2002 National Clean Water Act 

Recognition Awards Ceremony

2

nd Place, O&M, Large Advanced Plant: Lancaster Area Sewer Authority, Susquehanna 

Water Pollution Control Plant, Lancaster, Pennsylvania - Chlorine Contact Tank.
2

United States

Environmental Protection Agency

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

2002 National Clean Water Act

Recognition Awards

Ceremony

Water Environment Federation Technical Exposition & Conference

Chicago, Illinois

Monday, September 30, 2002

US EPA National Awards Program Managers

Maria Campbell, Operations and Maintenance Awards

John Walker, Biosolids Management Awards

Patricia Campbell, Pretreatment Awards

Wendy Bell, Storm Water Management Awards

Tim Dwyer, Combined Sewer Overflow Control Awards
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The Program

Welcome

Joe Stowe Jr.

Past-President

Water Environment Federation 

Opening Remarks

and

Presentation of Awards

Benjamin Grumbles, Deputy Assistant 

Administrator for Water

U.S. EPA 

Announcement of Award Recipients

James A. Hanlon, Director

Office of Wastewater Management

U.S. EPA

National Award Recipients

Operations and Maintenance Awards

Biosolids Management Awards

Pretreatment Program Awards

Storm Water Management Awards

Combined Sewer Overflow Program Awards

Following the ceremony, compliments of WEF, refreshments will be served in Room S406A.
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National Clean Water Act Recognition

Awards Programs

History

In 1985, by authority of Section 501(e) of the Clean Water Act, the Environmental Protection Agency 

(EPA) initiated an annual National Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Excellence Awards Program to

recognize outstanding O&M at publicly owned wastewater treatment facilities. The first national awards

were presented in 1986. The O&M Awards Program was an immediate success and was widely acclaimed

as a way for EPA to honor plant personnel and local officials for their commitment to clean water. 

Due to that success, the awards program was expanded in 1988 to include Sludge Awards, now referred to

as Biosolids Exemplary Management Awards to recognize outstanding biosolids operating projects,

technology development, and research, and later public acceptance efforts. In 1989, the Pretreatment

Excellence Awards Program was added to recognize municipal implementation and enforcement of local

pretreatment programs. In 1990, a new awards category for Most Improved Plant was added to the O&M

awards program to recognize the efforts of the plant operator, the town, and the operator trainer who

helped return the plant to compliance under a technical assistance program designed to help small

communities. In 1991, the Combined Sewer Overflow Control Awards and the Storm Water Management

Awards programs were added to recognize outstanding wastewater management programs and projects. In

2002, EPA issued a rule, 40 CFR Part 105, establishing a framework to implement these awards

recognition programs as the Clean Water Act Recognition Awards (formerly the National Wastewater

Management Excellence Awards). 

To be eligible for a CWA Recognition award, a facility, project or pollution abatement program must:

• be in total compliance with all applicable water quality requirements, and otherwise have a

satisfactory record with respect to environmental quality; and,

• have written documentation as evidence of an outstanding technological achievement or an

innovative process, method or device demonstrated in the preceding year, which resulted in

environmental benefits, cost savings and/or public acceptance. 

• be recommended by the State and/or EPA region. 

The Awards Process

EPA headquarters issues annual guidance memoranda to administer each year’s awards process and to

request nominations for the awards programs. Forms to apply for the five awards program categories are

available at the State level, and can be obtained through the Internet at www.epa.gov/owm. Candidates

may be nominated by EPA Regions, State water pollution control agencies, municipalities, consultants,

wastewater treatment facilities or other interested parties in their State. After completing compliance

screenings, the EPA Regional Offices use selection panels to choose the facilities, projects or programs

which may receive annual Regional awards. These Regional winners then become eligible for national

awards. Participation may not be in all states or EPA regions. Many State and Regional awards
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presentation ceremonies are coordinated with local associations of WEF. 

Awards nominations received from EPA Regional Offices undergo additional screenings and are evaluated

by a selection panel of expert judges in the wastewater treatment industry. Award winners are invited to

attend the presentation ceremony where they may receive flags, plaques and certificates. The awards

recognize the staff of these facilities and provide national recognition for their contributions to their

community and to the nation’s goal of clean water. 

