The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), Water Environment Federation (WEF), Water Environment & Reuse Foundation (WE&RF), and WateReuse Association announce their inaugural Utility of the Future (UOTF) recipients.

Introduced in 2013, the UOTF business model guides wastewater utilities of all sizes toward smarter, more efficient operations and full resource recovery with enhanced productivity, sustainability, and resiliency. A peer committee of utility leaders judged public and private utility candidates based on water reuse, watershed stewardship, beneficial biosolids reuse, community partnering and engagement, energy efficiency, energy generation and recovery, and nutrient and materials recovery.

Two of the 61 recipients are in Denmark; the rest in North America:

  • Albuquerque (N.M.) Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority
  • Alexandria (Va.) Renew Enterprises
  • Avon Lake (Ohio) Regional Water
  • Baltimore City Department of Public Works
  • Camden (N.J.) County Municipal Utilities Authority
  • City of Fayetteville, Ark.
  • Charlotte (N.C.) Water
  • City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa
  • City of Fond du Lac, Wis.
  • City of Grand Rapids, Mich.
  • City of Gresham, Ore.
  • City of Los Angeles – LA Sanitation
  • City of Roseville, Calif.
  • City of San Diego Public Utilities Department
  • City of San Jose (Calif.) Environmental Services Department
  • City of San Luis Obispo (Calif.) Utilities Department
  • City of Tacoma (Wash.) Environmental Services
  • City of Tucson (Ariz.),Tucson Water
  • Clayton County Water Authority (Morrow, Ga.)
  • Clean Water Services (Hillsboro, Ore.)
  • Daphne (Ala.) Utilities
  • Department of Water Resources Gwinnett County (Lawrenceville, Ga.)
  • DC Water (Washington, D.C.)
  • Downers Grove (Ill.) Sanitary District
  • East Bay Municipal Utility District (Oakland, Calif.)
  • Fairfax (Va.) County Wastewater Management Program
  • Fairfield (Calif.) Suisun Sewer District
  • Glenbard Wastewater Authority (Glen Ellyn, Ill.)
  • NEW Water (Green Bay, Wis.)
  • Hermitage (Pa.) Municipal Authority
  • Hampton Roads Sanitation District (Virginia Beach, Va.)
  • Kent County Public Works (Dover, Del.)
  • King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division (Seattle)
  • Knoxville (Tenn.) Utilities Board
  • Littleton/Englewood (Colo.) Wastewater Treatment Plant
  • LOTT Clean Water Alliance (Olympia, Wash.)
  • Metro Vancouver BC Liquid Waste Services (Burnaby, British Columbia)
  • Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (St. Paul, Minn.)
  • Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
  • Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department
  • Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District
  • Monterey (Calif.) Regional Water Pollution Control Agency
  • Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Water and Sewer Department
  • Narragansett Bay Commission (Providence, R.I.)
  • New York City Department of Environmental Protection
  • Orange County Sanitation District (Fountain Valley, Calif.)
  • Orange Water and Sewer Authority (Carrboro, N.C.)
  • Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department (Tucson, Ariz.)
  • Sacramento (Calif.) Regional County Sanitation District
  • San Francisco Public Utilities Program
  • Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County (Whittier, Calif.)
  • Santa Rosa (Calif.) Water
  • Scottsdale (Ariz.) Water
  • Spartanburg (S.C.) Water
  • Stevens Point (Wis.) Wastewater Treatment Plant
  • Trinity River Authority of Texas (Arlington)
  • University Area Joint Authority (State College, Pa.)
  • Upper Occoquan Service Authority (Centreville, Va.)
  • Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority (Victorville, Calif.)

“Many utilities optimize their operations, consistently meet or exceed their regulatory requirements, and engage their employees and communities in meaningful and productive ways,” said WEF Executive Director Eileen O’Neill. “We are excited about this new opportunity to recognize the achievements of small, medium and large forward-thinking utilities that are providing sustainable, efficient, and value-added service to their communities.”

“EPA has been pleased to provide input to the partnering Associations on this important new program,” said Andrew Sawyers, Director of EPA’s Office of Wastewater Management. “We believe it will play an important role in EPA’s efforts to advance effective and sustainable practices that will help utilities across the sector on their journey to becoming the Utility of the Future.”

"NACWA applauds all the recipients of the inaugural Utility of the Future Recognition Program," said NACWA CEO Adam Krantz. "Utility leaders are engaged in unparalleled innovation and this recognition will inspire the sector as a whole to achieve still untapped economic and environmental benefits for their communities and the nation."

To learn more about the recognition program, visit www.wefnet.org/utilityrecognition.