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North Texas Municipal Water District Wins Big at Annual Texas Water Conference

April 12, 2022

The North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) swept this year’s Water Environment Association of Texas (WEAT) Operations Challenge held at Texas Water 2022 to take home the coveted trophy for Overall First Place State Champions and was recognized in three categories related to water conservation and reuse, and public education programs.

Jenna Covington, NTMWD Executive Director, said “I am humbled by the quality of representation we had at this year’s Texas Water 2022, and the extraordinary performance of employees to earn honors that validate the important work we do that truly matters for the health and welfare of the region we serve.”

This competition team called “NTMWD Centrifugal Force” was selected as the 2022 WEAT Operations Challenge Competition Overall First Place State Champions and earned the right to compete at WEFTEC 2022 – the world’s largest annual water quality technical conference – in New Orleans this October to represent the state along with four other Texas teams.

The Operations Challenge competition is designed to bring together wastewater collection and treatment professionals to demonstrate their skills in five major categories: collection systems, laboratory, process control, maintenance, and safety. The NTMWD Centrifugal Force had a historic performance by being the first team ever to earn top scores in four of the five events – winning Process Control, Laboratory, Maintenance and Collection Systems. They also earned the extraordinary distinction unseating the Trinity River Authority team who has held the Utility Management Trophy for 23 consecutive years.

The team, mostly from the South Mesquite Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant, includes the Plant Supervisor Jeremy Thompson, the Plant Chief Operator Zachary Jackson, Lead Operator Joshua Deaver, Operator III Caeleb Butler, and Construction Inspector Chris Legg.

NTMWD was also recognized in three categories related to water conservation and reuse, and public education programs.

The NTMWD Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional (ICI) Customer Analysis project was recognized by the Texas American Water Works Association (TAWWA) in the Water Conservation and Reuse awards Large Utility, Indirect Project category. The industrial, commercial, institutional, or multifamily (ICIM) program provides NTMWD Member and Customer City staff with the knowledge and tools necessary to identify ICIM customers with high water usage.

NTMWD along with its regional partners in the City of Dallas Water Utilities and Tarrant Regional Water District won a Communications Programs Watermark Award for its regional water conservation public awareness campaign – “Water is Awesome – Tall Tales from the Towers of Texas.” The three sister agencies have been working together on regional messaging since 2019 to increase the adoption of water saving behaviors, reduce water waste and promote the importance of water and the value it provides in their communities.

NTMWD’s Water4Otter online youth education curriculum won an Honorable Mention Watermark Award for Community Outreach and Education Programs.  The pivot to virtual learning during the pandemic created an opportunity to convert the in-person Water4Otter performance program into free, modular online courses available to all.