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WateReuse Awards for Excellence

The WateReuse Awards for Excellence program recognizes WateReuse members, their projects and their partnerships that have made significant contributions in support of greater adoption of water reuse. Award recipients exhibit leadership in advancing education, advocacy, technology, and/or management of water resources, showcasing innovative approaches that others can follow to build resilient communities through water recycling.

For more information on the awards, please contact Erin Carr at ecarr@watereuse.org.

Resources

WateReuse solicits nominations for the annual awards in the fall. A panel of industry professional reviews and evaluates the submissions. The awards are presented at the Annual WateReuse Symposium, which occurs in early spring.

WateReuse Association membership is required to submit a nomination. Unless otherwise noted, membership also is required to win an award. Is your agency or company a member? Check now!

Community Water Champion:
North Texas Municipal Water District
Up-and-Comer:
Shea Dunifon, Pinellas County Utilities

Award Nomination Instructions

Choose a Category

Submit a Nomination Form

  • Review the guidelines.
  • Prepare and PDF a nomination packet of no more than 10  pages (up to 5 pages of supporting text and up to 5 pages of supplemental documentation such as photos, maps, and graphs. The PDF must be 10 mb or less.
  • Write a summary of your nomination (up to 250 words).
  • Locate or create a one minute video to support your nomination (encouraged but optional). Winners will be required to submit a video.
  • Complete the online awards submission form, upload your nomination packet to the form, and provide a link to your optional video.

Awards Categories

Please review the award descriptions carefully to verify eligibility.

Community Water Champion

This award recognizes utilities and/or local government entities that ensure a safe, reliable, locally-controlled water supply through the development of water recycling treatment facilities, infrastructure and/or other water reuse projects. Awardees in this category showcase exemplary water reuse projects, systems, and/or facilities that demonstrate the value of water reuse to the community served by them.  To be eligible for this award, facilities/projects must be in operation at least six months. Up to three awards may be given.

Eligible for Nomination:

  • Drinking water, wastewater, recycled water or a stormwater management utility

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Excellence in Action

This award recognizes consumers of recycled water, including utility customers, commercial enterprises, government agencies, NGOs, or partnerships between utilities and their customers, to showcase how recycled water is used for commercial operations, watershed restoration projects, irrigation or other projects. Awardees in this category showcase exemplary water reuse projects, systems, and/or facilities that demonstrate the value of water reuse to the community served by them.  To be eligible for this award, facilities/projects must be in operation at least six months. Up to three awards may be given.

Eligible for Nomination:

  • Recycled Water Consumer/ Customer (Industrial Facility or Operation, Commercial Building, Residential Building, Farm or Livestock Operation and Landscape Irrigator)
  • Onsite Decentralized System (Industrial Facility or Operation, Commercial Building, Residential Building, Farm or Livestock Operation and Landscape Irrigator)
  • Commercial Enterprise, Business or Industry
  • Public-Private partnerships between utilities and customers

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Transformational Innovation

This award recognizes technological advances, research breakthroughs, and/or innovative practices that advance the adoption, implementation and/or public acceptance of recycled water. Awardees in this category can be pilot or full-scale projects, or research for which follow-on demonstration projects are planned.  Nominations should detail how the innovation/research has the potential to transform the water recycling industry. Up to two awards may be given.

Eligible for Nomination:

  • Reuse Related Businesses
  • Equipment / Product Manufacturers
  • Demonstration / pilot projects
  • Drinking water, wastewater, recycled water, or stormwater management utility

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Advocacy Achievement

This award recognizes individuals and/or organizations for significant achievements in advancing policy reforms (including legislative or and regulatory) that facilitate greater adoption, implementation or acceptance of recycled water, and/or has provided exemplary service to the water reuse sector.  Individuals and/or organizations nominated for this award should have demonstrated leadership, creativity and persistence in supporting recycled water projects.  Up to three awards may be given.

Eligible for Nomination:

  • Individuals (employed/affiliated with a member organization)
  • Federal, State and Local lawmakers (WRA membership not required)
  • Individuals employed by government agencies (WRA membership not required)
  • WateReuse State Sections

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Outreach and Education

This award recognizes significant success in advancing public acceptance of recycled water. Short-term campaigns, educational programs and events are eligible. The award application should describe various components of water reuse public education programs including curriculum, classroom instruction, tours, onsite participation, peripheral materials developed, age groups covered, and how the outreach enhances a better appreciation of water resources, management and conservation. The program should be in operation for a minimum of one year.

Eligible for Nomination:

  • Drinking water, wastewater or recycled water or stormwater management utility
  • Local, State and Federal Government Agencies (WRA membership not required)
  • WateReuse State Sections
  • Water reuse-related Business
  • Recycled Water Consumers (WRA membership not required)
  • NGOs

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Up and Comer

This award recognizes a professional with less than 10 years in the recycled water industry for his/her leadership in the industry and commitment to pursuing water recycling as a career path.

Eligible for Nomination:

  • Individuals with less than 10 years in the recycled water industry (WRA membership not required)

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WateReuse President’s Award

This award recognizes individuals who has significantly contributed to the advancement of water reuse through exceptional service and leadership. This award is given at the discretion of the WateReuse President.

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