Over 970 drinking water professionals gathered in Atlantic City last week for the New Jersey Section American Water Works Association’s (AWWA) 80th Annual Conference. The conference offered almost three full days of educational sessions on topics including water treatment, regulations, management and pipeline recovery. It also provided a valuable opportunity for attendees to network with their peers in a structured yet informal setting.

The New Jersey Section is one of 43 sections of the American Water Works Association, which is the largest organization of drinking water professionals in the world. AWWA works to make advances in public health, safety and welfare by uniting the efforts of the full spectrum of drinking water professionals. The theme of this year’s conference was “Shaping Our Water Future.”

In addition to the sessions, participants were invited to attend activities throughout the conference. Seven organizations submitted samples for a public water taste test. Attendees were invited to try all the submissions and vote for their favorite, with Merchantville-Pennsauken Water Commission taking first place. Technical participants tested their knowledge in an Operators Bowl. Students from several New Jersey colleges submitted posters for judging and competed in the Student Bowl.

Attendees were invited to participate in Water For People’s Drop in the Bucket Auction. Through the hard work of its volunteer committee, the Section donated almost $100,000 to Water for People, an international charity focused on ensuring everyone has access to safe continuous water.

This year’s award recipients received a myriad of honors for their contributions in engineering, leadership, years of distinguished service, new eager professionals, and volunteerism. The recipients were as follows:

The George Warren Fuller Award, which recognizes distinguished service in the water supply field, was bestowed upon Carol T. Storms of Aqua New Jersey. The Fuller Award – one of the most prestigious awards AWWA bestows -- is given to an individual for their sound engineering skill and constructive leadership, qualities exemplified by George Warren Fuller, one of America’s most eminent engineers.

The Harold V. Florence, Jr. Meritorious Operator Award for distinguished service in water operations was awarded to Keith Smith for his work at the Borough of Butler Water Department.

The Dedication Award was presented to Michael Opaleski for his demonstration of outstanding services and dedication to the AWWA NJ Section through his leadership and active participation in AWWA NJ programs.

The Next Generation Award was bestowed upon Sophia Heng of Southeast Morris County MUA. This award is given to a member who is a young professional (under the age of 35) and who is actively participating in the Association's activities and programs. This award has been developed to encourage young professionals to become active in AWWA New Jersey Section and to encourage employers to allow their young professionals to participate.

The Kenneth J. Miller Award was given to Nicholas DeVecchis of New Jersey American Water for his volunteer work with Water for People. Water for People, a nonprofit organization, is dedicated to helping people in developing countries improve their quality of life by supporting the development of locally sustainable drinking water resources, sanitation facilities and health and hygiene education programs.

The Fresh Ideas Award was given to DiAsia Brooks of Trenton Water Works and Perisa Azhir of Middlesex Water Company. In conjunction with AWWA’s Fresh Ideas initiative, the AWWA NJ Section selects the best paper by a young professional based on originality, topical interest, content, speaker’s knowledge of topic, use of audio-visual elements, and overall presentation. Their presentation was “Managing a Municipally Owned Water Utility: Then and Now.”

During the Conference, the AWWA NJ Section announced its officers the coming year (2015-2016):

Section Chair: David J. Tanzi (CDM Smith)Vice Chair: Michael Furrey (Agra Environmental Laboratory Services)Past Chair: Carol T. Walczyk (Hatch Mott MacDonald)Director: Mark Tompeck (Hatch Mott MacDonald)Trustee: Andrew Clauhs (Mueller Co.)Trustee: Brian Carr (Middlesex Water Company)Trustee: Nicole Wiley (American Water)Trustee: David G. Ern (Gordon's Corner Water Company)Secretary-Treasurer: David Scheibner (Ridgewood Water)Assistant Secretary-Treasurer: Andrea McElroy (Passaic Valley Water Commission)

For more information about the AWWA NJ Section, please visit our website: www.njawwa.org or call Mona Cavalcoli, Section Manager, at (866) 436-1120.

AWWA NJ Section Public Information CommitteeChelsea Simkins, 856-782-2340Chelsea.Simkins@amwater.com

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