Awards           

Named for Al Jellison, long-time Chief Operator of the City of Bangor Wastewater Treatment Facility, this award is designed to recognize individuals who have demonstrated an extraordinary level of service and commitment to MEWEA and to the protection of water quality in Maine over the course of their careers.

Nomination submitted to: Any member of the MEWEA Executive Committee

Charles Perry Collection System Award

Charles Perry set the standard for wastewater utilities in the State of Maine by utilizing methods that were cutting edge for the time. Mr. Perry was one of the first employees of Wright Pierce Engineering, worked for Brunswick-Topsham Water District and finished his career as the Superintendent of Sewers for the City of Portland.

Mr. Perry was one of the first to use trenchless technology, recognize the value of televised inspections of collection systems, implement preventative maintenance for collection systems and was the first in the state to use Hydro-Brakes for CSO remediation. Most importantly, Mr. Perry was dedicated to his crew and his work. He freely gave up his time and was always willing to help by providing advice, suggestions and recognizing the commitment his crew gave to their work.

The Charles Perry Award is given annually by the Maine Water Environment Association to a Collections Systems Operator, Municipality, District, Private Waste Water Collection System, engineer or educator in Maine. Please include in your nomination how your nominee has met the criteria for the award. Criteria include:

1. Exemplary operation and maintenance of the wastewater collection system
2. Extra effort and originality put forth in the operations of a wastewater collection system to reduce the environmental impact on the local community.
3. Provide concern for the community by showing interaction with residents, community service and education.

Nomination submitted to: Collection Systems Committee Chair

Communications Award

The Communications Award is intended to honor the outstanding efforts of a person, group, utility, agency, or other organization to share the Association’s mission or the importance of investing in and protecting the water environment. The communication effort recognized by this award can have an internal focus (i.e., membership) or an external focus (i.e., the general public, schools, or other associations) and can be implemented via traditional media, social media, or a combination of these. The recipient shall have demonstrated outreach beyond the formal duties of any official position on the board. 

Nominations submitted to: the Communications Committee Chair

David Anderson Laboratory Excellence Award

Named after David Anderson, long-serving director of the Portland Water District’s Laboratory, this award was designed to recognize individuals for outstanding performance, professionalism, and contributions to the water quality analysis profession.

Please include in your nomination how your nominee has met the criteria for the award.

The criteria for the laboratory award are:

1. Unusual initiative or performance beyond the call of duty.
2. To recognize individuals for outstanding performance, professionalism, and contributions to the water quality analysis profession.
3. Employment at an educational facility laboratory, industrial, commercial, or municipal laboratory, which performs wastewater related analysis and must have direct analytical responsibilities.
4. Only those who have not been recognized by this award before are eligible.
5. The nominee’s performance must demonstrate a commitment to high quality control standards.
6. The nominee’s perspective should be dutiful and conscientious.
7. The nominee’s actions should demonstrate a commitment to professional development: e.g. by maintaining an active membership in MeWEA.
8. A demonstrated commitment to continuing education in the field of wastewater analysis, either by courses taken or presentations delivered at training sessions.

Persons who have been recognized by this award before are not eligible to receive it again.

Nominations submitted to: Lab Committee Chairperson

Industrial Achievement Award

The Industrial Discharger Award is given by Maine Water Environment Association (MeWEA) to recognize a Maine industrial discharger who has made exemplary efforts towards reducing discharge volumes and/or pollutant concentrations in their effluent. This award also considers the extra effort and originality that has been involved in system design and/or operations, as well as the efforts made by the industrial discharger to meet internal environmental stewardship and sustainability goals. The following are the general qualities that determine the recipients of this award. Please include in your nomination how your nominee has met the criteria for the award.

1. Demonstrates exemplary operation and maintenance of the facility.
2. Demonstrates a commitment from the business to reduce the volume of and/or the pollutant concentrations in wastewater discharges from the facility through continuous improvement projects.
3. Demonstrates a professional and open relationship with regulatory agencies and permit authorities at all times.
4. Applies internal sustainability and environmental stewardship policies or goals to wastewater treatment activities.
5. Identifies treatment system influent sources and develops continuous improvement projects to reduce the volume or pollutants at the source.
6. Provides service to the profession through participation, assistance to others with problems, etc.
7. Demonstrates creativity in operations and problem solving.
8. Maintains compliance with various permits.

Nominations submitted to: Pretreatment Committee Chairperson

Operator Award

The MEWEA Operator Award is given annually to an individual who has shown a high interest and performance in clean water operations and has made a significant contribution to the water quality field in Maine.

One or more of the following areas should be discussed in the nomination form to serve as a basis for selection of the award recipient: Improvement to the environment, Cost effective operations, Cost effective maintenance procedures, Public relations, Safety, Innovative process controls, Solids handling and disposal, Pretreatment, Collection systems/pumping stations, Training, Odor control, Association contributions

Nominations submitted to: Treatment Plant Operators Committee Chairperson

Pretreatment Excellence Award

The Pretreatment Excellence Award is given to recognize an industrial facility which is an indirect discharger in Maine who has made exemplary efforts towards meeting the requirements of a State/National Pretreatment Program permit, State or local authority control mechanism. This award also considers the extra effort and originality that has been involved in system design and/or operations, as well as the efforts made by individuals or the organization to meet internal environmental stewardship and sustainability goals. The following are the general qualities that determine the recipients of this award.