Each year since the program’s initiation, national awards have been presented annually at the Water

Environment Federation’s Technical Exposition & Conference (WEFTEC). There are more than 16,000

publicly owned and 60,000 industrially owned wastewater treatment plants in the United States, as well as

facilities subject to National Pollutant Discharge and Elimination System (NPDES) general permit coverage. 

The National Clean Water Act Recognition Awards Program recognizes select wastewater treatment plants,

programs or projects which have achieved outstanding compliance results and have demonstrated an

exceptional technological achievement, method, or device in their waste treatment and pollution abatement

programs. Award winners’ representatives are invited to attend this awards presentation ceremony. WEF

has provided generous support for the awards program by co-hosting the awards ceremony and by

providing excellent coverage in its publications. EPA is grateful to WEF for its continued help in making this

awards program a success. 
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National Clean Water Act Recognition Awards Program

Operations and Maintenance Excellence Awards

The Program

This is the seventeenth year for the EPA’s National Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Excellence

Awards program that recognizes plant personnel and local officials for innovative and outstanding O&M

activities at publicly owned wastewater treatment facilities. 

The Award Categories

Winners are recognized in nine award categories: small, medium and large secondary treatment plants; small,

medium and large advanced treatment plants; small and large non-discharging plants; and most improved

plant. For the purpose of the awards program, small is defined as a design flow capacity of less than one

million gallons per day (mgd), medium is one to 10 mgd, and large is greater than 10 mgd, except in the nondischarging plant category where large is greater than one mgd. 

The “Most Improved Plant” category, a favorite of the O&M program, recognizes extraordinary efforts by

treatment plant personnel, local officials, and the onsite operator trainer to return a facility to compliance

under a technical assistance program authorized by Section 104(g)(1) of the Clean Water Act. There are

no awards in this category this year.

The Criteria

Treatment facilities are judged based on their achievements within the following areas:

‚ Automation

‚ Best Management Practices

‚ Biosolids Handling and Disposal

‚ Collection System Controls 

‚ Collection System Maintenance

Management

‚ Compliance

‚ Equipment Maintenance

Management

‚ Financial Management

‚ Innovative O&M Practices

‚ Laboratory Management

‚ Most Improved Plant

‚ Non-dischargers

‚ Personnel Training Programs

‚ Pollution Control and Field

Monitoring

‚ Public Education

‚ Safety Education

‚ Septage Management

‚ Toxic Waste Controls
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2002 National Operations and Maintenance Excellence Awards Winners by Category

Small Advanced Plant

1

st Place: South Berwick Sewer District

South Berwick, Maine

2

nd Place: Town of Gorham Wastewater Treatment Plant

Gorham, New York

Medium Advanced Plant

1

st Place: City of Louisville Wastewater Treatment Plant

Louisville, Colorado

2

nd Place: Dale Mabry Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant

Tampa, Florida

Large Advanced Plant

1

st Place: City of Dallas (Southside) Wastewater Treatment Plant

Dallas, Texas

2

nd Place: Lancaster Area Sewer Authority

Susquehanna Water Pollution Control Facility

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Small Secondary Plant

1

st Place: Village of Amherst Wastewater Treatment Facility

Amherst, Wisconsin 

2

nd Place: City of Lineville Sanitary Sewage Treatment Plant

Lineville, Iowa

Medium Secondary Plant

1

st Place: City of Hamilton Wastewater Treatment Plant

Hamilton, Montana

2

nd Place: Escatawpa Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant

Moss Point, Mississippi
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Large Secondary Plant

1

st Place: Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners

Newark, New Jersey

2

nd Place: Evansville Eastside Treatment Facility

Evansville, Indiana

Large Non-Discharging

1

st Place: Selma-Kingsburg-Fowler County Sanitation District

Kingsburg, California

2

nd Place: City of Sturgis Wastewater Treatment Facility

Sturgis, South Dakota 
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National Clean Water Act Recognition Awards Program

Biosolids Exemplary Management Awards

The Program

This is the fifteenth year of the EPA’s National Biosolids Exemplary Management Awards program that

recognizes outstanding operational projects, research studies, technological advances, and public

acceptance efforts for promoting beneficial uses of municipal wastewater biosolids. EPA presents national

awards and may present regional awards. 

