Last week, the Water Environment Federation (WEF) announced the winners for its 2021 National Municipal Stormwater and Green Infrastructure Awards program. This year, WEF recognized 16 U.S. communities for exceptional municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) program management and innovation.
“Stormwater management is one of the most dynamic segments of the water profession,” said WEF President Lynn Broaddus. “This year's MS4 Award winners demonstrate that they keep up with the ever-changing landscape of regulations, technologies, and best practices, lead the way on trends, and set an example for stormwater programs around the world."
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency separates MS4s into two classifications based on the population of the communities they serve. WEF’s MS4 Awards are then distributed according to these classifications – Phase I, which encompasses cities with more than 100,000 customers, and Phase II, which encompasses smaller storm sewer systems, including public universities, departments of transportation, hospitals and prisons, in addition to small or mid-sized municipalities.
The primary winners of the 2021 MS4 Awards are:
- Phase I Overall Winner: Anne Arundel County Bureau of Watershed Protection & Restoration, Maryland
- Phase II Overall Winner: Capitol Region Watershed District, Minnesota
- Phase I Program Management Winner: City and County of Honolulu MS4 Program, Hawaii
- Phase II Program Management Winner: Central Massachusetts Regional Stormwater Coalition
- Phase I Innovation Winner: Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources, Georgia
- Phase II Innovation Winner: City of Alexandria, Virginia
In addition to these winners, each applicant is designated a Gold, Silver or Bronze-level status in both program management and innovation, which signifies their status among other MS4 communities across the country.
Gold Recognition in Program Management
- Phase I
City and County of Honolulu MS4 Program, Hawaii - Phase II
Capitol Region Watershed District, Minnesota
Silver Recognition in Program Management
- Phase I
Anne Arundel County Bureau of Watershed Protection & Restoration, Maryland
City of Birmingham – Planning, Engineering, and Permits, Alabama
Fairfax County Government, Virginia
Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources, Georgia
Louisville and Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District, Kentucky - Phase II
Central Massachusetts Regional Stormwater Coalition
City of Alexandria, Virginia
Bronze Recognition in Program Management
- Phase I
City of Dayton Department of Water, Ohio
Jefferson Parish Environmental Affairs, Louisiana - Phase II
City of Bothell, Washington
City of Greenwood, Indiana
City of San Marcos Stormwater Management, Texas
Gold Recognition in Innovation
- Phase I
Anne Arundel County Bureau of Watershed Protection & Restoration, Maryland
Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources, Georgia
Louisville and Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District, Kentucky - Phase II
Capitol Region Watershed District, Minnesota
City of Alexandria, Virginia
Silver Recognition in Innovation
- Phase I
City of Birmingham - Planning, Engineering, and Permits, Alabama
City of Dayton, Department of Water, Ohio
City of Minneapolis, Minnesota
Fairfax County Government, Virginia
Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, Maryland
City and County of Honolulu MS4 Program, Hawaii - Phase II
Central Massachusetts Regional Stormwater Coalition
Bronze Recognition in Innovation
- Phase I
Jefferson Parish Environmental Affairs, Louisiana - Phase II
City of Bothell, Washington
City of Greenwood, Indiana
This year’s winners will receive their awards, as well as formal recognition, at WEFTEC 2021 in Chicago, Oct. 16 – 20.