• Demonstrates exemplary design, operation and maintenance of the facility.
• Demonstrates a commitment from the business to comply with their pretreatment permit through continuous improvement projects.
• Demonstrates a professional and open relationship with regulatory agencies and permitting authorities at all times.
• Provides service to the profession through participation outside of the home business, assistance to others with problems, etc.
• Demonstrates creativity in operations and problem solving.
• Not in Significant Non-Compliance in the past 12 months.

Nominations submitted to: Pretreatment Committee Chairperson

Outstanding Service Award

This Award is intended to honor outstanding service to the Association that deserves special recognition. The recipient can be a person, group, utility, agency, or other organization that has demonstrated strong commitment to the Association’s Mission and/or programs.

This award is given at the discretion of the Executive Committee; it is not necessarily awarded each year. Nominations for this Award come from within the Executive Board. If you wish to encourage the Executive Board to consider a person, group, utility, agency, or other organization for this Award, contact any member of the Executive Board. 

President's Service Award

This Award is sponsored by the Association President to acknowledge a member, person, or group that provided assistance and support during his or her term that optimized and complimented the President’s goals. The intent is to reflect participation beyond the formal duties of any official position on the board.

Roger Gagne Award

The Roger Gagne Award is based solely on long-term service to the Association. Members of the Executive Committee submit nominations and the full Executive Committee selects the winner of the award annually. Nominations are not accepted from the general MEWEA membership.

As a bit of background, Roger Gagne worked at the SD Warren Mill in Westbrook. He headed up the Treatment Plant from when the mill was built. He was very involved in the wastewater field and active with the Maine WasteWater Control Association. Roger was the first person to serve more than one term as President of MEWEA. He was the President in 1968 and 1972-1973. Roger died of a heart attack. It is believed the award was created in 1978 when Bill Varney was President.

Richard B. Goodenow Award

The Richard B. Goodenow Award is given to recognize the efforts of a water pollution control facility in Maine. The Award is given in recognition of the efforts of the facility’s personnel to maintain the best quality effluent.

This is not strictly measured by compliance with license limits, but also considers the extra effort and originality that has been involved in the treatment plant’s operations.

The following are the general qualities that determine the recipients of this award.

1. Exemplary operation and maintenance of the facility.
2. A working environment that provides opportunities for personal growth and promotes activities that provide for this growth.
3. A concern for community, exemplified by interaction with residents, working toward community based goals, public education etc.
4. Training opportunities for employees to enhance growth, safety training, first aid, systems operations, record keeping, management of people etc.
5. Problem resolution through identification of creative approaches to analysis, evaluation, identification, resolution, and implementation.
6. Service to the profession through participation, assistance to others with problems, etc.
7. Creativity in operations and problem solving
8. Compliance with various permits

Stormwater Award

The MEWEA Stormwater Water Award is given annually to a member who has demonstrated exceptional awareness and dedication to advancing stormwater management practices in the State of Maine. It recognizes outstanding individuals who are helping to protect and restore Maine’s valuable water resources through a variety of activities, including, but not limited to:

1. Improve public understanding and involvement in developing and implementing practical stormwater solutions
2. Engage in developing state or national policies that promote innovative stormwater solutions to improve water quality
3. Advance the development and implementation of innovative best management practices to improve water quality
4. Serve as a liaison to encourage the sharing of information and resources between MEWEA and interlocal stormwater working groups throughout the state
5. Advance the engagement of a diverse membership of stormwater professionals in MEWEA

Please use at least one of the criterion listed above in your nomination to describe why the candidate is being nominated to receive the award.

Young Professional Award

This award, given annually at the MEWEA Fall Convention, will recognize the achievements of a young professional. Candidates for nomination will have made noticeable contributions to or achievements within the water environment industry and/or to MEWEA.

A successful applicant will have the following qualities:

1. Member of MEWEA.
2. Under 40 years old or no more than 5 years in water environment industry.
3. Demonstrated achievements and contributions to enhancing the goals of MEWEA through active participation in a standing committee or Association sponsored program; notable contributions to clean water operations or design; and/or improvement in the fundamental knowledge wastewater collection, distribution and treatment systems, stormwater treatment and conveyance, water resource protection, and research on water quality topics.

A higher education award of up to $1000.00 will be awarded to deserving candidates who meet the scholarship criteria as listed further below. The award will be announced at the Maine Water Environment Association Fall Meeting, typically held in September.

Description: This award, given annually at the MEWEA Fall Convention, will cover costs of admission to the Thursday session for the MEWEA Fall Convention on behalf on the Young Professionals Committee, for up to five (5) students per year.

There are funds available for up to five Maine YPs to attend the NEWEA YP Summit, which is part of their Annual Conference in January in Boston. Contact the YP Committee chair for more information.