Innovative and widely applicable biosolids techniques are vital to the nation’s efforts to protect and improve

our land and water resources. These awards focus attention on the critical need to develop and implement

management practices that use wastewater biosolids beneficially and that are environmentally safe,

economical, and acceptable to the public. The nomination process is very productive, even if the nominee is

not selected as a winner, due to the recognition and transfer of information that occurs. 

For years, many municipalities, individuals and groups have worked to make significant contributions to the

study and practice of environmentally safe use and disposal fo municipal biosolids. This awards program

recognizes their professional efforts. We congratulate this year’s award winners, and encourage nominations

of commendable candidates for next year’s regional and national Exemplary Biosolids Management award

programs. 

The Award Categories and Criteria 

The Biosolids Exemplary Management award candidates are evaluated using the following criteria:

For Operating Projects

Two Categories: 1) Less Than or Equal to 5 dry tons/per day; 2) Greater than 5 dry tons/per day

‚ Compliance with Applicable Federal, State and local regulations

‚ Consistent, cost-effective operation

‚ public acceptance of beneficial uses of biosolids. 

‚ Significant recycling/reuse of natural resources (e.g., nutrients, organic matter and energy)

‚ Sustained (several years), full scale, proven operation

This year, there is a tie for second place in the large operating projects category.
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For Technology Development Activities

‚ Operationally proven

‚ Resolved previous biosolids management or utilization problems

‚ Sustained excellence in advancing our knowledge of technology (e.g., improved design

criteria or operational practice)

‚ Technology has potential for use in many areas of the country

For Research Activities 

‚ Greater public acceptability of biosolids beneficial use

‚ Greatly improves the understanding of the environmental effects of beneficial use of biosolids

‚ Key information generated for development of improved biosolids regulations and guidance

‚ Substantial contribution toward the development of improved design and operation

For Public Acceptance Efforts

Two Categories: 1) Municipal; and, 2) All Others

‚ Characterized by dedicated successful individual and team efforts

‚ Demonstrated increase in public acceptance 

‚ Demonstrated willingness to share information and approaches for gaining public acceptance

‚ Proactive approach for successfully working with such entities as the press and cultivating

and gaining allies to explain the benefits and diffuse alarmist stories that might arise 

‚ Program with excellent information transfer and training efforts that have made a positive

difference locally 
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2002 National Biosolids Exemplary Management Awards Winners by Category

Operating Projects Large

1

st Place: Merrimack, Wastewater Treatment Facility

Merrimack, New Hampshire

2

nd Places: Roanoke Regional Water Pollution Control Plant

Roanoke, Virginia, and 

City of Largo, Wastewater Reclamation Facility

Clearwater, Florida

Operating Projects Small

1

st Place: City of Hood River Wastewater Treatment Plant

Hood River, Oregon

2

nd Place: Lower Colorado River Authority

Burnet, Texas

Honorable Mention: City of Port Huron Wastewater Treatment Plant

Port Huron, Michigan

Public Acceptance:

1

st Place: WNET, PBS Affiliate Television Station

New York, NY. and US EPA Region III, Water Protection Division

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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National Clean Water Act Recognition Awards

Outstanding Pretreatment Program Awards

The Program

This is the fourteenth year of the EPA’s Outstanding Pretreatment Program Awards. The awards recognize

publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) with exemplary local pretreatment programs that reduce the risk

of pass-through of toxic pollutants and the operational interferences caused by toxic dischargers. Through

their pretreatment efforts with the local industry, POTWs achieve additional benefits such as improved

biosolids quality and reduced risks to treatment plant worker health and safety. 

The Outstanding Pretreatment Program Awards recognize POTWs for outstanding efforts in the control of

industrial discharges and to heighten overall public awareness of and support for these local wastewater

treatment-related programs. 

