Inland Empire, CA – The Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA/Agency) was presented with five Santa Ana River Basin Section (SARBS) awards from the California Water Environment Association (CWEA). The awards were received in three categories: Community Engagement & Outreach, Engineering & Research and Operations & Maintenance.
CWEA’s SARBS awards aims to encourage outstanding achievements within the water industry, improve the professional status of those working in the industry and promote public awareness of the importance of wastewater treatment to public health and the water environment. There are over 20 categories of SARBS awards, each honoring exceptional CWEA/SARBS members and California wastewater professionals, facilities and agencies.
“IEUA is extremely honored to receive such prestigious awards,” stated IEUA Board President Jasmin A. Hall. “These awards are the result of hard work, innovation and leadership and are a great representation of the excellent staff employed at the Agency.”
The Community Engagement & Outreach-Best Use of Social Media Award was presented on behalf of the Agency’s “No Wipes Down the Pipes” campaign and highlights achievements in promoting awareness and understanding of water quality issues using social media. The campaign was completed fully in-house and advocates for the proper disposal of wipes and various hygiene products while educating the public on the negative impacts these actions impose on city infrastructure.
The Community Engagement & Outreach-Project of the Year (Small Budget) Award was presented on behalf of the Agency’s Water Discovery Program that has shifted to a virtual platform and is now a resource under the Agency’s newest education program, “Owlie’s Virtual Adventures.” Like the social media campaign, the education program was completed fully in-house in response to a shift towards a virtual learning environment. The program offers a variety of free, educational resources and can be accessed online by visiting https://www.ieua.org/owlies-virtual-adventures/.
The Engineering & Research-Engineering Achievement Award was presented on behalf of the Agency’s San Sevaine Basin Improvements Project and recognizes outstanding projects by an individual, group or agency. The project is a partnership between IEUA and Chino Basin Watermaster with the goal of increasing local groundwater supply in the Chino Basin area in order to reduce the region’s dependency on imported water and increase local resiliency to drought.
A second Engineering & Research-Engineering Achievement Award was presented on behalf of the Agency’s Regional Water Recycling Plant No. 1 (RP-1) 12kV Switchgear and Generator Controls Replacement Project. The project replaced the 12kV switchgear and generator controls with modern technology in order to increase reliability of RP-1 and provide safety and flexibility for IEUA’s Operations and Maintenance staff.
The Operations & Maintenance-Operator of the Year-Silver Award was presented to Kirols Nashed, IEUA Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator V. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to the operations of wastewater treatment facilities and plant processes. Some of Mr. Nashed’s accomplishments include his involvement in the recycled water (RW) efforts for the 800 zone of the RW system that feeds Prado Lake and the development of a standard operating procedure to solve the Chino I Desalter Reverse Osmosis Train 5 bacteriological problems, which had the train passing bacteriological testing within a week and producing 1.77 million gallons per day of drinking water daily.
“We look forward to continuing our partnerships with our member agencies in order to establish and maintain programs and initiatives that reflect our regional commitment to deliver reliable, high-quality services,” continued Hall.
The Inland Empire Utilities Agency covers 242-square miles, distributes imported water, provides industrial/municipal wastewater collection and treatment services, and other related utility services to more than 875,000 people through its member agencies which include Chino, Chino Hills, Cucamonga Valley Water District, Fontana, Fontana Water Company, Montclair, Monte Vista Water District, Ontario, and Upland. www.ieua.org