of facility and employees for records and to assist in presentation and/or newsletter article
  • Information will be presented to Committee for review and selection of winner in each category
  • Award winners will be notified in writing, by letter or email, and information provided regarding participation in Annual Conference 

PLANT EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Winners of the Plant Excellence Awards will receive the following:

  • Free registration for one (1) plant operator at the Annual Conference on the day of the Awards Presentation, includes all meals and access to all technical sessions and exhibits
  • Recognition and Plant Excellence Award plaque presented at awards presentation 
  • Letter of Congratulations to the Mayor/Director and Chairman of the Board of the Awarded Facility

GUIDELINES

  • The person in direct responsible charge of the plant should receive a copy of these instructions, along with a copy of the inspection check sheet to help them prepare the plant for inspection
  • After an inspection team has been assigned to your plant, one of the inspectors will call to schedule a date and time to inspect your facility. He will request that you submit a copy of your facility’s NPDES permit and a map or directions to your plant.
  • You will need to be prepared for the inspection team to review your facility records and manuals. Organized materials will expedite the process. Producing evidence after the fact will be cause for negative point values.
  • All inspection team members are volunteers and do not receive any compensation for their time and travel

Award of Excellence Inspectors

GUIDELINES

  • You must complete an application form to be eligible to inspect plants. 
  • You must be a member of the AWEA.
  • The inspector’s application must be submitted by May 31, 2021. 
  • You will be assigned a category to be inspected and supplied with an evaluation sheet.
  • All Evaluation sheets must be returned to the Awards Committee Chair no later than 

May 31, 2021.

  • ADEM will allow 12 CEH’s per three year renewal period for certified operators. 

5S SOCIETY AWARD 

The Select Society of Sanitary Sludge Shovelers (5S) was originated to encourage members to “get involved.” You cannot join the Society — you must be “selected” — on the basis of merit. 

There has been considerable disagreement as to which group was created first. Pennsylvania started the High Hat Society in 1937; it used the words “Sludge Shovelers Society” in its initiation ceremony and later became known as the Ted Moses Sludge Shovelers Society.

The Arizona Association documents its history from October, 1940, when the idea was conceived by A.W. (Dusty) Miller and F. Carlyle Roberts, Jr. “to recognize the fact that many members do not receive the coveted Bedell Award, the Fuller Award (of AWWA) or become an Arizona Association president, but nevertheless contribute in some outstanding measure”.