Exemplary Source Water Protection Award

Exemplary Source Water Protection Award

Small System: No award
Medium System: No award
Very Large System: Greenville Water, South Carolina Section
Purpose of the Award:
To recognize drinking water systems who have developed and are implementing exemplary source water protection programs.
Award Information
The award: The AWWA Exemplary Source Water Protection Program Award plaque.
Frequency of the award: Yearly, up to three awards, with the intent to distribute to organizations representing different water system size classifications based on the population served.
Presentation of the award: The award will be presented at the AWWA Annual Conference and Exposition.
Submission Window: Opens November 1 prior to the award year and remains open until January 15 of the award year.
Deadline for Submission: January 15 of a given award year.
Section level awards: Some AWWA sections may also offer an Exemplary Source Water Protection Award at the local level. Contact your local section for more information.
AWWA award committee membership: The Award Committee will be administered by the AWWA Source Water Protection Committee and will be comprised of members of the Source Water Protection Committee as well as other Committees of the AWWA Water Resource Sustainability Division as appropriate. Employees of or consultants to any of the organizations participating in the subject Source Water Protection Program or the nominating organization may not serve on the Award Committee. The Award Committee will make nominations to be approved by the trustees of the AWWA Water Resource Sustainability Division.
Interested in learning more about Source Water Protection? Additional resources and information available on Source Water Protection page.
Award Eligibility Criteria
The applicant will be requested to confirm that they meet the eligibility criteria when starting their online application for their application to be successfully submitted for consideration.
Eligibility:
- Applicant is a Drinking Water System
- The applicant is in compliance with Applicable Regulatory Requirements
- Drinking water supply source(s) is associated with a water system or authority that is regulated by a federal/state/province/tribe government agency
- The applicant verifies that they have based their application on the latest ANSI/AWWA G300 Standard
- The applicant has a Directly Responsible Individual* (DRI) for implementation of the Source Water Protection Program (DRI information will be required for the application)
- The source of drinking water for the system (groundwater, surface water or both)
*DRI – the person, directly employed by a Drinking Water System, that is responsible for the Drinking Water System’s Source Water Protection program implementation (I.e., not a consultant)
Award Selection Criteria
The award will be based largely on the criteria set forth in the AWWA Standard for Source Water Protection (ANSI/AWWA G300-14/G300-22).
The Standard states that “Source water protection is a highly site-specific process that reflects the inherent diversity of natural waters and the areas from which they are derived. Consequently, successful source water protection programs may vary widely in their details; but it is a premise of this standard that successful programs share several fundamental elements. These elements form the basis of the source water protection standard. Within this generalized framework, individual utilities may establish and maintain source water protection programs that account for their unique local conditions, incorporate the interests of local stakeholders, and reflect sustainable long-term commitments to the process by all parties.”
Specifically, the source water protection program should include each of the following six (6) components outlined below and described in more detail in the Standard: (1) a source water protection program vision; (2) source water characterization; (3) source water protection goals; (4) source water protection action plan; (5) implementation of the action plan; and (6) periodic evaluation and revision of the entire program. Although each of the six primary elements may differ greatly in their complexity or effort, they are each vital to the success of the program. Accordingly, basic success in each area should be demonstrated in order for a utility to obtain recognition in the area of source water protection.
In addition to how well a source water protection program satisfies each of the six (6) program components outlined above for the AWWA Standard, the award will also be based on the following three criteria: (1) the effectiveness of the program; (2) the innovativeness of the program approach; and (3) the difficulties overcome by the organization in satisfying the eligibility criteria.
In determining the award winner(s), consideration may be given to the resources available to the organization for the development and implementation of a source water protection program when judging the programs of organizations of difference sizes (within a specific size category).
Drinking Water System Size Categories:
- Fewer than 10,000 people served
- 10,001 – 100,000 people served
- More than 100,001 people served
Please refer to the online application process below for the award criteria you will be asked to address.
All content that will be evaluated must be provided within the word count allotted. Any links to websites will not be reviewed as part of the award evaluation scoring. AWWA cannot accept any additional supporting materials beyond the information provided in the application form. However, you are encouraged to describe your supporting materials (e.g., source water assessment report, source water protection plan, source water protection implementation reports, and source water monitoring results) within the application itself.
The award score is based on 100 points. Only applicants with a total score of 80 points or above can be considered for the award.
Online Application Process
Applicants will be requested to confirm eligibility criteria have been met at the start of the online application. The applicant will be asked to provide the following information about their water system in addition to completing the questions in the online application:
- Source Water (e.g., Groundwater, Surface Water, Both)
- Name of Drinking Water System
- State(s)/Province(s)/Tribe(s) in which the system operates
- Drinking Water System Source Water Protection Program Directly Responsible Person* contact information
- Is the award applicant an AWWA member?
- Population Served by the water system
- For wholesaler, provide total population served (including all consecutive systems)
- Average daily water production for the water system (mgd)
*The person at the Drinking Water System who is responsible for the implementation of the Source Water Protection program.
The online application consists of questions, each with a word limit, and weighting found within the Evaluation Matrix below.
Resubmissions: Should the applicant not be successful in their award submission, the applicant is welcome and encouraged to reapply for the award. Prior to any resubmissions, the applicant is encouraged to request feedback for incorporation so updates can be incorporated into the resubmitted application. Resubmissions will be required to have updated content identified and/or highlighted.