The Award Criteria

POTWs are judged on their performance in the following areas:

‚ Enforcement

‚ Environmental Achievements

‚ Industrial User Monitoring

‚ Industrial User Permitting

‚ Innovations in Program Implementation

‚ Legal Authority

‚ Local Limits

‚ Public Outreach

The Award Categories

Awards are given in three categories based on the number of Significant Industrial Users (SIUs): 0 - 25

SIUs; 26 - 100 SIUs; and greater than 100 SIUs. 
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2002 National Outstanding Pretreatment Program Awards Winners by Category

100 and greater SIUs:

1

st Place: Subregional Operating Group (SROG)

Glendale, Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdale and

Tempe, Arizona

2

nd Place: San Antonio Water System

San Antonio, Texas

26 - 100 SIUs:

1

st Place: Chesterfield County Utilities Department

Chesterfield, Virginia

2

nd Place: Palo Alto Regional Water Quality Control Plant

Palo Alto, California

0 - 25 SIUs:

1

st Place: Texarkana Water Utilities

Texarkana, Texas

2

nd Place: City of Bangor Wastewater Treatment Plant

 Bangor, Maine
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National Clean Water Act Recognition Awards Program

Outstanding Storm Water Management Program Awards

The Program

The Storm Water Management Program Awards recognize municipalities and industries that are

demonstrating their commitment to protect and improve the quality of the nation’s waters by implementing

outstanding, innovative and cost-effective Storm Water control programs and projects. This awards

program heightens overall public awareness of storm water measures and encourages public support of

programs aimed at protecting the public’s health and safety and the nation’s water quality. 

The Award Categories

Awards are given in two categories: Municipal Storm Water control program and project; and Industrial

Storm Water control program or project. There is no national winner in the industrial category. 

The 2002 national winners are in the municipal category as follows:

1

st Place: Greater Battle Creek Area Watershed Management Project 

Battle Creek, Springfield and Calhoun County, Michigan

2

nd Place: Jefferson Parish Department of Environmental Affairs

Jefferson, Louisiana
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National Clean Water Act Recognition Awards Program

Combined Sewer Overflow Control Program Awards

The Program 

This is the twelfth year for EPA’s Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Control Awards Program. The

awards recognize municipalities which demonstrate their commitment to protect and improve the quality of

the nation’s waters by implementing outstanding, innovative and cost-effective CSO programs and projects.

The CSO Control Awards program heightens overall public awareness of CSO measures and encourages

public support of programs aimed at protecting public health and safety and the nation’s water quality.

This year there are two first place winners for the National CSO Awards Program as follows:

Lincoln Sanitary District 

Lincoln, Maine

Sanitary District of Michigan City

Michigan City, Indiana 
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For more information on the Clean Water Act Recognition Awards program visit www.epa.gov.owm, and

contact your State water pollution control agency, the U.S. EPA offices or WEF at the following locations:

Region 1

Office of Ecosystem Protection

JFK Federal Building, One Congress Street

Boston, MA 02114-2023

(617) 918-1764

Region 2

Division of Environmental Planning and Protection

290 Broadway

New York, New York 10007-1866

(212) 637-3836

Region 3

Water Protection Division 

1650 Arch Street

Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029

(215) 814-5788

Region 4

Water Management Division

61 Forsyth Street

Atlanta, GA 30303-3104

(404) 562-9280 Ext. 29248

Region 5

Water Division

77 West Jackson Boulevard 

Chicago, Illinois 60604-3507

(312) 353-5784

Region 6

Water Quality Protection Division

Fountain Place, 12th Floor, Suite 1200

1445 Ross Avenue

 Dallas, TX 75202-2733

(214) 655-6525

Region 7

Water, Wetlands, & Pesticides Division

901 N. 5th Street

Kansas City, KS 66101

(913) 551-7453

Region 8

Office of Partnerships and Regulatory Asst. 

999 18th Street, Suite 500

Denver, CO 80202-2466

(303) 312-6280

Region 9

Water Division

75 Hawthorne Street

San Francisco, CA 94105

(415) 744-1949

Region 10

Office of Water

1200 Sixth Avenue

Seattle, WA 98101

(206) 553-8575

Headquarters

Office of Wastewater Management

1200 Pennsylvania Ave, NW (4204M)

Washington, DC 20460

(202) 564-0628

The Water Environment Federation (WEF)

Attn: Technical Services

601 Wythe Street

Alexandria, VA 22314

(703) 684-2400
United States Environmental Protection Agency

Office of Water (4204M)

EPA832-K-02-001

www.epa.gov/owm

September 2002