Announcing the 2019 CWEA Award Winners

Announcements, Wastewater News

Thank you Xylem for supporting our annual awards program!


The California Water Environment Association (CWEA) announced the winners of its 2019 awards program at its Annual Conference in Palm Springs on April 12.

Nominations that advance through CWEA’s 17 local sections’ awards programs plus a select group of special awards are eligible to compete statewide.

CWEA officers are available to make a presentation to CWEA award recipients at agency board or City Council meetings. Please contact Victoria Thornton  at [email protected] or (510) 382-7800 x 113.

Photos by Ddaze Phuong.

Special thanks to California based Xylem for supporting the Friday Awards program.

Congratulations to these agencies and individuals leading the way in the protection and enhancement of our water environment.

Agency Winners

Plant of the Year Medium

First Place: Jacobs, South County Regional Wastewater Authority

Medium Plant of the Year: Jacobs, South County Regional Wastewater Authority

Plant of the Year Small: Olivenhain Municipal Water District

Small Plant of the Year: Olivenhain Municipal Water District

Collection System of the Year Large (Over 500 miles): Coachella Valley Water District

Collection System of the Year Large (Over 500 miles): Coachella Valley Water District

Collection System of the Year Medium (250–500 miles): City of Vista 

Collection System of the Year Medium (250–500 miles): City of Vista

Collection System of the Year Small (0-249 Miles): Castro Valley Sanitary District 

Collection System of the Year Small (0-249 Miles): Castro Valley Sanitary District

Community Engagement & Outreach: Project of the Year Large Budget (Over $20K): City of Los Angeles, LA Sanitation, One Water LA

Community Engagement & Outreach: Project of the Year Large Budget (Over $20K): City of Los Angeles, LA Sanitation, One Water LA

Community Engagement & Outreach: Project of the Year Small Budget (Under $20K): East Bay Municipal Utility District

Community Engagement & Outreach: Project of the Year Small Budget (Under $20K): East Bay Municipal Utility District

Community Engagement & Outreach: Best Use of Social Media Small: Leucadia Wastewater District

Community Engagement & Outreach: Best Use of Social Media Small: Leucadia Wastewater District

Community Engagement & Outreach: Best Use of Social Media Large: Sacramento Area Sewer District

Engineering Achievement of the Year: Central Marin Sanitation Agency

Research Achievement of the Year: Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County & Kennedy/Jenks Consultants

Research Achievement of the Year: Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County & Kennedy/Jenks Consultants

Safety: Plant of the Year Medium and WEF Burke Award – Fairfield-Suisun Sewer District

Safety: Plant of the Year Medium: Fairfield-Suisun Sewer District

Safety: Plant of the Year Small: CDMSmith, USMC Southern Region Tertiary Treatment Plant

Safety: Plant of the Year Small: CDMSmith, USMC Southern Region Tertiary Treatment Plant

Individual Winners

Collection System Person of the Year: Barry Blevins, Carmel Area Wastewater District

Collection System Person of the Year: Barry Blevins, Carmel Area Wastewater District

Collection Systems: Ambassadors, Golden Manhole: Kody Tompkins

Collection Systems: PICK- Professionalism, Ingenuity, Contribution, Knowledge:
Steve Cano, Costa Mesa Sanitary District; Kyle Dodd, City of Manteca; Travis Fisher, Ojai Valley Sanitary District; Kody Tompkins, City of Barstow

Community Engagement & Outreach: Person of the Year Mary Jo Ramey, Central Marin Sanitation Agency

Electrical/Instrumentation: Person of the Year: Ignacio Just, City of Santa Barbara

Electrical/Instrumentation: Person of the Year: Ignacio Just, City of Santa Barbara

Gimmick/Gadget of the Year First Place: Jeff Schier, Oro Loma Sanitary District

Gimmick/Gadget of the Year Second Place: Jonathan Heffernan, City of Anaheim Gimmick/Gadget of the Year Second Place: Jonathan Heffernan, City of Anaheim
Gimmick/Gadget of the Year Third Place: Joseph Lucero, City of Escondido

Laboratory Person of the Year: Kurtis Westbrook, City of Vacaville

Mechanical Technician of the Year: Marcos Avila, Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority

Operator of the Year: Garon Goularte, Jacobs

Operator of the Year: Garon Goularte, Jacobs

P3S Person of the Year: Jennifer Peet, City of Modesto

P3S Person of the Year: Jennifer Peet, City of Modesto

Outstanding Young Professional of the Year: Ryan Sellman, Carollo Engineers 

Outstanding Young Professional of the Year: Ryan Sellman, Carollo Engineers

Supervisor of the Year: Ted Gerber, Orange County Sanitation District Supervisor of the Year: Ted Gerber, Orange County Sanitation District WEF Awards

WEF Awards

WEF Quarter Century Operator Club: Ralph Palomares, El Toro Water District

WEF Lifetime Achievement: Denny S. Parker; John J. Tolmasov; Robert B. Williams; Terry W. Schroepfer

CWEA Quarter Century Awards

AC19 Palm Springs: Quarter CenturyCWEA Quarter Century from the North: 

  • Jason Fick, City of Roseville
  • Brian Hawley, Fairfield-Suisun Sewer District
  • Bob Lawrence, City of Roseville
  • Linda Leong, Silicon Valley Clean Water
  • Edward Oyama, West Valley Sanitation District
  • Ed Waggoner, Carmel Area Wastewater District
  • Mike Walkowiak, Brown and Caldwell

Quarter Century from the South:

  • Timothy Kwak, City of Escondido
  • Tony Lee, Orange County Sanitation District

Kirt Brooks Memorial Scholarship

  • Lauren Armistead
  • Alejandro Cerano-Lopez
  • Susan Hiestand
  • Connie Ho
  • Cassey Hong
  • Kourosh Irani
  • Valerie Leone
  • Gabriel Snook
  • Cole Parsons
  • Visala Tallavarjula

5S Members

AC19 Palm Springs: 5S Shovelers

  • Amanda Bird
  • Jonathon Powell
  • Dave Bachtel
  • Gary Warren
  • Vicki Conway
  • Jed Beyer
  • Debi Lewis
  • Susan Hiestand
  • Tom Falk
  • Zaheer Shaikh