Member Spotlight

Nutrient pollution, caused by excess nitrogen and phosphorus in waterways, is one of America's most widespread, costly, and challenging environmental problems. For the San Francisco Bay, the West Coast’s largest estuary and home to over seven million people, algal blooms, fish kills and other nutrient-related environmental impacts have generally not been seen despite 37 wastewater treatment plants discharging to the Bay without full-scale nutrient treatment.

NACWA was pleased to honor the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC) this month with a National Environmental Achievement Award for Operations & Environmental Performance with its McCook Reservoir Stage 1.

Conceived jointly by the Narragansett Bay Commission’s Pretreatment and Public Affairs departments and brought to life by animator Rafael Cuello, NBC’s education program, MR. CAN vs The Grease Beasts and its eponymous protagonist, aim to educate the public about proper household grease disposal. In the 2017-2018 school year, MR. CAN was integrated into the curriculum of the award-winning environmental education program, The NBC Watershed Explorers, which reaches economically-disadvantaged students in the state...

The City of Richmond’s wastewater treatment plant Nutrient Reduction Program is an outstanding example of significant investment in planning and operations leading to superior performance. Over five years, the City made significant modifications to its wastewater treatment plant, and at the end of the project the performance of the plant is making significant contributions to improving water quality in the James River and Chesapeake Bay.

Through the Living River Project, NACWA Member Agency the Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department (RWRD) raises the public’s awareness about improvement in the riparian ecosystem health of the Santa Cruz River in Pima County, AZ. The Project—through written annual reports, e-media, public outreach activities, and school outings—has become an inventive tool for educating people about the effects of wastewater treatment on local wetlands. It uses an innovative approach to...

This month’s Member Spotlight shines on the Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD), which created the nation’s first wastewater sector apprenticeship program in 1979 to support continued workforce excellence. Today the program is touted as a progressive initiative, fostering workforce development and furthering the growth of the clean water sector. And while HRSD is known for its innovation and leadership, HRSD Commissioners and senior management credit its apprentices and support teams for its success, frequently referring to the program as “HRSD’s Secret Sauce.” Here’s why…

In the fall of 2016, NACWA Member Agency, NEW Water in Green Bay, WI developed a four-minute outreach video about its Silver Creek Project entitled, Water Knows No Boundaries. The video was developed to demonstrate the partnerships that have been developed throughout the project, and the success in implementing change on the agricultural landscape.

As evidenced by recent catastrophic weather events, infrastructure resilience is one of the most critical issues facing the health and safety of a community. Recognizing this, the Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) developed Community Connection, a comprehensive and strategic outreach effort aimed at speaking directly with citizens about the infrastructure improvements needed for reducing risks and gathering customer input on balancing risk reduction with additional investment.

The Beckley Sanitary Board’s (BSB) Ewart Avenue iPond project capitalizes on the emerging availability and advancements in low-cost, internet-accessible controller systems — with wired and wireless communications – to allow for real-time, dynamic control of stormwater infrastructure. This new control technology accounts for, and manages, the highly variable nature of wet weather induced runoff, and for its innovation and application, won NACWA’s National Environmental Achievement Award.

Forests to Faucets is an annual continuing education teacher workshop conducted by Aurora Water and the Aurora Parks, Recreation & Open Space Department. Designed to provide Aurora teachers with an in-depth education about water and water-related issues, the three-day workshop takes teachers from mountain watersheds to water treatment facilities, and not only explores Aurora’s water supply system and operations, but reaffirms the importance of water pollution prevention and watershed protection.