Evaluation Matrix
Question |
Criteria Covered |
Maximum Word Count |
Evaluation Criteria |
Scoring (Total available points = 100) |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
How does your Source Water Protection Program’s vision align with the AWWA Utility Management Standard on Source Water Protection (i.e., ANSI/AWWA G300) and meet the 6 key elements of a Source Water Protection program: 1) Program Vision, 2) Source Water Characterization, 3) Program Goals, 4) Action Plan (Roadmap/Workplan); 5) Implementation, 6) Evaluation and Revision. This vision should be specific and exclusive to your source water protection program, existing additionally to your utility’s overarching vision. |
G300 Conformity |
250 |
G300 Standard 22 |
5 |
2 |
Describe the extent of internal and external stakeholder involvement in the development and implementation of your Source Water Protection Program, and the outcomes of stakeholder collaboration within the program. How do you regularly engage with stakeholders, and how have they assisted in maintaining your source water protection program? |
Stakeholder Engagement |
250 |
Identify internal and external stakeholders. Show engagement (and documentation) throughout the following elements of your SWP Program:
|
5 |
3 |
How does your utility ensure the longevity of your source water protection program? Describe the following:
|
Vision and Commitment |
250 |
|
5 |
4 |
Did you characterize your source water and the source water protection area with accuracy and completeness? Describe how you assessed and documented the following: 1) Delineation of the Source Water Protection area(s), 2) Water Quality and Quantity Data, 3) Land Use & Contaminant Sources, 4) Inventory of Regulations. |
Characterization |
1,750 |
Includes/addresses/references:
|
15 |
5 |
What are your source water protection goals, and how do they align with your overall program vision? Goals can address both current and future issues, and should be prioritized by the source water protection problems of greatest concern. Describe the drivers that your organization identified as reasons to implement source water protection activities, and how these influenced the goals of your source water protection program. |
Goals |
500 |
|
10 |
6 |
Describe your action plan for your source water protection program and its components and/or Best Management Practices. What components are currently implemented, or in process? Describe how your action plan informs implementation timelines, activities, priorities, and necessary resources. For examples of best management practices, please visit sections 4.5 “Program Implementation”, and 4.5.1 “Support Programs” of the G300 Standard. |
Action Plan and Implementation |
3,000 |
|
35 |
7 |
How do you periodically evaluate and update your Source Water Protection Program (stakeholder engagement, delineation, actions, measures, implementation practices, etc.) to ensure its ongoing effectiveness and adaptability? How do you measure and evaluate the outcomes and impact of varying components and practices of your source water protection program? |
Evaluation and Revisions |
1,750 |
|
15 |
8 |
How is your program exemplary? Describe how your Source Water Protection program is unique and goes above and beyond the G300 Standard. |
Exemplary Reasoning |
250 |
|
5 |
9 |
How is your Source Water Protection program documented and/or reported on to formalize efforts in your utility operations? Examples may include, but are not limited to, meeting minutes, technical studies, memoranda, and other materials that support goal-setting and implementation elements of your source water protection program. |
Documentation |
250 |
Describe program documentation practices |
5 |
Past Recipients
Congratulations to the past recipients of this prestigious award.
Small System: Winterset Municipal Water Works, Iowa Section
Medium System: No award
Large System: North Texas Municipal Water District, Texas Section
Small System: No award
Medium System: No award
Large System: Truckee Meadows Water Authority, Reno Nevada
Small System: No award
Medium System: City of Gresham, Gresham Oregon
Large System: West Virginia American Water, Charleston West Virginia
Small System: Tahoe Water Suppliers Association, NV
Medium System: City Water, Light and Power, Springfield, IL
Large System: Beaver Water District, Lowell AR
Small System: City of Mankato, MN
Medium System: The City of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Large System: City of Tulsa, OK
Small System: Rock County Rural Water District, MN
Medium System: Clackamas River, OR
Large System: Albuquerque Bernalillo County, NM
Small System: No award
Medium System: City of Bremerton Public Works and Utilities, WA
Large System: Weber Basin Water Conservancy District, UT
Small System: No award
Medium System: Central Utah Water Conservancy District – Provo River Watershed Council, UT
Large System: The Regional Municipality of York, Ontario, Canada
Small System: No award
Medium System: No award
Large System: Eugene Water and Electric Board, Eugene, OR
Small System: No award
Medium System: No award
Large System: City of Kalamazoo, MI
Very Large System: Spokane Aquifer Joint Board, WA
Small System: No award
Medium System: Brandon Fire District #1, VT
Large System: Reading Area Water Authority, PA
Metro System: New York City Department of Environmental Protection, NY
Small System: DeSota, IA
Medium System: No award
Large System: Portland, ME
Metro System: Sacramento, CA
Small System: City of Clare, MI
Medium System: Crystal Falls Township, MI
Large System: City of Wilmington, DE
Small System: Remsen Municipal Utilities, IA
Medium System: Seelyville Water Works, IN
Large System: Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, Boston, MA
Small System: No award
Medium System: City of Big Rapid, MI
Large System: Louisville Water Company, KY
Large System: Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake and Sandy (District), UT
Small System: No award
Medium System: City of Davison, Davison, MI
Large System: Indiana American Water, Richmond District, IN
Small System: Ira Township, Fair Haven, MI
Medium System: Charter Township of Waterford, Waterford, MI
Large System: Contra Costa Water District, Concord, CA
Small System: No award
Medium System: Nevada Tahoe Water Supplier Association, NV
Large System: Suffolk County Water Authority, Oakdale, NY
Small System: City of Ionia, Ionia, MI
Medium System: No award
Large System: No award
Small System: Village of Milford, Milford, MI
Medium System: City of Battle Creek, Battle Creek, MI
Large System: Portland Water Bureau, Portland, OR
Small System: Chippewa Falls Water Utility, Chippewa Falls, WI
Medium System: Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Canada
Large System: Philadelphia Water Department, Philadelphia, PA
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