2025 Award Winners

Florida Water Environment Association

2025 FWEA Award Winners

FWEA proudly recognizes the individuals, utilities, programs, and facilities whose outstanding achievements advance Florida’s clean and sustainable water environment.

Celebrating Excellence in Florida’s Water Environment

The following award winners were recognized for leadership, service, innovation, operational excellence, public education, safety, reuse, biosolids management, collection systems, and wastewater treatment performance.

Reuse & One Water Awards

Water Reuse Project of the Year

JEA Potable Reuse Program

David W. York Reuse Award

Less than 1 MGD

Toho Water Authority Sunbridge WRF

David W. York Reuse Award

1 to 5 MGD

Polk County Southwest Regional WTF

David W. York Reuse Award

5 to 15 MGD

Toho Water Authority Southside WRF

OneWater Professional of the Year

Jo Ann Jackson, P.E., Black & Veatch

Biosolids / Residuals Program Excellence Awards

Technology, Innovation, and Development

Bonita Springs Utilities East Water Reclamation Facility

Small Operating Facility

Okeechobee Utility Authority

Earle B. Phelps Awards

Recognizing facilities across Florida for outstanding wastewater treatment plant performance.

Secondary — 1st Place

Polk County Utilities Sun Ray WWTF

Secondary — Runner-Up

JEA Arlington East WRF

Advanced Secondary, Less than 3 MGD — 1st Place

Charlotte County Rotonda WRF

Advanced Secondary, Less than 3 MGD — Runner-Up

Polk County Northwest WWTF

Advanced Secondary, Less than 3 MGD — Honorable Mention

Town & Country Utilities Babcock Ranch WRF

Advanced Secondary, 3 MGD to 6 MGD — 1st Place

Lee County Three Oaks WRF

Advanced Secondary, 3 MGD to 6 MGD — Runner-Up

Polk County Southwest Regional WWTF

Advanced Secondary, 3 MGD to 6 MGD — Honorable Mention

Lee County Ft. Myers Beach WRF

Advanced Secondary, Greater than 6 MGD — 1st Place

Toho Water Authority Sandhill WRF

Advanced Secondary, Greater than 6 MGD — Runner-Up

Orange County Northwest WRF

Advanced Secondary, Greater than 6 MGD — Honorable Mention

Orange County South WRF

AWT — 1st Place

Lee County Fiesta Village WRF

AWT — Runner-Up

Hillsborough County Northwest Regional WRF

AWT — Honorable Mention

Orange County Eastern WRF

Safety Awards

Class A — 1st Place

Toho Water Authority South Bermuda WRF

Class A — 2nd Place

Toho Water Authority Cypress West WRF

Class A — 3rd Place

Lee County Utilities Fiesta Village WRF

Class B — 1st Place

City of Palm Coast Treatment Plant #1

Class B — 2nd Place

Lee County Utilities Gateway WRF

Class B — 3rd Place

Toho Water Authority Sunbridge WRF

Class C — 1st Place

Toho Water Authority Harmony WRF

Class C — 2nd Place

Toho Water Authority Parkway WRF

Utility Management Awards

Population Served <50,000

Town & Country Utilities, LLC

Population Served >100,000

Toho Water Authority

Population Served >100,000

NMB Water Department

Wastewater Collection System Awards

Small Collection System

Florida Governmental Utility Authority - Nassau Amelia Utilities

Medium Collection System

Bonita Springs Utilities

Large Collection System

Gainesville Regional Utilities

Golden Manhole Society

Brandon Lawhern

Golden Manhole Society

Thomas J. Bayer

Public Education Awards

Organization Category

City of Winter Springs

Thomas T. Jones Award

Thomas White

Individual Achievement & Service Awards

Samuel R. Willis Award

Heroism

Jacob Schaechter & Alejandro Aguilar

L.L. Hedgepeth Award

Outstanding Industrial Wastewater Operator

John Allan Stock

Albert B. Herndon Award

Outstanding Performance in Industrial Pretreatment

L. Dan Lemoncello

Environmental Stewardship Award for Odor Control

1st Place

City of St. Petersburg

Ralph H. Baker Award

Membership Recruitment

Brittany Bassett

Young Professional of the Year Award

Nicole Cohen

Passing the Gavel Award

Joan I. Fernandez, PE, PMP

Outstanding Service Awards

Recognizing volunteers who have gone above and beyond in service to the Florida Water Environment Association.

Yanni Polematidis, PE, BCEE, PMP
Manasi Parekh
Brittany Bassett
Angel Villarruel-Moore
Ada Levy
Megan Nelson
Olga Mikhalchishina

Congratulations to all 2025 FWEA Award Winners!

Thank you for your leadership, service, and commitment to Florida’s water environment.









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